Sailors
So you’ve taken the first step and joined your Team15 club, which is great news, but what comes next?
Make sure you use your Youth Windsurfing Logbook
To help you progress your windsurfing skills and set yourself small, fun challenges along the way - including a few freestyle skills - then make sure you are using your RYA Youth Windsurfing Logbook & Syllabus. Ask your T15 coach to sign off relevant sections during your T15 club sessions. Remember to take your logbook along if you attend any open training days and training camps.
If you don't have your own copy, then you can buy one from the RYA website shop or your Team15 club.
Team15 Inter-Club challenges
If you haven't yet made it to inter-club, then you really should give it a go. The events are great fun and are suitable for anyone who has completed Stage 2 of the RYA Youth Windsurfing Scheme. Inter-club will really help improve your windsurfing and also provide the opportunity to make a whole new load of like-minded friends.
If there is no team at your club yet, then why not start one? You can enter the inter-club challenges as a team of just one or two sailors to start with; very soon you’ll be working to that goal of a full team of 15 sailors representing your club.
Inter-club events cater for all abilities from Stage 2 onwards. Newcomers are particularly welcomed and the T15 Competition Organisers who run the events, will speak with the coaches and set the challenges according to your abilities. Very soon you'll be improving your skills and may just walk off with one of the trophies.
Trophies aren't just for the winners though, there are Merit Awards to be won as well. You might get one of these for being the most improved or the most determined, or whatever has stood out on the day for the T15 Competition Organiser who presents these awards.
Mum and dad will enjoy the events too. They can mix with other mums and dads from other clubs, making friends and discussing the on-water action. If they don't windsurf yet themselves, then perhaps encourage them to have a go at your windsurfing centre on the next T15 club night. Windsurfing as a family means you get to go windsurfing more often!
To find out more about T15 Inter-Club Events in your zone, please click here
Attend open training days and camps
Open training opportunities are arranged periodically throughout the season and are aimed at Team15 sailors. You should grab the chance to attend these, since they will really improve your sailing and will help you get better results at the inter-club events.
Open training provides a chance for those not in the RYA zone squads to benefit from higher level coaching. Open training is often organised by the TCA (RYA Techno Class Association) but you don't need a Techno board to participate - any board with a daggerboard will do - but if you have a Techno then definitely take it along.
The TCA has organised a number of weekend training days throughout the year to coincide with T15 Inter-Club Events, taking place the day before or the day after the inter-club. With camping on-site, why not stay the night and really take advantage of the training available?
Click here to see when and where the next open training opportunity will be!
Further coverage and booking information is also available from the Techno UK website
RYA Volvo Zone/Home Country Championships - 24/25 September 2011
Zone Champs always take place on the last weekend in September, so make sure that it becomes a regular and automatic date in your diaries.
These Championships are the next stage for all Team15 Inter-Club sailors. If you take part in your inter-club series then you really should be attending these. With coaching opportunities available throughout the championships, you'll have a great time and learn loads too!
To find out more about T15 Inter-Club Events in your zone, please click here
Exactly which of the Zone Championships you enter depends on:
- Where you live
- Which class you sail in
Take your pick from the following Championship options:
The RYA Volvo South Zone Championships Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy
Will include the following zones and classes:
- South & SW Windsurfers (4.5 open, 5.8 open, Bic Techno 6.8, Bic Techno 7.8)
- South Optimists
- South Toppers
- South / SW / SE Mirrors
- All Dragoons
- All Laser 4.7s
The RYA Volvo SE Zone Championships Queen Mary Sailing Club
Will include the following zones and classes:
- East / SE Windsurfers(4.5 open, 5.8 open, Bic Techno 6.8, Bic Techno 7.8)
- South East Optimists
- South East Toppers
The RYA Volvo North Zone Championships Yorkshire Dales Sailing Club
Will include the following zones and classes:
- North / West Windsurfers(4.5 open, 5.8 open, Bic Techno 6.8, Bic Techno 7.8)
- North Optimists
- North Toppers
To enter go to www.ryaracingevents.org.uk and follow the link
Looking to get a place in the RYA Zone Squads?
If you are a Team15 Inter-Club sailor and are interested in developing your talents through the RYA Zone Squad Programme, then you need to know the process to get into the squad.
Click here for all the relevant information.
Become a Team15 Ambassador
This option is open to all RYA Zone Squad Sailors who sail as part of their Team15 club, or maintain links with their Team15 club once they are too old to compete as part of the inter-club team. The Team15 Ambassador role is an important role. Successful candidates are tasked with helping develop their Team15 club by promoting Team15, the RYA pathway and zone squad programme to other young sailors.
The ambassadors will also represent the RYA at Team15 Inter-Club Events and act as a point of contact for sailors from any club who may have questions about the zone squad, RYA pathways or open training opportunities.
A T15 Ambassador from the RYA North Zone Squad, who has been a member of Team15 for three years, had this to say: "I am 11 years old and love windsurfing. Being a member of the RYA North Zone Squad I feel there are lots of skills that I can pass on to my Team15 friends. I am happy to help out and get involved promoting the Team15 initiative to others; I have already introduced 4 new children to come and join our Team15 club this spring."
So if you’re a windsurfer in one of the RYA zone squads and would like to apply to become a Team15 Ambassador, then download the application form, complete, and email to team15@rya.org.uk or post to Team15 at the RYA address.
We will then consider all applications and will be in touch to let you know whether your application has been successful or not.
National windsurfing events
Check out what national level events and nationwide opportunties are open to you. Training camps, T15 Champions Cup, RYA Zone Championships, National Junior Windsurfing Championships, National Windsurfing Week, Sunrise to Sunset Fundraising Challenge and RYA National Youth Windsurfing Championships are just some of the opportunities which are available at different times throughout the year. 'See Also' for a link to the relevant website page.
Other opportunities available to Team15 sailors and ex-T15 sailors
At T15 club sessions you will no doubt be taking part in a whole range of windsurfing activities, working through the stages in the RYA Youth Windsurfing Scheme including the Start Racing module and the freestyle challenges, so you could pursue any of these routes whilst still participating in Team15 or afterwards when you become too old for T15:
- You might simply decide to continue windsurfing at your club outside of Team15 activities and may venture further afield on windy sails to find a few small waves at a nearby beach.
- You may decide to set up your own club that caters specifically for ex-T15 sailors; a type of youth windsurfing club within your sailing/windsurfing club or centre which caters for people aged 16+. There may be funding to help you do this. Contact your Regional Development Officer (RDO).
- You might wish to make freestyle or wavesailing your thing and practice loads of new moves with the aim of joining the BWA Wavesailing circuit in due course.
- You might be enjoying the challenge of the inter-club events and decide to get involved in the UKWA regional events as a starting point to the bigger world of racing.
- You might have been bitten by the bug of racing and have a goal to represent your country in the RYA National Junior Squad, in which case you need to get into the RYA Zone Squad first.
- And whilst doing all this you may decide that you’d like to help your Team15 grow or would like to teach more people to windsurf, in which case you may become an Assistant Instructor or Start Windsurfing Instructor depending on your age.
- Maybe you could use these qualifications to get a job or work experience in watersports? The RYA book ' Working With Water' may help you decide on your future career path. You can buy a copy from the RYA webshop.
Have a look on the right for links relating to all the options above, and if competition is your thing then make sure you download the Pathway to Success poster for an idea of which events and training opportunities you should be considering at every level up the National Junior Squad level.
You may even end up competiting in the Windsurfing World Championships! Click here to read how all 2011 GBR podium places are ex-T15 sailors with the exception of Emma Wilson - as there are no T15 clubs in her area!
Learn from the best...
...and give them your support. Who are we talking about? Skandia Team GBR, that's who. If you are not already a member of the Skandia Team GBR Support Crew, then sign up now - it's free, informative and interactive. Check out the website.
Contact UsArticle Published: August 16, 2011 15:39