Competitors invited to join BYC Youth Match Racing Clinic and Regatta

by Nancy Mellon on 17 Feb 2011 Balboa Yacht Club is proud to announce the Youth Match Race Clinic and Regatta to be held from Friday, May 13 through Sunday, May 15. The clinic and racing will be conducted using the matched fleet of Governor’s Cup 21 boats and take place in the ocean near the Newport Pier.

The event is organized to attract youth match racing talent from across the United States. 'This event is intended to encourage sufficient ongoing nationwide participation in this and other events to eventually make an annual national youth match race championship a permanent opportunity for the best of US youth sailors' said 2010 Event Chairperson Terry Schilling. The winner of this event will get an automatic berth in the 2011 Governor’s Cup International Junior Match Race Championship and the Governor’s Cup Selection Committee will consider other top finishers as well.

'World wide, match racing is regarded as one of the most exciting and challenging formats for sail boat racing', says Andy Rose, youth sailing patron and former America’s Cup tactician. 'This specific event for US youth sailors contributes to the recognition that match racing deserves'. Andy goes onto say, 'We’ve learned a lot from hosting BYC’s Governor’s Cup international junior match racing event for over four decades now, and while US teams have done well, the international teams generally provide more of the top finishers. There simply are not enough top-level venues available for US youth sailors to develop their match-racing skills so they are better qualified to compete against international teams. That’s the reason we’re so pleased to be launching this regatta.'

The emphasis during this regatta will be on building match-racing skills as well as testing those skills in a formal regatta. In support of which, BYC will make coaching resources available to the racers as part of the venue. A nationally recognized sailing coach is being recruited for the first day of the event, which will include both on and off the water coaching. Local coaching resources will be also available during the following two race days.

'We have been in planning for these events for over three years,' says Staff Commodore Tom Purcell. 'All of us that are committed to youth sailing are delighted that we finally have the resources in place to make it happen'. The event is sponsored by the Newport Balboa Sailing and Seamanship Association (NBSSA), owner and manager of the Gov Cup 21 Fleet.

Additional information is available at http://www.balboayachtclub.com under Youth Sailing or by emailing sailing(at)alboayachtclub.com.