Bursary boost for South East sailing talent

by RYA on 11 Jan 2015 RYA South East Youth Training Fund supporting young sailors and coaches

No fewer than 19 young sailors and coaches across the South East have been boosted in their quest to ultimately join Britain’s sailing elite thanks to a grant award from the RYA in the South East.

A total of 12 sailors and seven coaches from Kent and Sussex have received RYA SE Youth Training Fund bursaries in recognition of their achievements and potential and to help fund their ongoing participation in events or coaching activities to further develop their talent.

‘Performance bursaries’ are awarded to promising young sailors up to the age of 19 on 31 December in the year of the award. Successful applicants have demonstrated potential by way of achievements in events such as Youth Nationals, RYA ranking events or by selection for teams representing GBR or the RYA at international level.

'Coaching Bursaries’ are awarded to help fund RYA Race Coach Level Two courses for young sailors up to the age of 23 on 31 December in the year of the award. Successful applicants have shown the capability and enthusiasm to contribute to the sport of sailing in terms of support to their fellow sailors.

 The 2014-15 recipients are:



In return for the RYA SE Youth Training Fund bursaries, the sailors are expected to return to their club or other regional events to assist with ongoing coaching and training, and to pass on their experiences and enthusiasm to help inspire others to follow in their footsteps.

Tony Rowe, RYA South East secretary, said: 'It’s fantastic for young sailors to be able to experience a range of opportunities, both in the UK and internationally, during their development as they learn so much. But the costs of travel, accommodation, food etc all quickly mount up.

'We have an abundance of sailing talent in the South East, with Kent’s Chloe Martin and East Sussex’s Alex Mills-Barton the latest sailors from the region to start making their mark in the British Sailing Team. Through the RYA South East Youth Training Fund we want to help contribute to all of our young talent getting the same opportunities to realise their ambitions and achieve success.'