Please select your home edition
Edition
Barton Marine Pipe Glands

RYA eSailing Youth Nationals

by Jonny McGovern 20 Apr 2020 13:34 PDT 18-20 April 2020
RYA eSailing Youth Nationals © Mark Jardine

The RYA eSailing Youth Nationals took place this weekend (18th-20th April), 153 entries from all corners of the country logged in and took to the virtual waters of Portsmouth, UK. The real life Youth Nationals has been rescheduled to take place in October so the RYA decided to host a virtual one in its place to ensure all the sailors from around the UK stayed connected and had the chance to test their racing brains.

Qualifying involved eight group of eRacers all completing six races with two discards. After some seamless race management on Saturday the sailors experienced perfect courses and steady winds of 15-20 knots, with four sailors from each qualifying group progressed to the Semi Finals on Sunday.

In the Semi Finals we were also bless with some champagne sailing conditions and the sailors completed three races with one discard. Some very tight racing was had by all the sailors, some fell foul to dodgy Wi-Fi signals, others had varying control of their thumbs, but it was great to witness such good racing had by all.

After the Semi Final dust had settled we were left with ten teams to vie it out to be crowned the 2020 eSailing Youth Champion!

The Final was Live streamed on YouTube with the World Class Commentary team of Mark Jardine and Luke Patience. Race Officer Jonny McGovern kept the fleet in order and three races unfolded. The format was designed to test the adaptability of the finalists, with the races held in a different classes, J/70 49er and F50 foiling catamaran, and no discard was applied so it had an "all or nothing" feel. The fleet didn't disappoint and after some intense racing and questionable rules at times a champion was crowned... Terry Hacker is the new eSailing Youth Champion!

Here are a few quotes from the racers:

Terry Hacker, 2019 RS Feva National Champion: "I would like to thank the Race Officer for setting great courses, my parents for taking me to the event, the club for hosting and all the organisers."

Mike O'Donovan, Scottish RS200 Champion: "Thanks for racing everyone, it was good fun!"

Blake Tudor, top RS Tera sailor: "Gotta love the random penalties, all a good laugh. Thanks to the galley for the food."

Ted Lane, 29er National Squad member: "Cheers all, it was good fun, gotta watch out for the shifts next time!"

Finals Day Results:

PosHelmVR Boat NameR1 (J/70)R2 (49er)R3 (F50)Pts
1stTerry HackerTerry123415410
2ndMax Steele21MaxSteele664873212
3rdMike O'Donovandéjà vu310114
4thDan Meadowcroftn12dan51814
5thJack Lewis Jack lewis27716
6thJames FosterJames Foster621018
7thIsabelle Wahaisswizz46919
8thTed Lane29er2738104620
9thJoe DrakeJoe211099321
10thBlake TudorBladorSailing88521

Related Articles

Long Beach Olympic Classes Regatta day 3
Mother Nature teases the competitors Mother Nature teased the competitors today and made them wait a bit, but she did not disappoint; the sun came out and a big westerly built to 18-20 knots! Posted today at 5:22 pm
The Iconic Admiral's Cup Returns!
Harken UK caught up with the RORC CEO and Admiral's Cup sailors ahead of the event After a long hiatus, this prestigious international yachting regatta makes its grand comeback from 17- 31 July at The Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) in Cowes, Isle of Wight. Posted today at 3:30 pm
Excellent Olympic Season Openers for GP Watercraft
Bermudan ILCA sailors enjoy a strong start to the season! The first two Olympic events of 2025 proved a very positive start to the season for GP Watercraft and their Bermudan ILCA sailors: Sebastian Kempe (ILCA 7) and Adriana Penruddocke (ILCA 6) who are both coached by Shaun Priestley of GP Watercraft. Posted today at 11:00 am
A century of human endeavour
The Fastnet Race is regarded as one of offshore sailing's most complete proving grounds For 100 years, the Rolex Fastnet Race has been regarded as one of offshore sailing's most complete proving grounds. It is a place where ambitions and dreams meet harsh reality, where skill, endurance and fortitude are severely tested. Posted today at 10:14 am
Martine Grael in Racing on the Edge
First female driver to win a Fleet Race captured in behind-the-scenes documentary Major milestone moment for SailGP captured in behind-the-scenes documentary series, which reaches 10 million total viewers since launching in 2021. Posted today at 8:45 am
Get ready to celebrate world's best sailing photos
16th edition of the Pantaenius Yacht Racing Image Award Professional photographers from around the globe are invited to submit their best yacht racing images captured between October 14, 2024, and October 12, 2025. Posted today at 7:15 am
Alli Bell & Restless crew to make Transpac history
On course to be the first woman skipper to win Transpac overall Alli Bell and the crew of her Cal 40 Restless took a winch handle to the notion that winning the Transpacific Yacht Race's top corrected-time prize requires membership in an old-boys club or a mighty war chest. Posted today at 6:28 am
Rolex Fastnet Race IRC Four preview
The pinnacle of grass roots sailing has 97 entries The very largest yachts, including the 100ft Ultim foiling trimarans and 60ft IMOCAs are an essential part of the spectacle of the Fastnet Race, however a critical element in the race's enduring appeal is that this is predominately a grass roots event. Posted on 14 Jul
Long Beach Olympic Classes Regatta day 2
Classic Long Beach conditions return The weather conditions at the Long Beach Olympic Classes Regatta shifted noticeably today, delivering the classic Long Beach breeze that many expect from this world-class venue. Posted on 14 Jul
NYYC International Women's Championship update
Third group of skippers includes Nicole Breault, Dominique Proyoveur, Laura van Veen While there is no nationality requirement for the crews that will compete in the 2026 New York Yacht Club International Women's Championship, a number of teams are embracing the opportunity to wave their respective national flags at the debut edition. Posted on 14 Jul
Mackay Boats 728x90 BOTTOMZhik 2024 DecemberC-Tech 2021 (Spars-QFX Racer) 728x90 BOTTOM