Young Guns for Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World

by PR on 11 Jan 2008
Young sailing stars will be looking to Arhus in Denmark as the new year begins - the future stars of the sailing world are aiming towards the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship this July.

The 38th edition of the event, which is expected to attract over 250 young sailors from more than 60 nations, heads to Denmark for the first time and HRH Crown Prince Frederik is to become Royal Patron of the event.

The Championship will be held from 10-19 July out of the Arhus Yachting Harbour and the Bay of Arhus, on the Jutland peninsula of Denmark. Arhus is the second largest city and, fittingly for a Youth Worlds venue, it has the lowest average age of any city in the country thanks to its wealth of educational institutions. It is also a city of great history, having been originally settled by the Vikings during the 8th century.

The Bay of Arhus is blessed with excellent sailing conditions, with average of wind speeds of 11 knots during July, whilst the bay provides protection from the roughest weather. July is normally the warmest month of the year, with temperatures averaging 20-25°C.

Denmark's sailing history also goes way back and this is a nation well-known for its love of the sport and for producing many great sailors through the years.

Exemplifying this is four-time Olympic gold medallist Paul Elvstrom, who was chosen as Danish Sportsman of the Century in 1996, and last year was amongst the first six inductees into the ISAF Sailing Hall of Fame.

Seven titles are up for grabs in the following events:

a.. Boy's One Person Dinghy - Laser
b.. Girl's One Person Dinghy - Laser Radial
c.. Boy's Two Person Dinghy - 29er
d.. Girl's Two Person Dinghy - 29er
e.. Boy's Windsurfer - Neil Pryde RS:X with 8.5m2 sail & 60cm fin
f.. Girl's Windsurfer - Neil Pryde RS:X with 8.5m2 sail & 60cm fin
g.. Open Multihull - SL 16

The SL 16 multihull is making its debut at the Youth Worlds this year and will be supplied by Sirena Voile in cooperation with the Danish distributor Børresen Boats. Other boat suppliers, and key supporters of the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship, are Performance Sailcraft for the Laser and Laser Radial, Ovington Boats in cooperation with Børresen Boats for the 29er and NeilPryde International in cooperation with NeilPryde Scandinavia A/S for the RS:X.

The Notice of Race for the 2008 Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship is now available on the newly launched championship website - http://www.youthworlds2008.org/ and on the ISAF Youth Worlds microsite - http://www.sailing.org/youthworlds