Welsh Sailing / Hwylio Cymru has announced plans for a foiling academy to provide exciting new opportunities as part of its performance pathway for youth sailors.

The £40,000 initiative has two brand new Waszps funded by a Welsh Government Capital Grant with support from Sport Wales. The Welsh Sailing Foiling Academy will also support winging.

With 50% of disciplines in the Olympic Games now foiling classes, along with the boats used for the America's Cup and Sail GP, the aim is to adapt Welsh Sailing programmes to keep up with and ahead of the sport’s ever-changing landscape.

RYA Cymru Wales Performance Manager Sarah McGovern said: “We will be the first RYA Home Nation to launch a Foiling Academy and our ambition is to upskill Welsh coaches and sailors so they are able to adapt to the new disciplines coming into sailing.

“Having these two Waszps will enable us to provide a more diverse and inclusive offer for aspiring young sailors. We feel very lucky in Wales that we are able to help subsidise the cost of equipment to make the sport more accessible. We’d like to say a massive thank you for the Welsh Government Capital Grant and to Sport Wales for supporting us to make this happen.”

With a large and growing fleet of Waszps in the UK and internationally, the Welsh Foiling Academy will provide exciting new opportunities for female sailors and for those who would like to race a single hander but are not heavy enough for classes like the ILCA.

The two Waszps will also enable youth sailors to ‘rock up and train’, a model already successful with Welsh Sailing’s ILCA fleet, which was also funded by a Welsh Government Capital Grant. It will allow sailors to try foiling before investing in a boat and to car share or use public transport, reducing travel and training costs for parents and resulting in a lower carbon footprint.

Sarah added: “Everyone’s really excited and especially the youth sailors who’ve been asking when they can have a go. We chose to have bright red Waszps and with our Welsh Sailing branding and stickers on the bow they look like flying Dragons!”

The Waszps have been named Draig Goch 1 and Draig Goch 2 - Red Dragon 1 & 2.

Coach development

There will be foiling workforce development days in Spring to help Welsh coaches support the Foiling Academy so it becomes a self-sufficient initiative within Wales.

Try Waszping & Winging days will then be scheduled for Bala, Neyland and Cardiff, in conjunction with the Welsh Waszp Class, to bring the boats to each region.

Both of the Welsh Sailing Waszps have three sail sizes catering sailor weights from 30kg upwards, and the give-it-a-go days will be open to all ages, including adults.

Welsh Sailing / Hwylio Cymru will also be working with the class association at the Welsh Waszp National Championships alongside the annual OnBoard Festival in August.

Chris Keatley, Welsh rep for Waszp UK, said: “We’re really excited to see RYA Cymru Wales adopt the Waszp for their foiling academy. The UK has the largest and most diverse domestic Waszp fleet in the world and this will give a fantastic opportunity for young Welsh sailors to join the class. We look forward to supporting them as they develop the academy and to seeing the Welsh Waszps on the start line soon.” 

The initiative is in line with the RYA Cymru Wales Strategic Plan - Gyda’n Gilydd ar ein Dyfroedd: Together on our Waters - which aims to create a connected, inspired and inclusive Welsh sailing and boating community, unlocking opportunities for all to benefit from the sport.

Keep up with all the news about our Welsh Sailing Foiling Academy – including coach development and Try Waszping & Winging Days – by following our social media channels @RYACymruWales on Facebook  and Instagram.