Please select your home edition
Edition

Future of UK match racing to compete in Harken Youth Match Racing Championships

by Richard Aspland 29 Jul 2018 01:09 PDT 1-2 September 2018
British Keelboat Academy racing © Brad / RYA

Entries are now open for the 2018 RYA Harken Youth Match Racing Championship to be hosted at Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy from 1-2 September.

The championship offers the chance to represent Great Britain at the next Youth Match Racing World Championship and will see ten young skippers go for match racing glory over two days in the RYA's fleet of matched Elliott 6m keelboats.

Sailors from around the world of racing have contested the championships and it has been an integral part of their journey to sailing greatness throughout many disciplines. Past winners include Americas Cup sailor Paul Campbell-James, short-handed Figaro sailors Nick Cherry and Sam Goodchild, dinghy world champions Ben Saxton and Annabel Vose, and six-time World Match Race Tour champion Ian Williams.

Racing at the championship will see each team face-off in a round robin format before the top teams fight it out in a semi-final. The winning semi-finalists will then move on to the winner takes all finale in the impressive fleet of newly refurbished boats.

Each boat has undergone a recent high spec refit with new title sponsor Harken fittings throughout to ensure there are no race delays and ensuring reliable performance to crown the 2018 champion.

Andy Ash-Vie, Harken UK Managing Director, said: "As a global market leader Harken have been involved with match racing all over the world so this UK championship felt like a natural fit for us.

"We have seen that the fleet of Elliot 6m keelboats are used frequently to support youth sailing in the UK, something important to us at Harken, so we are proud to add our backing to the development of the future stars of sailing. We can't wait to see who the 2018 champion will be."

First time match racers are encouraged to attend as experienced coaches will be on the water providing feedback between races and a highly qualified umpire team always available to help sailors to get to grips with using the rules on the water.

Anyone wanting to take part in the event should get their entry in as quickly as possible as places are filling up fast. Details can be found on the RYA website, www.rya/go/keelboat or by emailing for more information.

Related Articles

And so, it begins…
Grand Final not run yet, but our Hobart coverage begins with something very cool Maybe a tad earlier than last year, which I think was after the Grand Final, but the 100th entrant seemed like a good place to set things off. Now with that said, Sail-World's Hobart coverage begins. Posted on 21 Sep
ILCA Announcement
Protecting the one-design integrity of the class ILCA's mission is to protect the integrity of strict one-design sailing—the principle that ensures every sailor competes on equal terms. This principle, enshrined in the ILCA Fundamental Rule, has been the foundation of our class's success. Posted on 21 Sep
The Ocean Race Europe 2025: The summer of racing
Biotherm delivered a masterclass - Paprec Arkéa a lesson in consistency This Saturday, after a fiercely contested final race, the second edition of The Ocean Race Europe came to a close. It was a seven-week adventure from Germany to Montenegro, full of twists and turns, resilience, and raw emotion. Posted on 21 Sep
Germany Deutsche Bank claim first SailGP event win
Race Day 2 of the Rolex Switzerland Sail Grand Prix The Germany SailGP Team presented by Deutsche Bank has entered the winners circle, claiming their first event victory at the Rolex Switzerland Sail Grand Prix in tricky, light conditions on the waters of Lake Geneva. Posted on 21 Sep
SailGP: Germany score first Event win - Day 2
The German crew led by Erik Heil sailed consistently, on a day where inconsistency was punished. Perhaps it was not surprising that in a nation known for its horology, that the time-clock should have played such a dominant role for the Final day of SailGP Switzerland. Posted on 21 Sep
2025 Dutch Water Week day 4
At the end of the city's main shopping street, spectators could watch the racing The penultimate day of the Dutch Water Week brought Olympic-class sailing and windsurfing right into the heart of Almere. Posted on 21 Sep
America's Cup: Controversial agreement signed
According to Italian media, the secret AC Partnership agreement has been signed by CoR/D* International sailing journalist, Fabio Pozo, writing for the Milan based newspaper La Stampa, reports that the secret America's Cup Partnership (ACP) agreement is expected to be signed next week. Posted on 21 Sep
Women's Match Racing Worlds in Chicago overall
History made: Match in Pink Team wins fifth consecutive title Pauline Courtois and her Match in Pink by Normandy Elite Team from Le Havre in France have once again proven their dominance in the sport of match racing, capturing their fifth consecutive World Sailing Women's Match Racing World Championship title Posted on 21 Sep
Race to the Finish with Paprec Arkéa
Zhik is the official gear partner for The Ocean Race Europe The Ocean Race Europe has again proven why it is one of the most demanding tests in sailing. With Zhik as the official gear partner, the Paprec Arkéa crew faced the extremes of Europe's waters equipped for the challenge. Posted on 21 Sep
J/105 North American Championship overall
Randy's Hecht's Niuhi three-peats as champion In the finale of the J/105 North American Championship, Randy Hecht claimed victory for the third time, with crew Russ Silvestri, Ethan Doyle, Maggie Bacon, David Janinis and Stephen Marsh. Posted on 21 Sep