YNSW Winter Training Program kicking goals in NSW

by David Price on 8 Jun 2010
One hundred and sixty kids of all ages hitting the water for some very social sail training during winter – sounds like sunny, warm Queensland doesn't it! Well it's not; it's right here in New South Wales and the numbers of participants are growing each week in the YNSW Winter Training Program administered by their energetic Development Officer Andrew Cribb.

The onset of a very wet winter in NSW has not dented the refreshing enthusiasm or the volume of our youth sailors from all classes now enrolled in this year's YNSW Winter Training Program being conducted at numerous supporter club venues throughout Sydney and regional NSW. A north and south coast expansion is on the cards for the next year together with at least two more Sydney region clubs to support the program.

Derived from an original approach by a few desperate and obsessively focused No-Bodies™ interested in making a difference to participation levels of our young sailors here in Australia - the Big Picture Project - this program in its third year, is now administered by like minded 'Cribby' with YNSW being able to provide more resources and a governing 'brand' to the endeavour. The success and momentum of this alliance is now undeniable. With its altruistic philosophy, this group are prepared to look beyond the usual parochialism that pervades promotional & organisational efforts within a given class.

David Price, President of the Flying Eleven Sailing Association of Australia and a No-Body™ says 'this program embraces the ideal of sailing being an all-of-life participation sport for our young sailors. It encourages kids from all classes to combine and learn to sail, train and socialise and it's a great excuse to get teenage and younger kids and their parents together in an extremely healthy and creative social environment.'

This year there are three major centres conducting the Winter Training Program incorporating such classes as Cherubs, 29ers, Sabots, Lasers and F11s. Not only are there forty six participants from the Lake Macquarie area training at the Belmont 16'SC, NSWIS Coach Larry Cargill mentors the senior instructors and multi-class national champions Ali and Andrew Chapman, assistant instructor and graduate from the F11s Tim Forbes-Smith and also two local regional trainee assistant instructors Simon Hunter and Colin Skelton within this program.

Southern Sydney's forty four sailors train at Cronulla SC, their graduate assistant instructors Angela Bates and Josh Tasker from the F11 class and Shaun Wells Club Coach from Woollahra SC being mentored by NSWIS Network Coach and ex-Olympian Ben Austin of 49er fame and YA Referee and keen sailing novice/rookie coach from the MJ class Kingsley Forbes-Smith.

The bench-mark for the number of participants this year however has been set at the Drummoyne SC with sixty eight kids turning up on their first training day last week, with even more young sailors enrolled for their next training day scheduled on the 27th June. Their coaching staff of eight is comprised of mentors Rob Brewer multi-class coach and renowned sail-maker and Kingsley Forbes-Smith with senior instructors Ali, Andrew and Will Chapman and assistant instructors Tim Forbes-Smith, Oliver Hartas both F11 graduates and Neil Bromfield from the 420s.

One key feature most remarked upon by the parents of these young sailors is that all coaching staff are uniformed in the YNSW Instructor garb and they all wear a sponsored pfd whilst on water. There is an increasingly healthy level of respect towards YNSW returning as a direct result of this program from the NSW youth sailing community.

The future of sailing in New South Wales is looking great and it appears it's more than alive and well with the YNSW Winter Training Program looking to drive participation levels even higher in the coming months. The No-Bodies™ are working hard to see this kind of action continues!