RYA Cymru Wales blog – youth and junior roundup
Even though the main season has not yet begun in earnest, our youth and junior sailors have been busy over the winter months with training and events. While our aim is to help sailors achieve their performance goals, it’s also been an opportunity to develop invaluable life skills along the way.
Nowhere was this more evident than at the recent Celtic Cup for the Home Nations, which saw myself and two other coaches taking a team of 12 Topper and ILCA sailors on a ferry to Northern Ireland to compete against the host country and Scotland.
With three vehicles, a RIB and multi-stackers for the dinghies, it was a feat of logistics and the sailors were brilliant, whether it was helping with navigation, coordinating our ‘fleet’ on the road or unloading in the dark when we arrived.
I could not have been more proud of their achievements both on and off the water at the Celtic Cup, which for some was their first event away from home without parents. As well as striving hard for results, the sailors took responsibility for themselves and each other, and demonstrated great sportsmanship, friendship and teamwork - not only with each other but also with the sailors from Scotland and Northern Ireland.
I like to think these experiences help our youngsters develop their confidence and knowledge to both sail faster and walk taller as they go through life.
Our youngest sailor on the team was Sophie, aged 12 (pictured above) who when asked to share her on shore experiences for our blog, wrote:
“My time at the Celtic Cup was very enjoyable and we did lots of activities to build our teamwork. We had blindfolded races and a competition to see which team could make the tallest tower out of spaghetti and marshmallows that would hold an apple. There were lots of opportunities to make friends with the sailors from the other nations, like when we played man hunt.
“Even though we were away from our parents the coaches took good care of us all and made sure everyone was happy. It was an adventure being in a foreign country without any parents for the first time. It was nice that all of the Topper girls shared a room, it meant we could get to know each other a little bit more. Overall, I think the Celtic Cup was very fun and friendly.”
Read more in our Celtic Cup report.
Warm-up
The Celtic Cup followed an earlier opportunity for our top ILCA sailors to join a Celtic training camp with their Scottish and Irish counterparts in Valencia, Spain, over the Christmas/New Year holidays. Again this was an opportunity to hone both sailing and life skills, including a 10km bike ride to the venue each morning and the sailors doing their own cooking.
We’re all now looking forward to sunnier and longer days, including the many aspiring young sailors who’ve braved freezing conditions at home to make the most of our open training at venues across Wales: find our remaining open training dates here.
For all our sailors, the winter months have hopefully provided a warm-up in terms of racing and boat handling skills development ahead of the main season!
Whatever the age or level our young sailors, there is something for everyone to look forward to:
- 12-18 April: RYA Youth Nationals, Pwllheli – enter now
- 21-22 June 2025:Welsh Regional Junior Championships at Dale
- 30-31 August 2025:Welsh OnBoard Festival at Bala
- 13-14 September 2025:Welsh Youth & Junior Championships at Pwllheli
- Spring & Summer: The Dragon Series will be back!
Please remember save and share these dates with the youth and junior section and parents at your club or organisation. To keep up to date with all the latest news, including when entries open for our Welsh events, follow @RYACymruWales on Facebook, X and Instagram.
If you'd like to charter one of our brand new ILCAs for either the RYA Youth Nationals or the class nationals, contact me. And for those wanting to be a part of our Welsh youth and junior squads next winter, our Welsh National Sailing Team Selection Policy 2025-2026 is now live and includes the key events for sailors to attend if they would like to apply. Find all the information and a link to the selection policy at our Welsh Squads hub.
Anti-Doping
During one of our squad camps for RS Tera and Optimist sailors, I delivered a presentation on Anti-Doping and why it matters for all racing sailors that we take responsibility for what we put into our bodies to ensure we have a fair sport.
Topics included managing nutrition, supplements and medication, and I’ll also be promoting this messaging to our other squad sailors at their upcoming residentials, and to our clubs in Wales as the season progresses.
This year’s Clean Sport Week, 19-23 May 2025, will be themed ‘The Next Generation’ to promote responsibility for protecting and empowering young athletes. Find out more at UK Anti-Doping.
Pathway Clubs
More detail on RYA Pathway Clubs will be announced soon as this new nationwide strategy gets underway to provide more local, more regular performance training for young sailors.
If you’re heading to the RYA Dinghy & Watersports Show at Farnborough (22-23 February 2025), look out for the Pathway Clubs Launch at 11am both days when Nick Scott, RYA Director of Racing and Hannah Wilcox, Pathway Manager, will be on the Sunsail Main Stage.
And finally…
I’ll also be working with RYA Director of Racing Nick Scott - along with Welsh Sailing volunteer Paula MacLaverty and Dr Natalie Brown from the Welsh Institute of Performance Science - as part of the new RYA Female Athlete Development Group.
We want to encourage more women and girls through our performance pathways and hopefully there will be actions which will enhance opportunities in Wales. I’m also collaborating with Sport Wales to support the development of female coaches and volunteers. Watch this space!
Sarah McGovern
RYA Cymru Wales Performance Manager