Please select your home edition
Edition
Barton Marine 2019 728x90

Countdown to 2024 RYA Youth National Championships

by RYA Press 28 Mar 2024 07:45 PDT 1-5 April 2024
RYA Youth National Championships © RYA

The UK's best young racing talents are preparing for action at the 2024 RYA Youth National Championships, which get under way at the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy on Easter Monday.

Over 300 competitors across the ILCA 6, ILCA 7, 420, 29er, Nacra 15 and iQFOiL classes will battle it out across five days of competition (1-5 April).

The annual celebration of youth racing is open to a range of sailors, from those experiencing their first season in the youth classes as well as those vying for the podium spots and a chance of selection to the Youth Sailing World Championships in Lake Garda (ITA) this July.

The RYA Youth Nationals has been a springboard for some of the world's best racers over the years, but has also helped embed a lifelong love of the sport and created enduring friendships across the fleets.

After a successful pilot last year, the event will stage Olympic-style medal racing on the final day (for classes with over 20 entries), with the potential to host sprint-style racing for the 29er fleet on one day of their qualifying series.

Riders in the iQFOiL windfoiling event will also (subject to weather conditions) experience a mix of course, sprint slalom and marathon races and a medal series format similar to their senior Olympic counterparts.

The RYA will also be staging various information and support sessions for both sailors and parents who are on site throughout the week, including sporting parent workshops, talent programmes and outlining the various options, pathways and opportunities that exist for sailors beyond youth sailing.

GPS race tech

The RYA has once again teamed up with MarkSetBot to make use of their robotic marks and GPS course-setting technology to help set races up more accurately, efficiently and sustainably.

Used worldwide at numerous events including SailGP, TP52, RC44 events and the America's Cup Preliminary Regatta, the self-propelled buoys will be used on the 29er course area and for medal race courses, utilising GPS to zero in on a specific location, holding their position until instructed to move.

Race management teams can reposition them via a simple mobile interface, leading to a more environmentally-friendly solution with less need for volunteers, mark-laying boats or potentially damaging anchors on the sea bed.

RYA Youth Racing Manager Oli Woodcock said: "We're into the final countdown now, and I'm really looking forward to what I'm sure will be a great event, no matter whether a sailor is aiming to chase for the medals or they're experiencing the event for the first time.

"We're always looking for ways to build upon the event experience. The Sailor Hub was a really popular addition last year to enhance the social side of things and create an opportunity to mix with competitors from other classes, and we're continuing the learning for both sailors and race teams with new race tech and new formats."

A full list of regatta entries can be found on the RYA Youth Nationals event website.

Be sure to check out updates throughout the week via the event site and on British Youth Sailing's Instagram.

Related Articles

The 18ft Skiff 'Big Boat Era'
The original 18 footers which raced from the 1890s to the mid-1930s We are all familiar with the modern 18 footers as they speed across Sydney Harbour with their carbon fibre hulls and lightweight state-of-the-art sails and spars but they a vastly different to the original 18 footers. Posted today at 6:27 am
2025 Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta overall
A spectacular end to a great regatta The 36th Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta came to a successful close on Monday with tasty cream teas, fiercely competitive gig racing and the prize-giving ceremony in the historic 18th century Nelson's Dockyard. Posted on 22 Apr
Transat Paprec Day 3
Pier-Paolo Dean & Tiphaine Rideau: "We're having an incredible time!" They are the youngest duo in the Transat Paprec fleet. At just 19 and 20 years old, Tiphaine Rideau and Pier-Paolo Dean (Banques Alimentaires) have embarked on their first transatlantic crossing. Posted on 22 Apr
56th Semaine Olympique Française de Hyères day 2
Hyères demands patience before the Mistral with sunset finish Racing in Hyères can test every sinew and synapse, and the second day of the 56th French Olympic Week (Semaine Olympique Française de Hyères - Toulon Provence Méditerranée) was a test of patience. Posted on 22 Apr
Transat Paprec, Classics, US Sailing, Cup news
Some parts of North America are experiencing a faster approach of spring's warm tidings than others While some parts of North America are experiencing a faster approach of spring's warm tidings than others, the offshore racing action is plenty hot in the Transat Paprec. Posted on 22 Apr
Exposure Marine adds 3 unique RAW range products
All developed to meet World Sailing Offshore Special Regulations for safety Unique to the sailing world, these latest products feature red light designed to optimise night vision. They have all been developed to meet World Sailing Offshore Special Regulations for safety. Posted on 22 Apr
Stockholm International Team Race Regatta Preview
Top Tier Team Racing in the Heart of Stockholm Gamla Stans Yacht Sällskap is proud to announce the Stockholm International Team Race Regatta, a thrilling precursor to the World Championships in Team Racing for keelboats, which GSYS will host in 2026. Posted on 22 Apr
Make me smile even wider and brighter
What's better than writing about a great programme to get people into yachting? Only one thing... What's better than writing about a great programme to get people into yachting? Well, how about actually speaking with a former participant who has then gone on to work in the industry. That's what! Posted on 22 Apr
56th Semaine Olympique Française de Hyères day 1
“Best day ever” as French Olympic Week sets sail in Hyères The 56th edition of French Olympic Week (Semaine Olympique Française de Hyères - Toulon Provence Méditerranée) began in classic Côte d'Azur conditions as 729 competitors from 56 nations started six days of racing. Posted on 21 Apr
Canadian winner of Marblehead to Halifax returns
A total of 53 boats are signed up to compete in the event With just ten weeks to go before the start of this year's Marblehead to Halifax Ocean Race (MHOR) a total of 53 boats are signed up to compete in the event, co-sponsored by the Boston Yacht Club and the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron. Posted on 21 Apr
RS Sailing 2021 - FOOTERVaikobi 2024 DecemberDoyle_SailWorld_728X90px_SY BOTTOM