How to get involved in the Volvo RYA Keelboat Sailing Programme
The programme will provide training, coaching and grants to a small but select number of young sailors who in turn will feed into future British keelboat projects such as the Volvo Ocean Race, Europrix, Admirals and Commodores Cups, and the Americas Cup.
The scheme will also support young sailors wishing to get into single-handed sailing.
The Volvo RYA Keelboat Team will initially consist of a squad of twenty, aged between 16-24 years old. Once in the team, the sailors will benefit from general and specific keelboat training including instrumentation, meteorology and sail tuning. RYA coaching staff will attend training weekends and relevant specialist knowledge will be brought in.
Members of Team Volvo for Life, an elite and inspirational team of British sailors, including Olympic sailor Ben Ainslie and Volvo Ocean Race skipper Neal McDonald, will act as mentors to the Volvo RYA Keelboat Sailing Scheme and will also provide knowledge, training and inspiration to the squad. Team Volvo for Life will also support Volvos grass roots sailing sponsorships - the Volvo RYA Champion Club and Volvo Musto Optimist Sailing programmes.
The Volvo RYA Crewsearch Scheme will help match Volvo RYA Keelboat Team-members with keelboat owners who run viable campaigns. In time it is hoped keelboat owners will in turn select crewmembers for their campaigns from the Volvo RYA Keelboat Team.
If you would like to be considered for the Volvo RYA Keelboat Team, all you need to do is send in your CV along with a short critique on your future sailing aspirations to Jill Royse, Keelboat Administrator, [email protected] , t. 023 8062 7437. You will then be asked to attend one of the designated selection weekends that are part of the Volvo RYA Keelboat Programme. Sailors competing in the National and Youth Match Racing Circuit can also be put forward to attend the selections weekend. Recommendations to the RYA by other organisations, talent scouts and RYA High Performance Managers, are also acceptable.
Volvo RYA Keelboat Team selectors will be on hand at all of the selection weekends.
The 2003 programme dates consist of:
26-28 February Keelboat Training & Volvo RYA Keelboat Team Selection Rutland Water SC
8-9 March Ladies Match Racing Training Rutland Water SC
15-16 March Ladies Match Race Qualifier Rutland Water SC
22-23 March BUSA Keelboat Training Rutland Water SC
29-30 March BUSA Match Racing Training Rutland Water SC
5-6 April BUSA National Match Racing Championships Rutland Water SC
12-13 April Clubs and Classes Match Racing Qualifier Rutland Water SC
15-17 April Keelboat Training & Volvo RYA Keelboat Team Selection Rutland Water SC
23-25 April Youth Match Racing Training Rutland Water SC
26-27 April Match Racing Training Rutland Water SC
17-18 May RYA National Match Racing Qualifier 1 Rutland Water SC
5-6 July Keelboat Training & Volvo RYA Keelboat Team Selection WPSA
12-13 July Match Racing Training WPSA
19-20 July RYA National Match Racing Qualifier 2 WPSA
19-22 August Youth Match Racing Training WPSA
23-25 August Volvo RYA National Youth Match Racing Championships WPSA
6-7 September Match Racing Training WPSA
13-14 September RYA National Match Racing Qualifier 3 WPSA
20-21 September Match Racing Training (provisional) WPSA
26-28 September RYA National Match Racing Finals WPSA
For further information please contact:
Sacha Oswald, RYA Team GBR Communications Officer t. 023 80627469 m. 07900 570530 e. [email protected]
Amy Bradley-Watson, Volvo Sailing, Fast Track t. 0207 932 1777 f. 0207 932 1701 e. [email protected]
Information courtesy of the RYA