Please select your home edition
Edition
C-Tech 2021 (Spars-QFX Racer) 728x90 TOP

Grafham youngsters OnBoard for NSSA National Youth Regatta

by Michael Haigh 13 Aug 2015 00:02 PDT 26-31 July 2015
Youngsters from Grafham's OnBoard scheme compete at NSSA National Youth Regatta © RYA

Grafham OnBoard sailors spent a week living and breathing their sport at the NSSA (National Schools Sailing Association) National Youth Sailing Regatta at Rutland Water Sailing Club on 26-31 July.

The team of nine, who started sailing through the RYA's OnBoard scheme, arrived at a wet damp field to pitch their tents on the first day but that didn't dampen spirits; they were all excited about what the day and the rest of the week was to bring.

Dave Clancy, Max Findlater and Luke Thompson sailing in the rookie fleet in their first ever regatta had an interesting two days in extremely challenging conditions. All three of them finished the first two days in the top 10, which met all of the teams expectations and beyond.

In the Laser fleet Max Oscroft and Ross Ellis also coped well with the conditions to finish mid table by Tuesday evening.

Abi Clarke and Jack Ellis sailed their RS Feva in the handicap fleet, and Tom Bramwell and Jay Lilley sailed their Laser Vago in the fast handicap fleet. Abi and Jack had a great day on the Monday finishing in the top 10, with Tuesday giving them a bit of hassle due to broken boat bits. Tom and Jay also did amazingly well in their Vago on both days.

Two trophies were up for grabs on the Wednesday, the All Comers Pursuit Race for every sailor and some of their team managers, and the prestigious Mount Haes Trophy competition for three teams from each represented county, in which Abi and Jack were selected for the Cambridge 3 team. A second place in their first race saw them through to the semi finals, where, with enthusiastic support from their friend on shore, they finished fifth.

Grafham Water Centre's business development manager Ali Butler-Baines said: "Wow, what an achievement from two sailors who started sailing under the OnBoard umbrella, to be representing Cambridgeshire in the Mount Haes semi final. Well done Abi and Jack."

Thursday saw the sun finally shine but little wind for racing, so there was plenty time in the last two days for fun and messing about on the water with all the new friends the team had made during the week.

Ali Butler-Baines concluded: "A massive well done to Grafham OnBoard on your achievements and a huge thank you to your parents for all their support. Finally, the most important person to thank is Gordy Baines, OnBoard development officer for Grafham Water Centre, who has yet again exceeded all expectations."

"Abi and Max have been selected as "High Flyers" and will be going along to Weymouth to sail in Olympic class boats and be trained by some of the GB Olympic Sailors for a week."

Abi said: "I feel privileged to have been nominated for the High Flyer award and had an amazing week at Rutland in good variations of wind and weather which challenged me and my crew".

Max added: "I'm honoured to have been chosen for this award and am very excited about the prospect of a week's sailing at the Olympic venue in Weymouth. I had a great week at Rutland and was challenged with sailing in a massive fleet race with other Laser sailors."

Run by the RYA, OnBoard is a grass roots programme which introduces sailing and windsurfing to young people aged 8 to 18, through schools, youth groups and training centres.

Over a ten year period OnBoard has introduced more than 500,000 children to sailing and windsurfing in the UK, converting over 10% of them into regular participants.

For more information about how to get involved in sailing visit www.rya.org.uk/go/onboard

Related Articles

America's Cup: Class Rule and Tech Regs out
The America's Cup Class Rule and Technical Regulations for the Naples Match have been published With the clock ticking down to the start of the Louis Vuitton 38th America's Cup in Naples in 2027, the AC75 Class Rules and Technical Regulations have been issued to all teams and published with a focus on cost containment. Posted today at 7:18 am
Manly 13ft Skiff and 16ft Skiff Season Opener
It was the perfect start to what shapes as a perfect season It was the perfect start to what shapes as a perfect season for the Manly 13 & 16ft skiff fleets. On a beautiful early spring afternoon last Saturday, a dozen 13s and sixteen 16-footers hit the water for the traditional rust-clearing non-pointscore race. Posted today at 5:55 am
Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup Day 2
Homework pays dividends for Royal Canadian crew After what could only be described as a disastrous opening day for the Japan Sailing Federation team competing in the 2025 Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup, the squad roared back into relevance with a fourth and a first to start Day 2. Posted today at 5:35 am
J/24 Worlds 2025 in Plymouth, UK Day 2
No Luck of the Irish required for Cillian Dickson and his team on "Headcase" More challenging conditions with a 20 knot breeze, low visibility and damp conditions made for an uncomfortable but exciting race conditions on Wednesday for sailors and the race management teams. Posted today at 5:27 am
Lucky joins Sydney to Auckland Ocean Race fleet
With a slew of line honours, overall wins and race records to her name A new international player has emerged as a threat in October's Sydney to Auckland Ocean Race (S2A) sponsored by Harken, as US yachtsman Bryon Ehrhart has entered his Juan Kouyoumdjian 88 designed Lucky. Posted today at 5:23 am
Rolex Big Boat Series starts Thursday
Built on Tradition, Powered by Innovation The waters of San Francisco Bay are set to come alive with four action-packed days of racing at the 61st edition of the Rolex Big Boat Series, Thursday, September 11, through Sunday, September 14. Posted today at 2:46 am
Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup 2025 Day 3
Four seasons day off Porto Cervo Off Porto Cervo this afternoon, the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup fleet experienced calms; a stiff 20 knot Mistral with gusts of 30; rain; no rain; an overcast sky and occasional brilliant sunshine - all within a three to four hour window. Posted on 10 Sep
iQFOiL U23 Worlds at Portimão day 3
Tactical Twists and Podium Moves After two days of powerful north-westerlies and full-throttle racing, the men's qualifying series has wrapped up with plenty of movement on the leaderboard. From today, the intensity rises another notch as the fleet splits into Gold and Silver groups. Posted on 10 Sep
35th Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup at Porto Cervo Day 3
Mistral wind puts boats and crews to the test The forecast Mistral arrived right on time today for the third day of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, providing a challenge for both boats and crews. Posted on 10 Sep
McIntyre Mini Madness solo around the world!
Orcas, Head Wounds & 144-mile days: Mini Globe Race's most dramatic leg yet The McIntyre Mini Globe Race is a marathon by any measure. Every section is like another solo transatlantic race and there are 11 back to back! The racing is intense for the front runners. It's not a cruise. Posted on 10 Sep
North Sails Loft 57 PodcastCyclops Marine 2023 November - FOOTERLloyd Stevenson - Catalyst GT 1456x180px BOTTOM