Bear of Britain joins forces with UKSA

by Event Media on 19 Feb 2006 Internationally renowned racing yacht ‘Bear of Britain’ has announced a new partnership with the United Kingdom Sailing Academy (UKSA) to bring the existing Yacht Racing Academy to a new level.

Kit Hobday, creator and manager of Team Bear plans to build on the Team’s success by joining forces with the United Kingdom Sailing Academy to create a ‘Super Academy’ combining the team’s pedigree race boat, Bear of Britain with the UKSA’s modern facilities and operational capabilities.

Ben Willows of the UKSA will be working alongside Kit Hobday managing Bear of Britain’s programme. Ben’s recent management of the UKSA’s Australian operation and history of racing, highlights include being the highest placed helm of his age in the Sydney Harbour 18ft Skiff World Championships, 2nd place in the RS600 Europeans and launching a 49’er campaign; make him the ideal person to manage the Yacht Racing Academy with Kit and to go on to run the programme for years to come.

The UK Sailing Academy is an excellent base for the Yacht Racing Academy. Recognised as the world’s leading sail training establishment and based in West Cowes on the Isle of Wight, it has unrivalled modern facilities including on site residential accommodation, swimming pool and gym (which will bring an end to Racing Academy students sleeping in tents). The Academy also operates a fleet of over 300 craft.

In the wake of the UKSA’s £0.5m investment programme in youth racing in Britain and its support of Olympic sailors over the last 10 years, the UKSA can claim to have helped to produce 5 gold, 3 silvers and 1 bronze medal. As a registered charity with over 15 years of experience of training people for careers in the marine industry, the UKSA’s involvement adds a totally new dimension to the concept of the existing Academy.

Candidates will visit the UKSA in April for a two week training programme to participate in a period of intense physical training with the inspiration of the ex-Royal Marine Commando Instructors who have been involved in the scheme for the past two years. The exercise aims are not only physical but are designed to increase ‘esprit de corps’, develop teambuilding and to find out if the candidates have what it takes to become a first class racing sailor.

Ex-Royal Marine Commando Kevin Lomas of British Military Fitness says, 'The facilities at the UKSA such as the heated indoor swimming pool, gymnasium, lecture rooms with modern visual aids equipment, on-site canteen and fleet of minibuses are ideal for the needs of the new Academy and serve to build on the physical and mental challenges of the existing programme.'

Bear of Britain’s partnership with the UKSA has received support from leading members of the yachting community, including Olympic medallist and prominent figure in British Yachting, Mr Robin Aisher OBE. He says, 'This is a fantastic opportunity to bring young people forward into the racing world and I am offering my full support to the Yacht Racing Academy. Sailing is a marvellous sport, it both brings people together and provides the opportunity for healthy competition, helping to give young people a goal in life.'

Kit Hobday who developed the original scheme says, 'All of us at Team Bear are very excited at the prospects that our involvement with the UKSA will bring, the facilities and expertise at the UKSA combine to create the best ever training ground for potential Bear sailors – our trialists will have never had it so good, a far cry from tents in a car park to the excellent accommodation now available.'

David Green, CEO of the UK Sailing Academy says, 'Kit Hobday has been extremely successful in developing his Academy and the new partnership with the UKSA brings not only superb facilities but also a wealth of expertise to ensure the legacy of what Kit has achieved in youth racing over the last 10 years through Independent Bear and Bear of Britain is carried on for years to come via the Yacht Racing Academy. Our intention is to underpin this activity with a keelboat racing programme with the top performers going on to race on larger race boats like Bear, to help breed the next generation of competitive British sailors. The UKSA specialise in taking young people to sea in all manner of craft and the advent of this international yacht racing programme plugs a gap in our existing portfolio. Our venture into the British Yacht Racing scene has been long awaited and there can be no better vehicle for the fulfilment of the UKSA’s racing dreams.'

Website: http://www.uksa.org