WPNSA-News

WPNSA Regatta
9 - 10 June 2007
The final day of the annual WPNSA Regatta saw light but more stable winds of 5-10 knots. Both the Europes and Devon Yawls made the event their National Championships. In the Europe Class it was Chris Gill that took top place on the podium on an impressive score of 8 points. Both second and third were only four points behind, with James Eynon just ahead of Gareth Williams on countback.
Ed WIlliams Hawkes and Shane Buckley took the Devon Yawls National crown where only 3 points split the top three finishers. Mike and Simon Bennett finished in second, closely followed by Tim Petitt and Tony Calcutt.
Winners in the Wanderer Class were Gavin Barr and Mike Skipper, just one point ahead of Mike Hamilton and David Oats. Philip and Jill Meadowcroft took third.
This regatta is specifically aimed at fleets of up to 30 boats. If your Class would be interested in taking part for 2008, please email Rosie Julian for further details.

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Two years after winning her Athens gold medal, Shirley Robertson saw a triumphant return to Olympic classes sailing on Sunday (15 October) clinching gold at the Skandia RYA Sail for Gold Regatta just 13 weeks after giving birth to twins.

Back in the Yngling and racing for the first time with her new crew Annie Lush and Lucy Macgregor, the double Olympic gold medallist won Sunday's final medal race and kept sufficient boats between her and her nearest Dutch rivals to seal the overall victory.

Robertson, Lush and Macgregor went into the day in third place with the Netherlands' Mandy Mulder, Annemieke Bes and Marye Kampen at the top of the leaderboard heading into the final double-points scoring medal race at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy, where big breezes around the 25 knot mark made for an exciting day's action.

Robertson's team were hotly pursued around the medal race track by the 38-year-old new mum's former crewmates Sarah Ayton and Sarah Webb, now sailing together with Pippa Wilson.

The two top Skandia Team GBR Ynglings ensured a British one-two in the medal race, which was enough to boost Ayton's team onto the podium in bronze medal position, in addition to Team Shirley Robertson's gold.

"It really feels fantastic to win our first event outing together but it was a bit of a surprise in some ways.

"We sailed well in some cases but at other points we made some bad choices which we will have to work on. But as we had a medal race today it allowed us to take back some of our previous mistakes. We knew this morning we just had to grasp the opportunity and pull it out of the bag. We started in a good position on the line and dominated the whole way round so we are very happy tonight."

Robertson continued: "Having not raced in the Yngling since the last race of Athens I am pleased with my performance and so proud of my new team, Annie and Lucy. We had an exceptional performance this weekend."

Austria 's Matthias Schmidt and Florian Reichstaedter won the 470 men's medal race, but it wasn't enough to knock Athens silver medallists Nick Rogers and Joe Glanfield off the top step of the podium. Rogers and Glanfield crossed in second to clinch the overall victory with a seven point margin, while there was disappointing end to Nic Asher and Eliott Willis' regatta. A broken kicker forced the new World Champions to retire from the final race, which also resulted in them being squeezed out of the podium places into fourth.

Skandia Team GBR's Luke Patience and Chris Grube took silver with the Austrian pair finishing in third, while Ally Martin and Lottie Clay took the women's 470 title.

European Champion Paul Goodison won the Laser event in spite of a near capsize in the medal race, while Charlotte Dobson came out on top in the women's single-handed Laser Radial class. World number one Nick Dempsey took his fifth race win from the six race series in today's medal race for the RS:X 9.5 windsurfers to take the title nine points clear, with Bryony Shaw topping the RS:X 8.5 fleet.

Ed Wright, crowned Finn European Champion just two weeks ago, continued his winning streak, while a ding-dong battle in the Tornado saw Leigh McMillan and Will Howden, in spite of nearly capsizing, come out ahead of Rob Wilson and Mark Bulkeley to take the overall win.

"This is the highlight of the winter series results - we had top class competition here to challenge us all the way to the finish, so we are pleased to once again come out on top," said Howden.

"It has again been great training for our Worlds in Argentina and we're pleased that we are once again moving in the right direction."

A superb comeback in the 49er medal race saw Spanish Olympic champions Iker Martinez and Xavier Fernandez snatch victory from Europeans Stevie Morrison and Ben Rhodes. In overall second behind the Skandia Team GBR sailors heading into the final race, the Spanish team needed to keep four boats between them and the British pair to take the gold.

The Spanish team were in overall second behind the Skandia Team GBR sailors heading into the final race. After a good start they were forced back into ninth place after having to take a penalty, but an excellent display of boat handling and superior speed allowed them to claw their way back up the fleet. It still wasn't enough for the gold, but then Morrison and Rhodes made a critical handling error on the final run which saw them lose four boat places the title slipped away.

"We managed to make a little bit of a hash in the last race. It was very windy, and quite a tricky day," a disappointed Morrison explained.

" We made a few silly mistakes. [Iker] made some mistakes as well which gave us opportunities to beat him. Unfortunately there turned out to be opportunities for us to make mistakes and we took those opportunities well and made some good mistakes!

"I hope we can learn from them and move on and I think we will. We know what we did wrong - we kind of got lost in the moment and didn't do the simple things right."

The strong winds saw the three Paralympic classes confined to shore today, resulting in Gustaf Fresk and Annika Lindgren being crowned the first ever European Champions in the new Paralympic SKUD-18 class. The Sonar title went to the German trio of Jens Kroker, Siegmund Mainka and Tobias Schuetz, with Damien Seguin winning gold in the 2.4mR class.

This inaugural Skandia RYA Sail for Gold Regatta saw an impressive 264 boats from 22 nations descend on the 2012 Olympic sailing venue for three days of world class competition, which also featured demonstrations of GPS boat tracking and radio commentary on the internet to enhance the regatta for spectators.

"I've been really thrilled with the turnout from the overseas sailors for this event, and we've been lucky as the weather has allowed us to get some top quality racing in over the past three days," concluded Event Director Rob Andrews . "Ultimately going forward we hope this event will become one of the prime Grade 1 regattas on European circuit and I think weekend has given us a good start.

"The experiments we've been running here with the GPS tracking of boats and the audio race commentary over the internet have proved extremely popular and are a big step in the promotion of Olympic classes sailing."

Broadcasters can request rights free access footage from the host broadcaster by contacting:

Live Radio interviews and feeds will be available via ISDN (G722), pre-recorded interviews and "cuts" with cues available via e-mail (MP3) from Friday 13 October - Sunday 15 October
For more information, contact: Tracey Clarke, Event Broadcast

Ø Sailing is the most successful Olympic sport in this country and Great Britain is the world's top Olympic sailing nation. The Royal Yachting Association (RYA) is the national governing body for all forms of sailing, windsurfing, and powerboat racing.

Ø The RYA is recognised by all government offices as being the negotiating body for the activities it represents. It continually fights for the rights and freedoms of its 103,000 personal members, the majority of whom choose to go afloat for purely recreational non-competitive pleasure on coastal and inland waters.

Ø It represents a further estimated 500,000 boat owners nationally through its 1600 affiliated clubs and boat owner associations.

Ø Olympic and Youth sailing is a beneficiary of the Lottery funded World Class Programmes (WCP) and administered by the Sports Councils. The Programmes focus on performance sport with the aim of achieving sporting excellence on the world stage. Further information can be found on the UK Sport website at www.uksport.gov.uk and Sport England's website at www.sportengland.org . The Volvo RYA Champion Club Programme and Volvo RYA Keelboat Programme are supported by Volvo.

Better breeze on Saturday (14 October) at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy saw some changes at the top of the leaderboards after day two of the Skandia RYA Sail for Gold Regatta.

Amidst 12-15 knot winds at the 2012 Olympic sailing venue, Laser European Champion Paul Goodison shook off his bad start to the regatta with a race win and two seconds from today's three races to see him take over the top spot ahead of Mark Powell and Nick Thompson, now in second and third places respectively.

Goodison, the 28-year-old world number one f rom Rotherham, was relieved to have had a more solid performance to see him into Sunday's final medal race, and explained his apparent lack form on the opening day.

"I had a bit of trouble in the first race of the series when I got something caught around my centreboard, so a bit frustrating, but I guess quite funny for the rest of them who watched me disappear down the back of the fleet!," he explained.

"But since then I've either been first or second in every race so I'm pretty happy with that."

With the bitter taste of a double disqualification still looming from yesterday. Sarah Ayton, Sarah Webb and new crew Pippa Wilson went out determined for a strong showing to drag themselves from the bottom of the Yngling table.

It was mission accomplished, with the Skandia Team GBR trio posting two straight bullets and a third to boost them back into contention. They finish the day in fifth overall, just one point off the bronze medal place which is occupied by Ayton and Webb's ex-helm Shirley Robertson. The double Olympic gold medallist and her team of Annie Lush and Lucy Macgregor had a 3,8,6 today to see them into the third place, while the Netherlands ' Mandy Mulder and her team, and Janneke Hin's crew took over the top two spots respectively.

But Ayton seemed unruffled by the Dutch offensive. "They're putting a bit of a fight up but we were in control today and we dominated, so that will send them back to the drawing board I'm sure."

Ed Wright, European Champion in the Finn class, saw a better day today, posting two firsts and a third to see him take the lead over Matt Howard, while the 470 event saw Athens silver medallist Nick Rogers and Joe Glanfield leapfrog their World Championship-winning teammates Nic Asher and Elliot Willis with a three point lead at the top of the table going into the medal race on Sunday.

Spain's Olympic champions in the 49er class Iker Martinez and Xavier Fernandez had a superb opening two races, with two wins followed by a ninth to challenge the Skandia Team GBR overnight leaders Stevie Morrison and Ben Rhodes. The Exmouth pair had a 2,4 followed by a discardable 21 which was enough for them to stay at the top of the ladder.

"We obviously had a very good day yesterday which put us in a pretty strong position and so today was a bit more of a day about being safer and not messing it up!

"The Spanish team, who are the Olympic gold medallists from Athens, are a little bit heavier than us - that means they've got a little bit more horsepower so when there's a bit more wind they've got the potential to go faster."

In the Laser Radial, Charlotte Dobson posted the perfect scorecard from today's three races to knock European bronze medallist Penny Clark off the top of the table, while European Champion Nick Dempsey remains in control in the RS:X 9.5 windsurfing class with Bryony Shaw leading the RS:X 8.5 fleet with two race wins and a second for her efforts today.

Ally Martin and Lottie Clay are still topping the women's 470 class, while Germany 's Johannes Polgar and Florian Spalteholz have a one point lead over Skandia Team GBR's Leigh McMillan and Will Howden in the Tornado class.

World silver medallist Helena Lucas broke into the podium positions in the 2.4mR Paralympic class, which is led by Frenchman Damien Seguin with Thierry Schmitter in second. Swedes Gustaf Fresk and Annika Lindgren remain in the top spot of the new Paralympic SKUD-18 event, in spite of a disqualification from race nine, with German trio Jens Kroker, Siegmund Mainka and Tobias Schutz two points ahead in the Sonar class.

For the Olympic classes, the top ten boats at the end of today will go forward into the final double-points scoring medal races which get underway at 1030 BST. GPS tracking and live audio commentary will be available from the finals at www.ryaevents.org.uk/sailforgold

Broadcasters can request rights free access footage from the host broadcaster by contacting:

Ø It represents a further estimated 500,000 boat owners nationally through its 1600 affiliated clubs and boat owner associations.

Racing at the inaugural Skandia RYA Sail for Gold Regatta got underway today (Friday 13 October) with double Olympic gold medallist Shirley Robertson currently in fourth after her first day of competitive Yngling sailing since the Athens Olympics two years ago.

The 38-year-old new mother of twins notched up a race win in the fleet's opening race of this regatta - held on the 2012 Olympic waters at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy - with her new crew of Annie Lush and Lucy Macgregor.

After a positive start, the second race proved not quite such plain sailing, with Robertson and her team posting a ninth.

"A good day and a bad day," said Robertson. "It was good to get out there and racing again and it certainly blew the cobwebs away.

"We just need to get some more racing time in as a team - today was quite tricky in some ways, but we're finding our way and every day we're getting better and better."

Robertson, Lush and Macgregor are in fourth with Sweden 's Ingrid Soderstrom, Johanna Larsson and Caroline Aberg leading the women's keelboat class after day one.

Robertson's former teammates Sarah Ayton and Sarah Webb, sailing with new crew member Pippa Wilson, got off to a conservative start, posting a couple of mid-fleet results before being subsequently disqualified from both of the day's races as Webb was judged to have infringed the regatta rules by not wearing a buoyancy aid.

Skandia Team GBR's European Champions Stevie Morrison and Ben Rhodes enjoyed a near-perfect start in the 49er event, posting two bullets and a second from their three races of the day. The world bronze medallists consequently lead the pack at the end of this first day, with Germany's Jan Peter Peckolt and Hannes Peckolt in second, Spain's Olympic Champions Iker Martinez and Xavier Fernandez in third, and World Champions Chris Draper and Simon Hiscocks in fourth.

"We couldn't really have asked for a much better start with two firsts and a second from today," said Morrison. "We're pretty pleased but it's still early days."

Competing here in Weymouth at the site of their European Championship triumph, Rhodes reflected on what's been a good year for the pair. "We've been working well together this season - our strengths as a team have really complemented each other and between us we make up for each others' weaknesses!"

Newly-crowned 470 World Champions Nic Asher and Elliot Willis lead the pack in the 470 men's fleet, ahead of teammates and Athens silver medallists Nick Rogers and Joe Glanfield, who are in second place on equal points with Luke Patience and Chris Grube after two races. The women's fleet saw the withdrawal of pre-event favourites Christina Bassadone and Saskia Clark through an injury to Clark, with Ally Martin and Lottie Clay currently topping the leaderboard after the first day's racing.

Things didn't quite go to plan in the Finn event for birthday boy Ed Wright - who turned 29 today - with the new European Champion and world bronze medallist lying in third after the fleet's opening two races. Matt Howard leads the pack, with Ireland's Timothy Goodbody in second, while Finn convert Giles Scott posted a 7,2 in borrowed equipment to see him into fourth in his first ever Finn regatta since switching from the Laser after the World Championship in Korea last month.

Laser European Champion Paul Goodison turned around a bad start to the regatta - posting a 15 th in his opening race - with two subsequent race wins to see him up into third at the end of day one. Mark Powell leads the fleet by just one point of Nick Thompson, who won the day's first race.

Penny Clark has gained a nine point lead over nearest rival Laura Baldwin after the Lasre Radial's first three races, thanks to a race win followed by 8,6, while David Jessop leads the male Laser Radial sailors in this Open class.

Nick Dempsey took two bullets in the RS:X 9.5m fleet's two races, while Kim Jiskoot currently heads up the 8.5m table, with Bryony Shaw in second and the top female sailor in that fleet.

Germany 's Johannes Polgar and Florian Spalteholz lead the Tornado fleet, with Skandia Team GBR's world silver medallists Leigh McMillan and Will Howden in second, while overseas contenders are on top in all three of the Paralympic disciplines. Dutchman Thierry Schmitter heads the 2.4mR single-hander leaderboard, France 's Joudren-Fulgoni-Balle top the Sonar table and Sweden 's Gustaf Fresk and Annika Lindgren lead the SKUD-18 European Championship by three points after five races.

Racing at the Skandia RYA Sail for Gold Regatta is due to get underway at 1200 on Friday 13 October and will run through until Sunday 15 October.

Broadcasters can request rights free access footage from the host broadcaster by contacting:

Ø It represents a further estimated 500,000 boat owners nationally through its 1600 affiliated clubs and boat owner associations.

This weekend's Skandia RYA Sail for Gold Regatta (13-15 October) at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy will feature an innovative tracking experiment which the organisers hope will help bridge the gap between live sailing and spectator entertainment.

In conjunction with UK-based Traxu and Norwegian company Pro Sail, the organisers will run live GPS tracking of the finals races on Sunday 15 October.

During the finals for each class, the top ten teams after two days of qualification, will race in a double point scoring, non discardable medal race to decide the final positions. Each of the boats, the start line and marks will have a unique GPS tag that will which will then transmit live data to the event specific website.

In conjunction with this live tracking of the boats, the 30 minute races will also feature commentary provided by Airwaves technology featuring expert input from America 's Cup commentator Andy Green. Joining Andy will be Skandia Team GBR Olympic Manager Stephen Park to provide additional insight into the tactics and strategy.

This will be the first time that live tracking with audio commentary has come to Olympic classes sailing, where the technology required is much harder to achieve due to the need for self powering units and restrictions on weight. Although commonplace in the America 's Cup, this weekend's events will mark a significant breakthrough for the smaller Olympic classes.

The tracking developments are not only expected to enhance the shore-side spectator experience, but it is hoped that the initiative will also provide data for coaches, information for Race Officers in helping to police OCS, as well as helping on the safety side as the position of each boat that is tagged will be known to the organisers.

The Skandia RYA Sail for Gold Regatta hopes to continue such technical developments on the spectator interface with future projects linked to live TV images on the shore, which will allow the regatta village to start to come alive.

Broadcasters can request rights free access footage from the host broadcaster by contacting:

Ø It represents a further estimated 500,000 boat owners nationally through its 1600 affiliated clubs and boat owner associations.

Olympic and Paralympic sailors from more than 20 nations will take to the water this weekend for the inaugural Skandia RYA Sail for Gold Regatta (13-15 October) at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy.

Over 260 boats have so far entered across the ten Olympic and three Paralympic classes at this three-day event, which sees double Olympic gold medallist Shirley Robertson making her return to competitive Olympic classes sailing for the first time since the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, and just 13 weeks after giving birth to twins.

Sailing with her new team of Annie Lush and Lucy Macgregor, 38-year-old Robertson will compete in the 15-boat Yngling fleet which includes her former crew and Skandia Team GBR teammates Sarah Ayton and Sarah Webb, sailing with Pippa Wilson. There will inevitably be some focus attention on how the former teammates fare against each other, but it's not something which Robertson is dwelling on.

"Our priority for this event is just to start working together," said Robertson. "It's still early days for us as a team so we've just kept everything simple, simple equipment and no changes. If we can get out there and do the basics right then I'll be quite happy."

This Skandia RYA Sail for Gold Regatta - which incorporates the European Championships for the new SKUD-18 Paralympic class - marks the first time that an international Olympic classes regatta has returned to the UK since the early 1990s.

"The turnout here has been really impressive," remarked Robertson, "particularly as it's in October as it's traditionally a slack month.

"But people are really keen to see what it's like here, and from our point of view it's perfect to have this event at home."

The 49er class will see strong competition both from home talents including reigning World Champions Chris Draper and Simon Hiscocks, and European titleholders Stevie Morrison and Ben Rhodes, as well as international contenders such as Spanish Olympic champions Iker Martinez and Xavier Fernandez amongst the 44 boats currently entered.

The Laser class boasts the biggest entry, with 52 boats due to compete. World number one and European Champion Paul Goodison headlines the fleet, while European and Pre-Olympics bronze medallist Penny Clark will be hoping to continue her excellent form this season with a result on British waters.

After a stint standing in for Shirley Robertson in the Yngling, Helena Lucas returns to Paralympic class racing this weekend in the 2.4mR. Nominated for ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Award for her achievements this year in both the Olympic and Paralympic class sailing, world silver medallist Lucas will count Frenchman Damien Seguin, Thierry Schmitter of the Netherlands and Norway's Bjornar Erikstad amongst her main rivals.

The host nation will be hopeful of honours in the men's 470 event, with Athens silver medallists Nick Rogers and Joe Glanfield, and newly-crowned World Champions Nic Asher and Elliott Willis both in contention, while Christina Bassadone and Saskia Clark head the women's 470 fleet.

New European Champion and world bronze medallist Ed Wright will be the man to beat in the Finn class, while Skandia Team GBR's World Champions John Robertson, Hannah Stodel and Steve Thomas will be pushing for home glory in the Paralympic Sonar class.

For the Tornado entrants, this event will prove a good warm-up for their end of year World Championships in Argentina this December, while the RS:X windsurfing events will provide a chance for youngsters such as Richard Hamilton, fifth at the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship, to compete up against experienced campaigners such as Athens bronze medallist Nick Dempsey.

Racing at the Skandia RYA Sail for Gold Regatta is due to get underway at 1200 on Friday 13 October and will run through until Sunday 15 October.

Broadcasters can request rights free access footage from the host broadcaster by contacting:

Ø It represents a further estimated 500,000 boat owners nationally through its 1600 affiliated clubs and boat owner associations.

Britain 's Olympic sailing medallists were out in force at this weekend's first RYA Olympic Classes National Ranking event (7-8 October) at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy .

Yngling Olympic Champions Sarah Ayton and Sarah Webb, 470 silver medallists Nick Rogers and Joe Glanfield, bronze medal-winning windsurfer Nick Dempsey and 49er bronze medallists Chris Draper and Simon Hiscocks all came out on top in their respective classes after a weekend of solid breeze and world class racing at the 2012 Olympic venue.

In winds of up to 20 knots, Skandia Team GBR's World Champions Draper and Hiscocks emerged victorious in the 40-strong 49er fleet, with the Weymouth locals winning by just one point in spite of a strong start by Spain's visiting Olympic Champions Iker Martinez and Xavier Fernandez . Austria's Nico Delle Karth and Nikolaus Resch finished second, with the Spanish duo squeezed into third.

The 470 men's fleet promised an interesting battle between Athens silver medallists Nick Rogers and Joe Glanfield, and newly-crowned World Champions Nic Asher and Elliot Willis. The two-time Olympians took an early grip on the race series, with three firsts in their opening three races, and a further bullet in race five which helped them to a four point win over Asher and Willis. Ally Martin and Lottie Clay won the 470 women's event.

Nick Dempsey cruised to victory in the RS:X men's fleet, gaining such a commanding lead that he could sit out the sixth and final race - an approach also employed by Yngling sailors Sarah Ayton and Sarah Webb, sailing with Pippa Wilson on the bow, and also newly-crowned European Champion Ed Wright in the 11-boat Finn event.

World silver medallists Leigh McMillan and Will Howden were made to work for their win in the Tornado class, but eventually secured a two-point margin of victory over second placed Rob Wilson and Mark Bulkeley, and Hugh Styles and Tom Peel in third.

"This is another good result for us in the build up to our Worlds," said Howden.

"We were pleased to get the four wins in conditions which are not normally our strongest, but we still have to start the regattas better! There are 3 more events before our Worlds so there is still plenty of practice to get in shape for our most important event of the year!!"

European Champion Bryony Shaw clinched the win in the RS:X 8.5m discipline, while Megan Pascoe took the win in the 2.4mR Paralympic class. There was disappointment for world silver medallist Helena Lucas, who was forced to retire from the 2.4mR event when her tiller and the foot pedals in her boat both broke.

"We saw some excellent racing conditions this weekend, and with such a star-studded entry both from the top the Skandia Team GBR sailors and international visitors, it was a great start to the 2006 National Ranking Series," said RYA Competitions Manager Rob Andrews.

"All eyes will now be on the inaugural Sail for Gold Regatta next weekend, where Olympic hopefuls both from home and abroad will be pushing for good results on the 2012 Olympic waters."

The three weekend National Ranking Series at WPNSA (7-8 October; 13-15 October in conjunction with the Sail for Gold Regatta; 28-29 October) will feature Skandia Team GBR's top talent against the new breed hoping to challenge for 2012, as well as domestic Olympic class racers.

The National Ranking Series forms the qualification for British sailors for the ISAF Olympic Class World Championships 2007, and, combined with the early season RYA Olympic Classes Spring Series are used as part of classes international championship places qualification and RYA grants for key Olympic regattas. Details of the grants and places selection system can be found at in the Olympic Classes Handbook at www.skandiateamgbr.com/events

Ø The Royal Yachting Association (RYA) is the national governing body for all forms of sailing, windsurfing, and powerboat racing.

Ø It represents a further estimated 500,000 boat owners nationally through its 1600 affiliated clubs and boat owner associations.

Skandia in the UK launched in 1979 and is now one of the leading international long term savings groups providing pensions, investment and protection products through intermediaries in the UK and overseas, with assets under management of £26.7bn (as at 31.10.05). Creators of the MultiManager approach, Skandia has teamed up with the world's top fund managers to create a range of funds tailored for investors' individual needs.

Skandia UK is part of a worldwide group founded in Sweden in 1855. The group is a leading, independent provider of long-term savings solutions.

In the first quarter of 2006 Old Mutual Plc completed a successful bid for the worldwide Skandia group and full ownership of the Group is currently being progressed.

Ownership by Old Mutual makes Skandia part of one of Europe 's largest financial service groups with a strong financial base. Old Mutual is a FTSE 100® company, headquartered in London , which understands Skandia's markets and customers well.

It has developed and evolved constantly over the years to reach its present position as one of the world's leading long-term saving companies with operations in over 20 countries and assets under management of £46.9 billion (as at 31.12.05). For more information on Skandia Insurance Company Limited visit www.skandia.com .

This weekend (6-8 October), Team Cherry had a near- perfect performance at the RYA National Matching Racing Championship, winning 10 of their 11 matches to be crowned the latest RYA National Match Racing Champions at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy.

Sailing on the RYA's J80s, 21 year-old Cherry, with High Wycombe's Nick Houchin, Hamble's Matt Adams and Connor Myant from London , proved to be a strong leader and a cunning opponent.

"It feels great to have come out of the event at the top." Southampton 's Cherry enthused. "I had a really good team behind me. We've been sailing together for three years and have put in a lot of practice recently so it's fantastic to have done so well."

Friday, the first day of the three day event, brought autumn gales with 55 knots gusting off the pontoons. Due to high winds and much to the frustration of the eager sailors, racing was cancelled.

However, Saturday dawned as a better day, with ideal match racing conditions breaking across Portland Harbour . In 15-17 knots racing got underway and the round robin with 22 flights was completed to determine the 2006 winner.

While Cherry's 10-win-one-loss record is impressive, the competition was still strong out on the water, with each team displaying effective boat handling, good use of rules and a strong understanding of the conditions.

Cherry continued, "It certainly wasn't an easy event to win. Everyone sailed well and there were some top sailors competing."

To claim the title, Cherry was able to count one more win than two-time national champion, Mark Campbell James and his tried and tested team of Andy Clark, Andy Yates and Graham Sunderland who finished the event in second overall.

Warsash-based, Andy Clark, bowman for Team Campbell James reflected on the event. "It was a shame to lose the first day of racing but the race committee did a great job getting the event back on pace and completing the round robin.

"We're disappointed not to have won the event, but Nick sailed well all weekend. You win some you lose some, that's all part of Match Racing. We'll be back again next year to try for a hat trick."

Ø It represents a further estimated 500,000 boat owners nationally through its 1600 affiliated clubs and boat owner associations.

Ø Further information can be found at www.rya.org.uk

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The most successful Weymouth Speed Week ever!
8 October

The harbour record was broken on the first day by Kitesurfer Nigel Bowley with an amazing 36.85 knot run which was not beaten all week and netted him $1000 prize purse donated by DaKine. The previous record holder Bjorn Dunkerbeck was not there on the day to challenge Nigel as he was on route from the Sylt World Cup event. He arrived champing at the bit to get out and reclaim his title, but other contenders were also hungry for the title including David (Whitey) White the current production world speed record holder. They got within 0.2 of a knot but could not beat Nigel's time.

With Whitey beating Bjorn by the slimmest of margins only 0.07 of a knot! It was not proving to be Bjorn's week. But showing the top sportsman that he is, he was the first to congratulate Whitey and vowed to return next year to reclaim his crown.

Other records broken were, the Ladies Harbour Record set by Zara Davis at a very respectable 32.44 knots. The previous record had stood for 22 years, set back in 1984 by Jenna de Rosnay. Zara finishing 1 st Lady and 18 th overall, which considering the company she was keeping, is a result to be proud of.

Dan Simpson the top junior from last year set a new Junior Record at 28.39 knots and won an X15 race sail from Tushingham.

From the boat camp, It was good to see the mighty Basilica, a 40 foot Extreme catamaran with six crew, flying the course with one hull raised and achieving a commendable 27.24 knots.

WSW came under much more of media a spotlight this year, which is great for speedsailing specifically, and windsurfing, kitesurfing and sailing in general. If you were there look out for yourself on SKY, Extreme sports channel, Discovery and the BBC. We also succeeded in attracting sponsorship from inside and importantly from outside the industry, in the case of Maui Jim, who provided their polarised sunglasses to the timing and support crew's and prizes for contestants, worth over £3000, and Kangaroo Poo who provided clothing and paid for the Saturday night Barbie.

But Weymouth is not all about winning records it is a place that ordinary sailors can pit there skills against each other, achieve their own personal bests and have a great time. This year a record number of 59 contestants achieved over 30 knots. Which goes to show the improvement in equipment and skill that is out there. Its also about experimenting with new Ideas in hull and sail design, the wackiest must be the dinghy with the spinning bernouli effect rotor built by Stephen Thorpe which achieved over 5 knots, or perhaps Graeme Fullers high aspect sail pictured, I know it looks like it was altered in Photoshop, but I assure you it wasn't.

We also had a new category this year with recognition to the amateurs that take part every year and with a prize of a brand new F2 Missile, the competition was hot. Simon Hinkley was the eventual winner with 34.11 knots. A special mention must go to a local sailor Tony Robinson who won the Rookie category, he has seen WSW running over the years but always thought it was too good for him. With some persuading from his friends and family he showed up gave his best and won a holiday from Club Vass for his trouble. He says he will be back next year to take the harbour record!

Speedsailing one of the simplest sports around you don't have to be able to tack or jibe you just have to be able to go fast from point A to point B and age is no restriction either. Our youngest contestant was 9 and our oldest was 72. Come on next year what is stopping you? But get in early as we had to turn people away as we were full by August.

This weekend (7-8 October) sees the first event in the revised RYA Olympic Classes National Ranking Series, held at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy .

The three weekend Series at WPNSA (7-8 October; 13-15 October in conjunction with the Sail for Gold Regatta; 28-29 October) will feature Skandia Team GBR's top talent against the new breed hoping to challenge for 2012, as well as domestic Olympic class racers.

Amongst the entries so far are Olympic gold medallists Sarah Ayton and Sarah Webb in the Yngling class, Athens silver medallists Nick Rogers and Joe Glanfield and newly-crowned World Champions Nic Asher and Elliott Willis in the 470 men's fleet, world silver medallist Helena Lucas in the 2.4mR Paralympic class and 49er European Champions and world bronze medallists Stevie Morrison and Ben Rhodes.

For 2006 the RYA overhauled its UK Olympic Classes events in order to ensure both the best possible attendance from world class sailors, to provide quality national racing opportunities for aspiring 2012 sailors and to continue to provide quality racing and venues for the UK Olympic class sailors generally.

"With the new 2006 format the NR series should be the most keenly fought UK Olympic Classes Series for many years especially considering the attendance of Athens medallist in in most classes and 2007 World Championship qualification places up for grabs," explained RYA Olympic Development Squad Manager Barrie Edgington.

"The winners of all the classes will have to be on top form to win and therefore the series champions will represent the best of British."

The National Ranking Series will form the qualification for British sailors for the ISAF Olympic Class World Championships 2007, and, combined with the early season RYA Olympic Classes Spring Series are used as part of classes international championship places qualification and RYA grants for key Olympic regattas. Details of the grants and places selection system can be found at in the Olympic Classes Handbook at www.skandiateamgbr.com/events

Ø The Royal Yachting Association (RYA) is the national governing body for all forms of sailing, windsurfing, and powerboat racing.

Ø It represents a further estimated 500,000 boat owners nationally through its 1600 affiliated clubs and boat owner associations.

Skandia UK is part of a worldwide group founded in Sweden in 1855. The group is a leading, independent provider of long-term savings solutions.

In the first quarter of 2006 Old Mutual Plc completed a successful bid for the worldwide Skandia group and full ownership of the Group is currently being progressed.

This weekend a battle of tactical wit and boat handling skill will ensue as some of Britain's top-ranked match racers fight it out for the RYA National Match Racing title.

In a three -day format, the RYA National Match Raing series will once again be held at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy, from 6 -8 October and will be contested in the fleet of RYA J80s.

The 2006 final will see an elite line-up of 1 2 teams with several familiar faces competing against some new names.

Mark Campbell James and his successful team are back to defend their title, hoping to win their third consecutive National Match Racing title. Team Campbell James are currently ranked second in the UK match racing rankings, just behind Ian Williams who will be absent from the event. After storming to victory in 2005, winning all their matches bar one, Team Campbell James are expected to pose a good challenge for the title.

Ranked third in the UK, Andrew Cornah with his team of Andy Bryson, Matt Findlay, Rob Miller and James Roche will aim to better their third place finish at the same event last year.

After finishing fourth at the Match Race Finals in 2005 Nick Cherry has a score to settle and will hope to wrestle away the trophy. The Southampton-based sailor has pulled together a familiar crew featuring Nick Houchin, Connor Myant, and new team-mate Matt Adams in the hope that this team will fit the bill.

The Women's National Match Racing Champion, Katie Archer, also from Southampton will helm the only ladies boat at the event, with her crew of Victoria Rawlinson, Kate Fairclough and Hannah Kemlo expecting to follow on from their good performance at the Women's finals.

Archer will go up against another sailor that she knows well, as her boyfriend, John Greenland, will also be competing with his team. If the two sailors go head to head in the first round robin, one of them might be walking home.

Scotland's Roger Tait, winner of the Scottish qualifier which took place for the first time in 2006, will make the trip down from Shetland with his crew David Wallace, Robert Yeamans and Ewan Stirling to contest for the top prize.

Mark Lees and David Tabb bring some new blood to the event with each helming their own team in a challenge to some of the more familiar names on the circuit.

Three youth teams will also join the foray, to try their hand at un-seating some of the more mature teams. Andrew Shaw, Robbie Allam and Ali Hall, who finished fifth in the 2005 event, will each helm their own teams.

Myrrh Walker
RYA Racing Communications Assistant
t. 02380 604 219
m. 07769505203
e. myrrh.walker@rya.org.uk

A real David and Goliath battle is developing at the 2006 Weymouth speed week. On the first day a kitesurfer Nigel Bowley broke the harbor record, achieving an amazing 36.8 knots! He has therefore laid claim to the $1000 prize fund put up by Da Kine. Bjorn Dunkerbeck the previous title holder was not there to defend his title set in 2004 which previously had stood for over 22 years, as he was on his way from an international competition in Sylt, Germany. Bjorn has now arrived in Weymouth with his caddie and is determined to get his title and the $1000 purse.

With strong winds forecast for Thursday and Friday 40 plus knots is being predicted.

Peter Davis spokesman for the event said "What an amazing start! We knew it would be good with a record number of entries including a 40 foot racing catamaran Basilica, and the largest number of 1 st timers ever. But no one could have predicted this, with strong winds coming and more competitors arriving including the juniors who knows what we can achieve"

Winners have been named and prizes have been handed out at RYA Zone Championships, a multi-venue regatta that saw Britain 's best junior sailing talent gather across England .

Racing took place this weekend 30 September-1 October, in each of the six RYA Zones with nearly 1000 sailors signing up to take part in an event that would not only decide Zone Champions but would also help select the RYA Junior Racing Squads for the next competitive year.

Once again, the RYA Zone Championships have proved to be the biggest RYA Junior Racing event of the season and the most popular, with around 800 boats and boards competing across the country.

SOUTH
The South Zone Championship hosted by the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy boasted the largest entry of the six zones with over 300 sailors taking part.

Saturday in Weymouth brought gusting winds of up to 20 knots but with the weather forecast to bring stronger winds on Sunday, the sailors bravely hit the water to get in some racing.

Laser 4.7 sailors from around the UK attended the South Zone Championships, the last qualifier for the National 4.7 Squad. Close racing dominated the fleet with Martin Hayes, Shane Terry and Charlotte Greenhalgh gunning for the top three places. After some exhausting racing with sailors fully hiking to keep their boats upright, Hayes from Blithfield Sailing Club took the win with Terry in second and Greenhalgh in third.

The girls led the way in the Cadet fleet, with three female helms winning the top three places along with their crews. Joanna Freeman and Holly Francis from Poole finished in first overall and added another trophy to their growing collection, followed by Phillipa and Michael Horne from Frensham and Sophie Pearson and Liam Pardy from Parkstone.

As predicted Sunday brought winds gusting up to 29 knots and as a result, racing was called off and prize giving held early to recognise the sailors who had finished at the top.

SOUTH WEST
In the South West Zone , the Championship was hosted by Plymouth Youth Sailing who made the decision early to get in as many races possible on the first day of the event.

Racing in a brisk 12-16 knots, a battle between sailors from Restronguet SC quickly ensued in the Optimist fleet, with five sailors from the club finishing in the top five. George Wilson and Christian Townrow finished on equal points with Wilson winning on count-back with two firsts and two seconds. David Grant finished just behind them in third.

The Mirror fleet had some good racing with most boats capsizing in the fresh breezes. Rob and Will Searle got off to a rocky start with a DNF but followed it up with three first place finishes giving them the win. John Harvey and Alex Parks took second and Freya Adams and Mike Chapman took third.

WEST
The West Zone Championship , held at Blithfield Sailing Club saw over 130 sailors and the largest windsurfing fleet of all six Zones gather together to compete in the varying 6-15 knots of wind.

Blithfield, a relatively small lake, threw up several challenges for the race committee, none smaller than that of getting over 130 boats competing in a restricted area.

The 40 windsurfers were treated to a morning of training before hitting the racecourse, where Tom Dickinson from Covenham Sailing Club put his new skills to the test, going on to win all five races in the 5.5 Open Fleet.

The Bic Techno fleets also had some close racing with Finlay Forster Davies from Astbury Sailing Club finishing top of the heap on the 7.8 and North Lincolnshire 's George Bowles on the 6.8.

Draycote Water's Michael Wood was also on top form in the 51-boat Topper Fleet, counting only first place finishes on his score card. It was a close race for second and third with Andrew Salt from Chelmarsh just edging out Sam Watson from Nantwich for the second place position.

NORTH
At Derwent Reservoir , host of the North Zone Championship , the first day of racing brought a bright, late-summers day, with the wind filling in as if on cue, straight after the competitor briefing.

When the rest of the country were struggling with strong winds, a light shifty breeze descended on the reservoir, testing all the competitors to the limits throughout out the four races on day one and the one race on day two.

The Optimist fleet saw some hot competition with Ben Pole from Saunton Harold Sailing Club and Northampton Sailing Club's Lucy Childs tussling for first place. Ben mastered the light and shifty conditions on the first race of the first day posting a convincing win, enabling him to take the top spot. Racing between Ben and Lucy was nip and tuck all weekend, with Ben just scraping through to victory by one point.

The Derwent Reservoir Sailing Club Novice trophy, awarded to a sailor who had never competed in a championship before, was given to local Optimist sailor Daniel Trotter who finished 19 th out of 34, an awesome feat for a junior who has been racing for less than a year.

EAST
Strong winds were also on the table at the East Zone Championship , held at Dabchicks Sailing Club and West Mersea Yacht Club where racing took place on three courses on the River Blackwater.

The event, sponsored by the East of England Co-operative Society, got off to a rocketing start. Saturday saw three races completed for all fleets with winds increasing from 10 knots to 16 knots over the course of the afternoon, accompanied by gusts of 22 knots, often catching out the unsuspecting sailor. On Sunday the wind increased and continued to build making it possible to complete only one race before racing was abandoned for the day.

The 22-strong windsurf fleet had an action packed two days. The conditions were tough for the younger competitors but all showed tenacity and determination, resulting in some spectacular racing. For many of the sailors this event marked their first experience sailing on the sea and all handled it well.

Racing in the Optimist fleet was full of excitement, with the top three boats all tied with five points following the final race. Ben Harden from Burnham on Crouch finally took honours on count-back with local sailors Sam Curtis and Ollie Gozzett from Dabchicks SC finished in second and third respectively.

The RS Feva class saw the weekend's most consistent performance with Nathan and Anna Ackroyd from Norfolk Broads YC placing first in all four races to convincingly win the class. The pair took home the RYA Eastern Regions Junior Champions Trophy for the best overall performance at the event

SOUTH EAST
141 sailors made the trip to Bewl Valley Sailing Club for the South East Zone Championship . With 8-14 knots on the first day sailors got three races in with the Windsurfing fleet having a morning training session before beginning to compete for the Championship title later in the day.

Sunday brought bigger breeze but with 20-30 knots on the course, sailors still braved the conditions to get in some races and for some a bit of swimming.

The Topper fleet was dominated by Freddie Connor from Bexhill Sailing Club, who showed a high standard of racing from the moment the first starting gun was fired. Julia Beck placed second and finished as the highest placed girl in the Topper Fleet, proving an inspiration for many young female junior sailors.

"We had a host of bright young sailing talent participating in what I believe was the biggest RYA Zone Championships to date," said Duncan Truswell , RYA Junior Racing Manager.

"The conditions have been tough this weekend but we saw some fantastic sailing which bodes very well for the future. We have received many positive comments from all concerned but predominantly that the sailors were a credit to their sport.

"On behalf of the RYA I would like to reiterate our gratitude for the huge number of people who provided RIBs and the hundreds of volunteers who helped out nationwide."

Myrrh Walker
RYA Racing Communications Assistant
Tel: +44 (0)23 80 604 219
Mobile : +44 (0) 7769 505 203

Ø Sailing is the most successful Olympic sport in this country. The Royal Yachting Association (RYA) is the national governing body for all forms of sailing, windsurfing, and powerboat racing.

Ø It represents a further estimated 500,000 boat owners nationally through its 1600 affiliated clubs and boat owner associations.

For further information and results please follow these links to the 420 website.

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420 Open Meeting and Selection Trials: Day 3
23 September 2006

A 15 - 20 knot southeasterly breeze and bright sunshine meant fantastic sailing for the 420 Class. Three races were completed, leaving Dave Brewer and Oren Richards overnight leaders having clocked up an impressive two 3rds and a 1st. They lie 23 points ahead of the Rusden brothers who are lying 2nd. Ben Saxton and James Foskett are in 3rd.

Owain Matthews and Joe Williams finished with a 1st and a 2nd to move into 4th place on 52points ahead of Tim Saxton and Claire Lasko in 5th on 56. Peter Irwin and David Kohler lead the fight for the remaining open places on 80 points with Stephen Tiernan and Jamie Crapnell and the Yeoman brothers, both on 84 points. Imogen Stanley and Kate MacGregor continue to lead the girls in 11th place on 92 points. The Parkinson sisters are 2nd girls in 18th with Amelia Hughes and Lesley Bannister in 20th.

Overall, Dave and Oren lead the open meeting and are 7points ahead of Owain and Joe on 11 points. Rob Struckett and Tom Hodkinson enjoyed the windy conditions and lie in 3rd on 14 points ahead of Ben and James on 17 points.

Selections 2 - Day 1 Snippets
Race 1 finishers: 1st Rob Struckett and Tom Hodkinson, 2nd Ben Saxton and James Foskett, 3rd David Brewer and Oren Richards. First all girl crew were Amelia Hughes and Lesley Bannister in 16th.

Dave Brewer and Oren Richards take lead on 19pts ahead of the Rusden brothers on 20. Ben Saxton and James Saxton move into 3rd on 35pts ahead of Tim Saxton and Claire Lasko on 38pts. Peter Irwin and David Kohler are in 5th on 48pts. First all girl crew are Imogen Stanley and Kate MacGregor in 9th on 63pts and the Parkinson sisters in 12th on 72pts.

For further information and results please follow these links to the 420 website.

420 Open Meeting and Selection Trials: Day 2
17 September 2006

The fleet completed 3 races today with an increasing breeze. In a closely contested event James and Will Rusden took the title on 17 points after scoring 3,2 and a bullet in the last race, one point ahead of David Brewer and Oren Richards who in turn were only one point clear of the Belgian competition of Gertjan Cleeren and Koen Cleeren. Tim Saxton and Claire Lasko were 4th ahead of Ben Saxton and James Foskett in 5th. First all girl crew were Imogen Stanley and Kate MacGregor in 10th 4 points ahead of Sophia and Emma Parkinson.

The first race of the day was held in light winds, sea mist and after the second beat a large part of the fleet went to the wing mark whilst others headed back down to the leeward gate. The course had been Inner loop 1 but was changed to Inner loop 2 before the 5 minutes. It appears that some of the sailors had missed this vital piece of information. The discard has kicked in for the open meeting with Cleeren brothers on 6 points ahead of Tiernan and Crapnell on 10 and Brewer and Richards on 14. First girl after a bullet in race 4 are Stanley and MacGregor in 5th on 16 points.

For further information and results please follow these links to the 420 website.

420 Open Meeting and Selection Trials: Day 1
16 September 2006

Forty three boats have travelled to Weymouth to participate in the selection series to represent Great Britain at the World Championships to be held in New Zealand at the end of December/ beginning of January 2007. The 420 class will also be selecting 7 all girl crews to attend the Women's World Championship and 7 mixed or all male crews for the Open World Championships.

The first three races of the series were completed in what was a day of snakes and ladders. In light 8-12 knot winds, the Belgians showed their class by scoring two bullets, giving them a clear lead 6 points ahead of the Rusden brothers in 2nd, with 20 points on countback, from Tim Saxton and Claire Lasko in third. David Brewer and Oren Richards are nipping on their heels on 21 points just ahead of Stephen Tiernan and Jamie Crapnell on 22 points. First girls are the Parkinson sisters in 7th on 26 points with Imogen Stanley and Kate MacGregor in 9th on 32 points.

For further information and results please follow these links to the 420 website.

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J24 Autumn Cup at Portland - Jardine back in top spot
10 September 2006

The J/24 Autumn Cup brought a long overdue return to the top spot for former National and European Champion Stuart Jardine. But the weekend's most notable feature - once again - was the close racing enjoyed by the J/24 Class. With the Sailing Academy hosting and Race Officer Derek Abbott and the team in charge, the closely matched fleet of 11 was guaranteed excellent facilities and racing, both in the wind and waves of Saturday and the gentler conditions of Sunday. This was also a final chance for teams to shake down before the European Championships in two week's time at Parkstone YC.

Saturday's South Easterly breeze had moderated from the stronger winds of Friday, but began squarely in the mid range for Jibs, with seas that were difficult upwind, exciting downwind. With Bob (the "Special One") Turner away, his rotated squad ( Serco Defence helmed, as usual, by Al Clarke), took the early lead, winning race one and placing 2nd in race two. David Ellis' Hitchhiker's Guide stormed back from his disappointing initial showing by winning races two and three, the latter in a closely fought tussle with Jardine's Stouche - as competitors tried to decide whether Jibs or Genoas were quicker in the moderating breeze. None of which fully captures the closeness of the racing - places continually changing, both up and down wind - with Duncan McCarthy's Madeleine and Jim Anderson's Boomerang closely grouped with the leaders. Indeed, the upwind finish to race three required a second recount from the Returning Officer, before the places 3-5 were finalised. Overnight, Clarke led by two points from Ellis and McCarthy (tied on points), with Anderson and Jardine a further three points back and looking out of the hunt.

Sunday was a perfect late summer day for racing. With the lighter breeze veering back towards the same direction as Saturday and the tide - strong by Weymouth Bay standards - thowing further variables into the mix, the first beat of race 4 presented an interesting conundrum. Derek Abbot's square course and start line gave no clues, and the fleet divided off the start. Ben Williamson's Rumble went right, followed by Jardine, believing the wind had a little further to go that way and hoping that this would bring bigger gains than any additional breeze or reduced tide towards the shore. So it proved, with Williamson's initial break giving him an early lead. Once the breeze stabilised, the fleet bunched again at the top left of the beat, with Williamson in the lead at the weather mark and Gareth Robinson, helming J-Whizz , back in the leading bunch after going walkabout in races 2 & 3. Downwind, however Jardine was on great form, picking the shortest route and finding the best of the breeze, to take the lead. Ellis climbed back to take 2nd place from Robinson, with Williamson in 4th. In the final race, it was once again a question of spotting the shifts, avoiding the light patches and judging the lay line in the increasing tide. Once again, Jardine worked Stouche into contention, this time taking an early lead which he consolidated downwind. Robinson took third place, behind Clarke.

Overall, it could not have been closer and - with three boats tied on 9 points - it was back to the Returning Officer! Jardine's perfect Sunday gave him first place from Ellis, with Clarke in third.

Results

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Champions crowned at the Youth and Masters Windsurfing Championship
3 September
This weekend, 2-3 September, saw wet and windy weather prevail at the RYA Youth and Masters Windsurfing Championship hosted by the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy (WPNSA).

New champions in each class were crowned and newcomers celebrated in what has once again proved to be a successful event which brought together over 170 windsurfers of all ages and the biggest Bic Techno fleet seen yet at an RYA regatta.

Saturday brought fiercely gusting conditions and rain to WPNSA. Racing was postponed due to the strong winds averaging 30 knots until late afternoon when the race committee made the decision to send out the Formula Youth and Masters Fleets.

Several of the windsurfers took up the challenge but only six actually completed the one race of the day.

Sunday brought slightly more race-able conditions and after a one hour postponement, windsurfers prepared to hit the water with winds gusting up to 30 knots. With strong breeze in Portland Bay a downwind slalom course was set just off Chesil Beach in a bid to get some race results on the board.

A crowd of supporters gathered just off the beach to cheer on the sailors who brave enough to battle it out in the blustery wind.

By 1130 racing got underway and in misty sunshine, the Formula fleets were the first to launch. With winds averaging 25 knots, there was some fantastic sailing as windsurfers ripped around the course. The jybe marks brought some spectacular wipe-outs and traffic jams as sailors struggled to turn their boards in the tough conditions.

With three races completed the Formula, Race board, RS:X, 6.8 and 7.8 Techno sailors came off the water dripping wet and smiling. As the wind slightly eased off the young sailors in the remaining fleets were given the signal that their racing was to begin.

Still fully powered up the smaller-rig sailors had a good blast in a more sheltered area just off the WPNSA pontoons.

"We had really strong winds this weekend, so it was great to get some races in." Helen Cartwright, RYA National Windsurfing Coach and Event Director explained. "Getting out and racing in such strong wind was a challenge for some of our younger sailors but by all accounts has really given them a boost."

"It is also hugely encouraging to see so many Bic Techno sailors competing at this event. The RYA made the Techno one of its official junior and youth windsurf classes last autumn, and with the number of sailors using the equipment steadily increasing, it seems to be a success."

The afternoon's prize giving saw the top three in each fleet recognized for their success.

The 3.5 open fleet hosted sailors as young as eight years-old. The young sailors braved the windy conditions and following three races Josh Knight (Wirral), Noelle Finch (Clevedon, North Somerset ) and Thomas Addison took the top three slots.

Jade Rogers (Cheadle, Staffordshire) had a golden victory in the 4.5 Open fleet followed by Antony Milton and Connor Wells ( Biggin Hill , Kent ) with silver and bronze.

In the 4.5 Techno class Samuel Conroy ( Hythe , Kent ), Robyn Robinson (Nuneaton) and Joe Bennett (Rotherham, South Yorkshire ) took first, second and third respectively.

Aleksander Sedgwick-Wilde (Spaxton, Somerset ), Rory Yonge (Compton, Hampshire) and Maurice Guy (Wimborne, Dorset) took the podium in the 5.5 Open Class.

The 5.5 Techno class was won by Jack Brooks ( Hythe , Kent ), with Kieran Martin ( Stoke-on-Trent , Staffordshire) in second and Tom Davies in third.

Newcomer Connor Bainbridge, 13, ( Halifax , West Yorkshire ) was the top finisher in the 6.8 Techno fleet finishing the event with nine points. With equal points, Sam Latham, 12, (Redhill, Surrey) and Sam Sills, 13, (Launceston, Cornwall ) raced their way second and third respectively.

The 7.8 Techno fleet had the largest number of entries with 27 boards competing. Jacob Briber (Stockwell, London ) came out as top dog after racking up two firsts and a second on the slalom course. Elliot Taylor (Trentham, Stoke-on-Trent) and Jamie Ingram (Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands) jostled for the silver medal position with 14 year-old Taylor coming out on top after count back.

Alex Griffiths (Barton-upon-Humber) and Daniel Skudder ( West Wellow , Hampshire) had a close three races on the RS:X, going into the final race on equal points. After a close race, Griffiths took second over the line and Skudder third, giving Griffiths the gold medal. Richard Cleworth (Macclesfield, Cheshire ) took home the bronze medal, just ahead of Lewis Robinson who finished on equal points with Cleworth and was edged out of the medals on count back.

Two newcomers, Jamie Walker (Helston, Cornwall) and Adrian Wallis (Portsmouth, Hampshire), took gold and silver in the Formula Masters fleet with Bob Ingram (Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands) close behind in third.

With four races completed in the Formula Youth class, all sailors were allowed one discard. Dan Simpson (Bicester, Oxfordshire) sailed to victory earning a gold medal and trophy. James Simpson (Tamworth, Staffordshire) who stayed onshore for the first race was able to discard his score counting one first and two seconds putting him in silver medal position with Alex Smith (Burton Latimer) in third.

Race board Masters, Robert Kent (Southampton, Hampshire), Chris Gibson ( Hayling Island , Hampshire), Bob Warren ( Truro , Cornwall )

Race board Youth, Duncan Bryan ( Truro , Cornwall ), Richard Walker ( Bridgewater , Somerset ), Charlie Winn ( Winchester )

For more media information please contact Myrrh Walker , RYA Racing Communications Assistant, Tel: +44 (0)23 80 604 219 Mobile : +44 (0) 7769 505 203 Fax: +44 (0)23 80 604 293 Email: myrrh.walker@rya.org.uk

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Windsurfing Championship continues to attract young sailors
31 August 2006
This weekend, the 2-3 September, over 170 windsurfers will battle for glory at one the largest annual UK-based windsurfing events, the RYA Youth and Masters Windsurfing Championship.

The Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy (WPNSA) will host the event, which showcases both experienced master windsurfers along with the youths who make up the UK 's hot new talent.

The 2006 RYA Youth and Masters Windsurfing Championships is one of the biggest to date, and the massive turnout is due predominantly to the continued growth of Team15 (T15), an RYA initiative encouraging children into windsurfing, and also due to the launch of the new BIC Techno as the recently recognised RYA windsurfer for sailors under 17.

In 2005 the RYA introduced the BIC Techno to the youth and junior racing programmes identifying a clear pathway from beginning to top level competition windsurfing, and providing an avenue to the Olympic Games. The RYA Zone Squad allows young windsurfers to purchase new equipment with the help of grants, resulting in the near doubling of the number of BIC Techno sailors competing at this event.

Competitors ranging in age from 9-64 are expected to take part in this annual event and several families will be competing with Mum and Dad sailing in the master class and the kids in the youth classes.

Whatever class the competitors are racing in, they are assured of a busy weekend with up to seven races scheduled for each class. An added incentive is the glamorous prize giving with loads of prizes that have been generously donated by the windsurfing industry.

Event director and RYA National Windsurfing Coach, Helen Cartwright , who has been involved in the event for the past seven years said;

"It is really encouraging to see that the number of sailors attending the event has grow n over recent years. This year we have seen a surge in the number of BIC Techo sailors ready to hit the water and as a result our sport will continue to grow and thrive. To see so many kids out racing is great for the future of British windsurfing."

For more media information please contact Myrrh Walker, RYA Racing Communications Assistant, Tel: +44 (0)23 80 604 219 Mobile : +44 (0) 7769 505 203 Fax: +44 (0)23 80 604 293 Email: myrrh.walker@rya.org.uk

Sunshine and relatively light winds greeted the fleet of 800s today as they prepared for the fourth day of racing. While the original plan was to sail out in the bay, the building breeze soon put an end to that idea and two races commenced inside the harbour.

Race one and left seemed to be the way to go up the beat. Ian Martin & Ben McGrane (Rooster sailing) lead the way at the top mark closely followed by Ian Martin & Claire Booth (Sail4Cancer), Steve Irish & Martin Gotrel (Magic Marine) and Spod & Jane Olive (Sola Harken). Another 4 lap course and by the end Martin & McGrane crossed the line in first, just ahead of Irish & Gotrel (Magic Marine).

Race two and the tactics were similar. Once again Martin & McGrane stole the show and took an early lead. Irish and Gotrel also well up in the leading pack along with Andy Jeffries and Ally Ody. By the end of the fourth lap Martin & McGrane launched themselves across the finish line to take first place, that's 8 out of 10 wins in the series so far! Irish & Gotrel settled for second once again.

Friday marks the penultimate day of racing and some seriously big breeze has been forecasted, will the Rooster boys hang in there to win the championship or will the Magic Marine boys step up the pace to defend the title for a third year running..?

After a seriously windy day yesterday for the GUL RS800 National Championship, the whole fleet was looking forward to some slightly more subdued conditions for Tuesdays racing. But of course the usual 20 knots whipped up and it was a battle of the big boys once again!

Race one and Ollie Page and Jim (Farecla) called the shifts perfectly to round the top mark in first place. Justin Deal and Sarah Marriott rounded just behind with Ralph & Sophie Singleton in third, having successfully port-tacked the entire fleet off the start line. By the end of lap three the S flag was flying signalling a shortened course but Page & Jim (Farecla) missed it completely rounded the starboard leeward mark and progressed back up the course handing the first bullet of the day to Steve Irish & Martin Gotrel (Magic Marine), Deal & Marriott took second and Singleton & Singleton crossed the line in third. Page and Jim eventually saw the error of their ways and managed to squeeze into the top 20.

Race two and a solid 20 knots was blowing across the course. The fleet got off without a single recall and the heaviest teams made to the top first! Once again Ian Martin and Ben McGrane showed us how to do it in the heavy stuff and took another convincing win, while Irish & Gotrel came second.

Race three and everyone was beginning to lag! Clean start by all but it was the shifts that determined the eventual winner! At the end of lap three everyone was thinking about post-race pasta and a nice long sleep but the race office sent us round for a fourth lap to really test the endurance of the fleet. While most boats cursed the committee boat as they began their fourth beat a huge shift popped through catching several teams out. By the finish though Martin & McGrane sealed the deal and took their sixth win of the GUL RS800 championship, an awesome performance from this pair.

Two races scheduled for tomorrow and beach games tonight! No one can say the 800 fleet are lightweights!

Sarah Mariott
RS800 1054

Results
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Fruity conditions greeted the RS 800 fleet for the second day of the Gul National Championships! With gusts well within the 30 knot range knees were trembling throughout the fleet as the puffs rolled in from the North West.

Race one soon got underway and fastest out of the blocks and first round the top mark was Christian & Lucy Reynolds. But by the finish Ian Martin and Ben McGrane (ROOSTER sailing) redeemed themselves after a cowboy start and pulled out an enormous lead to take the bullet.

Race two and the shifts were coming through thick and fast. Hitting the left hand side of the course paid huge dividends on the first beat and it was Ian martin & Claire Booth (Sail4Cancer) who clocked this and rounded the top mark in first. Martin and McGrane lead the usual front runners through and took the lead after Martin & Booth lost their cap shrouds on the penultimate run! So it was another bullet for Martin & McGrane, some awesome boat handling from these guys!

Race three and Martin and McGrane won the pin end along with Adrian and Julia Coatsworth. Holding their own all the way to the top mark Martin & McGrane rounded in first and maintained their lead all the way to the finish to clinch their third victory of the day!

Now a third of the way into the nationals and the favourites are beginning to shine through but will tonight's Pirates pub crawl knock them from their perch.? Three races scheduled for tomorrow and then the discard comes into play..

Sarah Mariott
RS800 1054

Results
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RS800 National Championships- Day 1

The first of six days of racing kicked off at Weymouth & Portland Sailing Academy with a bang.. A solid 18 knots of breeze and beautiful sunshine!

The 56 strong fleet set off without a hitch on the first race of the day working the boats through the gusts and chop. By the top mark fleet newcomers Ian Martin and Ben McGrane (ROOSTER sailing) fresh from the 49er scene rounded in first place and showed the rest of the fleet how to do it down the run. Close behind Spod and Jane Olive (sola harken) worked their boat impressively while defending champions Steve Irish & Martin Gotrel (Magic Marine) rounded in third place and set about finding their way around the 800 again after almost a season's break!

By the finish line the top three positions remained: Martin and McGrane took the first bullet of the championship, Olive and Olive bagged a convincing second while Irish and Gotrel picked up a third.

Another solid start from Olive & Olive (Sola Harken) saw them round the top mark with a healthy lead in hand. Martin and McGrane flew round in second place but come the bottom of the course a spectator boat put an end to their glory causing a cheeky capsize and widening Olive & Olive's buffer on the fleet. While the majority of the fleet put in some great capsize and recovery practice Irish and Gotrel (Magic Marine) were finding their race winning form. and by the end of lap three they pulled through Olive & Olive to take victory. Olive & Olive forced to settle for second while James Ross and Heather Back pipped Andy Jeffries and Ally Ody to take third place.

Three races forecast for tomorrow and even more breeze.. Bring it on!!!

Sarah Mariott
RS800 1054

Results
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Cadet Nationals - Day 4
23 August

Day 4 of the Cadet Nationals saw the main fleet sail the one scheduled race in a boisterous South Westerly, whilst the Regatta fleet managed to slot in three races.

Gold and Silver - Race 7
Race 7 started in a 14 knot Southwesterly, which increased to 18 knots and backed as the race progressed.

Unlike some of the earlier races, the overwhelming majority of the fleet was convinced that the left hand side of the course was the paying side, and they were right. The big question competitors faced was when to take advantage of the lift and tack back on to port, to the centre of the course.

Halfway up the beat, most of the series leaders were vying for the lead, though at this early stage, there were a good deal of place changes.

However, Katrina and Christopher Brewer in Executrix judged it perfectly to round the windward mark 10 seconds ahead of Tom Kinver and Oliver Bridge in Cyclone, Hamish Stone and Aaron Woolf in Gnat, Tye Wichard and Ben Thame in Viper, and then a group of four boats which were virtually inseparable.

Cyclone dropped out of the leading group by capsizing halfway down the reach, which enabled Gnat to move up to second, and Viper to third.

This turned out to be the finishing order, but the race was anything but a procession. By the first run, Gnat had closed the gap on Executrix to 15 seconds, but Tye and Ben simply would not give up, and continued to press Hamish and Aaron for second place.

As a result, Gnat had to defend her position, which enabled the Brewers to stretch their lead on the final lap, and win by 1 minute 10 seconds. Meanwhile, with the finishing line in sight, Viper appeared to have overtaken Gnat, but by working the final shifts to their advantage, Hamish and Aaron crossed the line 10 seconds in front of Tye and Ben.

And the tussle for the following three positions was equally enthralling. At different times in the race, 6 different boats occupied 4 th , 5 th , and 6 th places. However, by the finish, it was Josh Pistol and Elizabeth Halling in Pintail who took fourth, followed by Hynosis (Peter Lawrance and Liam Pardy) in fifth, and Mostly Harmless (Chris Videlo and Maddie Harris) in sixth.

So, after completion of 7 of the 10 scheduled races, Executrix still heads the fleet, seven points in front of Gnat. Viper and Pulling Power (Miles Blaver-Mann and Ole Alcock) share third place, followed by Hynosis and No Fear (Chris Poffitt and Hannah Muskett), in fifth and sixth.

It's still pretty tight at the top, and it looks as though the title will be going to Executrix or Gnat - but there's still a way to go. Thursday will be decisive!

Regatta - Races 5, 6, and 7
The second day of racing for the Regatta fleet say them enjoy three races - though a number of competitors found the conditions fairly testing, resulting in a number of capsizes and retirements.

Sarah Dallimore and James Turl in Jiminy Cricket had an excellent day, winning races 5 and 7, and finishing second in race 6. Duncan Yeabsley and Lauren Fry in Road Runner won race 6, and came in behind Jiminy Cricket in both the other races.

This means that Jiminy Cricket now leads the series, a single point ahead of Road Runner.

As with the main fleet, competitors still have another three races in their series, so this title is still wide open.

In the deteriorating conditions, the ex-Cadets showed they have lost none of their competitive edge! With the windward mark set close to the pontoons, they were encouraged by the cheering crowd that had gathered to watch the action - or was that jeering and catcalls that your correspondent heard?!

In any event, it was former World Champion James Rusden who came home first, just yards ahead of former National Champion Steven Videlo, with Oren Richards crossing in third.

Meanwhile, in the parents' fleet, it was clear that time had taken its toll on some helms, who provided wonderful entertainment to the spectators. Some of the capsizes, particularly at the gybe mark, were just, well, poetry in motion!

However, the evergreen Andy Brewer showed a clean pair of heels to the fleet, with that other spring chicken, Class Measurer Will Henderson, coming in second, not far behind.

One or two other parents, well known and successful sailors in their own right, prefer to remain anonymous - and as far as your correspondent can tell, with good reason! Still, a good time was had by all, thought there are a few aching muscles today!

Magic Marine Topper Nationals: Day Five
9 August

Day 5 of the Magic Marine Topper Nationals saw a blustery North Westerly breeze that averaged between 15 and 20knts all day. The first two races conditions were brisk and the racing close, then for the final race of the day the wind decided to dance around in direction. This caused a number of problems for premature starters and for the race officer to set an appropriate course.

Race winners for the Gold fleet were: Bleddyn Mon, Andrew Brown and Lynn Billows
Gold fleet second places were: Max Robinson, Bleddyn Mon and Andrew Brown
Gold fleet third places were: Tom Weatherhead, Alex Gillespie and Tom Walker

Race Winners for Silver fleet were: Tom Tindell, Adam James and Caoline Cook
Silver fleet second places were: Adam James, Alison Baldwin and Seonaid Flemming
Silver fleet third places were: Maya Gill-Taylor, Joe Howell and Richard Keates

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Magic Marine Topper Nationals: Day Four
9 August

Day 4 is the first day of the Championship series with the fleets split in Gold and Silver. The breeze was set from the North North West, and set to build through the day from 12 knots.

Frank Newton PRO set a fantastic championship course with a 0.8Nm beat on a trapezoid course with an outer loop being sailed by the Gold Fleet and inner loop being sailed by the Silver Fleet. 3 races were sailed by each fleet with the last in brisk conditions of approximately 20Knts.

Race winners for the Gold fleet were: Bleddyn Mon, Tom Gillard and Bleddyn Mon
Gold fleet second places were: Chris Penny, Andrew Brown and Andrew Brown
Gold fleet third places were: Michael Wood, Lawrence Sly and Alex Grassick

Race Winners for Silver fleet were: William Knoght, Ryan Langston and Cathy Brassington
Silver fleet second places were: Catherine Verity, Edward Higham and Fi Lucas
Silver fleet third places were: Edward Lush, Thomas Tindell and Maya Gill-Taylor

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Magic Marine Topper Nationals: Day Three
8 August

Day 3 was the last day of qualifying at the Magic Marine Topper Nationals. With only 4 races complete there was a potential of 4 more to complete. PRO Frank Newton got the bit between his teeth and when the sea breeze did eventually fill in, Frank was keen to get racing underway.

The Sea Breeze started out at a light 8Knts and built through the day to a solid 15Knts. Amazingly Frank managed to pull off the impossible and get four races in for each flight which equates to 8 races in total and over 1000 results to take.

Race winners were Felicity Foulds, Michael Wood, Max Richardson, Phil McCoy, Bleddyn Mon and Andrew Brown. Second places were taken by Tom Weatherhead, Stephanie Lloyd, Freddie Connor, Adam Larvin, Chris Penny and Max Robinson and third places included Lawrence Sly, Jack Hopkins, Michael King, Tom Gillard, Simon Doran and Peter Lord.

Day 4 will see the start of the championship series where the top half sail as the Gold fleet, carrying over 50% of their qualifying series score. It is anticipated that 8 races will be sailed over the remainder of the championship.

Magic Marine Topper Nationals: Day Two
6 August

The first two days of the Magic Marine Topper Nationals has brought 4 races for each of the 4 flights for the main fleet of 263 sailors, in light breeze of approximately 10Knts or less.

Bleddyn Mon the current Magic Marine National Champion has declared his intension to be the first modern day Topper Sailor to retain his trophy. Bleddyn has won 3 races and came third in the forth, which he is now discarding. Lawrence Sly has showed consistency in coming second in 3 races and now resides in second overall. Andrew Brown the current world champion has managed a first and third and lies in that position overall.

There have been some other notable place holders including the luckless Ben Palmer who has managed a first and second, but has also picked up two OCS which will be difficult to recover from. Phil McCoy, Anna Piggot and Richard Cumpsty have a bullet to their name with Emily Jackson, Matt Johnson, Tom Gillard and Freddie Conner have all come second in one race. Alex Groves, Carl Mitchell have come in 3rd and Max Robinson has got two such score to his name.

Day 3 is the last day of qualifying with the top half of the fleet moving into Gold for the Championship series which starts on day 4. Whilst day 3 has potential race programme of 4 races this looks unlikely with no wind available at 11:00.

The 26 regatta fleet sailors continue to enjoy their adventures as well as a race programme that has seen 4 completed races.

The Topper fleet is now assembled to decide who will be the National Champion for 2006. The week will consist of 6 days of racing with the first three days as a qualifying series establishing who will sail in the final championship series in either Gold or Silver.

The race area will be in Weymouth Harbour providing great viewing for the army of helpers and supporters. Alongside the race programme is a wealth of interesting social functions, including a Civic reception at the Nothe Fort, Barn Dance, Dragon Boat racing and human table football.

WPNSA wins RLN Business Language Champion Award
5 July 2006
"World Class Welcome for World Class Sailing" - that's the message from the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy (WPNSA), the £7.85m host sailing club venue to the London 2012 Olympic Games sailing events.

The Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy is working with the Regional Language Network South West to address international communications as part of the organisation's Passport 2 Export development and in preparation for the welcome of world class events. The planning of an international strategy is underway as a long term process that underpins the drive to attract and run more successful international events.

Steps taken so far include an audit of short and long term needs, travelling to China to observe best practice in action and subscription to the Language Line interpreting translation service. The translation of part of the website into French is also planned.

Rosie Julian, WPNSA events and marketing manager said: "We recognise that developing language skills for staff in frequent dialogue with overseas competitors is a priority and a potentially very useful requirement in the recruitment of volunteers that assist us with international events. The advisory support of RLN SW will help to ensure that the Sailing Academy offers a world class welcome at future events."

Philada Rogers, RLN Dorset & Wiltshire business advisor said: "We are really pleased to be able to help the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in its plans to develop an effective international communications strategy."

For further information, contact Rosie Julian. Tel: 01305 866000 or email: rosiejulian@wpnsa.org.uk www.wpnsa.org.uk and Philada Rogers, RLN SW Tel: 01305 264927

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WPNSA Regatta: Day Two
11 June 2006
With wind speeds fluctuating between two and seven knots and a fairly heavy sea mist this morning, conditions did not look ideal! However, by 10am the mist was clearing and with an average 6-10 knots of breeze, it was deemed suitable enough to release all five Classes in time and on schedule for their 11am start. It was decided that both courses would continue to use the triangle sausage course and racing remained in Portland Harbour.

The Devon Yawls and Wanderers started on time, although with the wind dropping a little at times, it was a good hour before all boats completed their course. After a little gentle encouragement, the Wanderers agreed to race their two races back to back (the original plan had been to pop ashore for lunch as yesterday) and the second race was completed in

The Europes, Bytes and Moths kicked off their first race of the day more or less on time, although again, these conditions proved a little light for the foiler Moths.

Close racing yesterday meant only a point separated first and second in four of the Classes at the start of the day. Whilst most of the leaders crept ahead after today's further races, the Yawls remained close with Tim Petitt/ Tony Calcutt finishing just one point ahead of Ed Williams-Hawkes and Strangle in second place.

WPNSA Regatta: Day One
10 June 2006
The first, of what we hope will be, an annual Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy regatta started today in breezier conditions than expected! The fleets were split into two groups both running triangle sausage courses; the Moths, Europes and Bytes on one course with Frank Newton as PRO, and the Devon Yawls on the other, headed up Laurie Thornton-Grimes. Both fleets sailed within the confines of the harbour wall.

An easterly 18-20 knots of wind greeted the five fleets for their first race, thus some indivdiduals from the Europe, Wanderer and Byte Classes opted to remain on the shore, hoping for a drop in the wind to join their respective fleets for the second and third races. The Moths were the only Class to be held back officially for a later start as winds were predicted to build for an hour or so which could have made things a little dangerous for the foilers amongst the fleet.

2006 Radii UK 18ft Skiff Nationals and British Grand Prix
Final day and results
Two races were scheduled for the final day of the 2006 Radii 18ft Skiff National Championships and British Grand Prix . However an almost complete calm kept the fleet ashore for an hour and a half until the promised sea breeze started to fill in from the South West.

The first race started in an encouraging 7-10 knot breeze. Almost immediately, the increasing cloud cover made its effect felt and what breeze there was veered and faded almost entirely leaving large windless holes over the left hand side of the course. Radii (Andy Richards, Andy Fairley and Alex Tobutt), Barron and Smithers (Peter Barton, Martin Borrett and Ian Turnbull) and Fat Face (Tim Penfold, Matt Alvarado and Will Penfold) made the best job of picking their way around the holes, never more than a few boat lengths apart for the majority of the race. The course was shortened after a frustrating two laps, with Radii leading on the final run to the finish. However they left their final gybe late. Barron and Smithers, coming down with slightly more pressure saw their opportunity and gybed inside to take the gun at the committee boat end by the smallest of margins.

Despite the best attempts by race officer Lawrence Grimes to start a second race the wind did not stabilise sufficiently and the second race was abandoned and the fleet sent home when the wind died completely early in the first beat.

By this time Radii had already done enough to win the championships with a race to spare. Andy Richards and his crew sailed an incredibly consistent series to count nothing worse than second in their final results winning both the National Championships (for a second consecutive year) and the British Grand Prix by a considerable margin. Special mention should go to supersub Alex Tobutt who only replaced regular crew Dave Richards on the bow at the last minute as Dave was on maternity leave.

Despite an awful final day Rob Dulson, Paul Constable and Alec Mckinlay on Base 1 had already done enough to take overall second place in both the National Championships and British Grand Prix. Barron and Smithers last minute win in the last race was enough to gain them third overall in the National Championship rankings by the narrowest of margins, pipping Fat Face to the podium on count back. However the inclusion of the Europeans results saw them move down a place in the British Grand Prix ranking with Fat Face's more consistent results enough to give them third overall in that competition.

UK Nationals final results
1 Radii (Andy Richards) 1, 2, 1, (5), (5), 1, 1, 2 - 8 pts
2 Base 1 (Rob Dulson) 3, 3, 3, 1, 1, (7), 4, (10)- 15 pts
3 Barron & Smithers (Pete Barton) 4, 5, 2, 2, (7) 3, (6), 1 - 17 pts
4 Fatface (Tim Penfold) 2, 1, (5), 3, 3, (5), 5, 3 - 17 pts
5 SELS (Ed Brown) (6), 4, (12), 4, 4, 2, 2, 4 - 22pts

British Grand Prix final results
1 Radii GBR 1, 2, 1, (6), (5), 1, 1, 2 - 8pts
2 Base 1 GBR 3, 3, 4, 1, 1, (8), 4, (12) - 16pts
3 Fatface GBR 2, 1, (8), 4, 3, (6), 6, 3 - 19pts
4 Barron & Smithers GBR 4, 6, 3, 3, (7) 4, (7), 1 - 21 pts
5 GP Covers DEN 6, 4, 2,2, (15), 3, 5, (9) - 22pts

2006 RADII 18FT SKIFF UK NATIONALS AND BRITISH GRAND PRIX
5-7 May 2006

Day 2 Report
The second day of the 2006 Radii 18ft Skiff UK Nationals and British Grand Prix dawned cold and grey BUT with a decent breeze. Fortified by the previous evening's barbeque courtesy of event sponsors Radii Ltd the fleet headed out for four races on a windward-leeward course set in Portland Harbour.

The first two races belonged to Rob Dulson, Paul Constable and Alec Mckinlay on Base 1 who showed excellent boat speed in the stronger breeze and lead both from start to finish. The fleet were uncharacteristically aggressive at the starts with several boats flagged OCS in both races - sign of the competitiveness of this fleet. Overnight leaders Andy Richards, Andy Fairley and Alex Tobutt on Radii were one of those penalised in the first race and were unable to recover from their restart. Danish team Fleming Clausen, Thomas Ebler and Anders Strume on GP Covers resumed where they left off with a second in the first race but sailed through the line in fourth position in the second race to the ominous sound of silence having been over at the start and not returned.

Peter Barton, Martin Borrett and Ian Turnbull on Barron and Smithers took another third in the first race after a hard fought gybing match on the last run with Fat Face (Tim Penfold, Matt Alvarado and Will Penfold). Scottish team Martin Goodlad, Johnny Aikman and Roy Goodlad on Alba Marine showed they were getting to grips with their new boat with a second in the second race of the day just holding off Fatface on the final gybe to the line.

The breeze softened slightly for the third and fourth races and Radii showed that this was their wind strength, starting the third race from the favoured pin end and sailing away to win by a huge margin. The fourth and final race of the day, shortened to three laps for the sake of the now tired and aching crews, was also Radii's. Ed Brown, Graham Oliver and Mark Addison on SELS, after a morning spent tuning their rig, reaped the reward of their hard work with two second places, leading the final race for some time before misjudging a gybe to let Radii through. GP Covers kept up the chase for a podium place in the Grand Prix with a third in the third race and Pica (James Mears, Andy Ramus and Andy Mears) showed good speed to hold off Base 1 for third.

So after seven races Radii have consolidated their position at the top of the leader board but have shown they are by no means unbeatable, Base 1 in second have closed the gap slightly but will need a very strong performance tomorrow to take the title. Two more races are scheduled tomorrow to decide the winner of the Ovington Cup.

UK Nationals overall
1 Radii 1, 2, 1, (6), 5, 1, 1 - 11pts
2 Base 1 3, 3, 3, 1, 1, (8), 4 - 15pts
3 Fatface 2, 1, (7), 3, 3, 5, 5 - 19pts
4 Barron and Smithers 4, 5, 2, 2, (7) 3, 6 - 22pts
5 SELS 6, 4, (12), 4, 4, 2, 2 - 22pts

British Grand Prix Overall
1 Radii GBR 1, 2, 1, (6), 5, 1, 1 - 11pts
2 Base 1 GBR 3, 3, 4, 1, 1, (8), 4 - 16pts
3 Fatface GBR 2, 1, (8), 4, 3, 6, 6 - 22pts
4 GP Covers DEN 6, 4, 2,2, (15), 3, 5 - 22pts
5 SELS GBR 7, 5, (15), 5, 4, 2, 2 - 25pts

Day 1 Report
The first day of the Radii 18ft Skiff Nationals and British Grand Prix saw a fleet of fourteen skiffs from four countries gather at the Weymouth and Portland Sailing Academy to compete for the Ovington Cup (despite the best intentions of local vehicle inspection authorities who delayed several of the European teams on their way to Weymouth and held their vehicles for several hours in the small of the morning).

Although the forecast had looked less than exciting during the week the sun shone and a steady breeze of up to 12 knots blew for most of the racing. Not quite enough for full three string sailing but enough to ensure good competitive sailing throughout the afternoon. Race officer Laurence Grimes set an Olympic course for the fleet inside Portland Harbour, with a very tight and challenging reaching leg to keep the crews busy.

In the first race, Rob Dulson, Paul Constable and Alec Mckinlay on Base 1 found more wind up the right hand side of the beat and rounded the top mark in front. However they were rolled by Champions Radii (Andy Richards, Andy Fairley and Alex Tobutt) on the tight first reach, who held their lead until the finish. Tim Penfold, Matt Alvarado and Will Penfold on Fatface showed excellent upwind speed to take second place ahead of Base 1.

For the second place the top two positions were reversed, Fat Face leading from start to finish, with Radii making a very strong comeback after a poor start, rounding the first mark in seventh place and working their way up to second by the finish. Base 1 again took third after a close tussle with the Danish team of Fleming Clausen, Thomas Ebler and Anders Strume on GP Covers.

The third and final race started in slightly more breeze, again Radii showing they will not let go the Championship title lightly, taking the lead from the start. However, GP Covers showed good speed in the slightly stronger breeze and rounded in second, a position they held to the finish. Peter Barton, Martin Borrett and Ian Turnbull on Barron and Smithers took a well deserved third place.

5 th Barron and Smithers (Peter Barton, Martin Borrett, Ian Turnbull) 4, 6, 3 13pts

RADII TO SPONSOR 18FT SKIFF UK NATIONALS AND BRITISH GRAND PRIX
Industry leading software house Radii Limited have been announced as sponsors of this year's 18ft Skiff National Championships and British Grand Prix taking place over May 5-7 at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy.

Radii Limited are an established supporter of sailing events, having supported Emma Richards' Pindar sponsored Open 60 sailing programme since 1999 and also providing title sponsorship to the current UK 18ft Skiff National Champions. This is however the first time they have lent their support to a championship event. Radii Limited Marketing Director Andy Frost commented: "We are proud to be involved with the 2006 UK 18ft Skiff Nationals and British Grand Prix. We very much enjoyed the opportunity of travelling to Sydney earlier this year, to support the Radii team at the JJ Giltinan Championships and are looking forward to an exciting event this weekend."

The 2006 Radii 18ft Skiff UK National Championships and British Grand Prix is likely to see one of the biggest gatherings of 18ft Skiffs in the UK in recent years. The UK fleet has been bolstered this year by a number of new teams including former US Match Racing Champions Mason Woodworth and crew on White Stuff, who made their intentions known by winning their debut race on the UK circuit at Draycote Water two weeks ago; James Mears, runner up at this year's B14 World Championships on Sydney Harbour, crewed by B14 World Champion crew Andy Ramus on Pica; and new for this event but not new to skiffs by any means will be Scottish sailor Martin Goodlad on Alba Marine. Martin is one of the UK's most experienced 18ft Skiff sailors and is making a welcome return to the fleet after a couple of years absence. They join one of the most competitive 18ft Skiff fleets seen in the UK in recent years. Racing for the Ovington Cup for the National Championship title will be close with any one of six or so teams showing the potential to take the title although current holders Andy Richards and team on Radii will not make that easy!

The UK fleet will be joined by some of the top skiff teams from Europe for the British Grand Prix , the first round of the 2006 European Grand Prix series being held concurrently with the UK Nationals. Skiff sailors from France, Germany, Denmark and Switzerland will be making the long trip to Weymouth to compete with the UK teams for the British Grand Prix trophy. The European Grand Prix series includes events in some of the best sailing locations in Europe. The next stop on the tour is Lake Garda for the European International Championships, then Travemuende as part of Travemuende Week, Italy's Lake Como and finally Carnac on the Brittany coast.

The first race of the 2006 Radii 18ft Skiff UK National Championships and British Grand Prix is scheduled to start at 2.00pm on Friday the 5 th May on the flat, open waters of Portland Harbour. The fleet will rig and launch from the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy, sailing venue for the 2012 Olympic Games.

Radii Limited is the leading software author and supplier to the furniture industry.

Neil Coxon is the General Manager for Sail Laser: "Laser are delighted to be coming to Weymouth and Portland. The range of sailing conditions and the outstanding facilities of the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy are unrivalled anywhere else in the UK. We will be able to cater for all sorts of sailors here - from those who have never been in a dinghy before, to those who want to test themselves on the more challenging offshore courses. The safe waters of the harbour are also ideal for those who come to us with special needs as part of the Sailability programme, or through the RYA's OnBoard campaign, which aims to introduce 500,000 young people to sailing for the first time."

As well as bringing the top coaches and the newest boats to Portland, Sail Laser has an important role in reaching out to the local community, which will be overseen by a dedicated Sports Community Officer. John Tweed , Director of Development at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy sees this as complementing his own remit: " WPNSA is not just about the Olympics. Yes, it's about providing world class training for stars of tomorrow, but it's also about encouraging participation in the sport of sailing. Laser is an ideal partner for us; they are the biggest name in dinghy sailing and this partnership will enable more people to receive first class tuition and training at the Academy. This will help us to deliver more activity for schools and the community."

NEW MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE FOR SAILING ACADEMY - THROUGH AND BEYOND 2012
The Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy (WPNSA) is creating a new post of Chief Executive and embarking on a strengthening of its organisation and resources following careful consideration by the board of directors and taking external professional advice from top UK consultants.

Chairman of the Academy, Bill Ludlow explains "The Sailing Academy was launched in 1999 as a not-for-profit company. We had virtually no assets or resources, but high ambitions. The Academy developed well and when we secured funding for the development of the Osprey Quay site hosting the sailing events at the 2012 Olympics was an aspiration and not a reality. The Academy has three main long term tasks; making sailing available to everyone, regardless of age, experience or circumstances and attracting new entrants to the sport; training elite sailors who will win medals and championships for Great Britain; and providing a world class venue for local, national and international events".

"Being part of the winning Olympics bid has been the big story and it will certainly create a tremendous boost to the development of the facilities at Portland and bring the world spotlight on us, but the Academy exists to foster sailing at all levels, now and beyond 2012".

The first step in the implementation of the new plan is the creation of the post of Chief Executive which is being advertised in the national sailing press during May. This is a key appointment to introduce an experienced person who will take on the leadership of the Academy team, to develop the service to the local community, the national sailing teams and world class competitors.

Few may realize yet that the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championships, being held at Portland in July this year, will be the showcase for those aspiring to places at the 2012 Games. The Academy's role will be to encourage new generations of sailors to ensure Great Britain remains the world Leader in competitive boat sailing. One of the new Chief Executive's first tasks will be to determine how WPNSA can develop to provide the sailing infrastructure to these young sailors, who will then be six years older by 2012. This means making sailing opportunities available to as wide a section of young people as possible - whether they can afford their own dinghy and equipment or not.

The new structure is intended to build on the success created by the current team, which has gone from a zero ground base in 1999 to participation in the winning Olympic bid and still has much to do in continuing to develop the facilities necessary for the forthcoming events. The repercussions are many. Development of facilities will be brought forward by outside investment to produce the World Class sailing waterfront and infrastructure for sailors, support crews and race officials. In the two years leading up to 2012 there will, in fact, be larger test events with each nation potentially fielding up to two teams in every class, as opposed to the single team in 2012.

The facilities being created for the Games and the legacy these will leave offer greatly enhanced opportunities for young people to try sailing and develop their skills in the sport. It also offers opportunities to those, of all ages and abilities, interested in sailing as a hobby, with access to high quality boats and instruction.

The new Chief Executive will be tasked with leading a team, which can make the most of the facilities and the opportunity presented by the Games, to attract new entrants alongside providing training our top sailors and securing national and world class events for Portland through the coming decades. This role will include working closely with the RYA and ISAF to attract such high profile events.

John Tweed, who has performed a huge task in driving forward the development of the Sailing Academy since 1999, will continue to play a key role as Director of Development and Company Secretary. John will continue to work closely with the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) and the Olympic Delivery Agency (ODA) in the build up required to 2012. Sail Force Limited, which was appointed to manage and carry out the operational aspects of the Sailing Academy, will play a vital continuing role, headed by company directors, Phil and Sandra Gollop.

Bill Ludlow continues "The new Chief Executive will join the existing team to ensure that we can meet our objectives on a sustainable basis, to the benefit of the sailing community and the local economy. This is a new set of tasks, with new challenges but, thanks to the continuing work of the current team, there is an excellent springboard for the future".

Record entry for Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship 2006
Around 250 of the world's best young sailors from a record 62 nations will flock to Great Britain this July for the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship 2006.

Home of the 2012 Olympic Sailing Competition, the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy will host the 36th edition of this premier youth event from 12-21 July, with potential young Olympians hoping that a podium finish at this summer's regatta could translate to an Olympic medal at the very same venue in six years' time.

A total of seven gold medals will be up for grabs in Weymouth in July, with racing taking place in the single-handed Laser (boys) and Laser Radial (girls), the double-handed 420 (boys and girls), the RS:X windsurfer (boys and girls), and multihull Hobie 16 (open).

Some 43 sailors will take to the water in the Laser fleet, with 41 to compete in the Laser Radial event. With 33 boats, the boy's 420 fleet sees the next highest entry; 25 boats will start in the girl's 420, while the RS:X windsurf sees 29 boys and 18 girls line up. The multihull Hobie 16 has the smallest entry with 14 boats.

The ten sailors comprising the 2006 Volvo RYA GBR Youth Worlds Team have already been selected following the conclusion of last week's RYA Youth National Championships and Trials at WPNSA, with eight other sailing strongholds - Australia, Brazil, Denmark, Germany, France, Italy, New Zealand and USA - also looking to send their full complement of competitors to the world event, which is supported by up to £365,000 from UK Sport's World Class Events Programme.

"It's great news that we've now confirmed a record entry for an ISAF Youth World Championship," said RYA Competitions Manager Rob Andrews . "The challenge now is to ensure that the event is not only the biggest ever, but also the best ever for all those who'll be joining us in Weymouth in July."

As well as looking to boost their medal haul of one gold, one silver and two bronze from the 2005 event in Korea, the Brits will be hoping to use their home advantage to reclaim the coveted Volvo Trophy (the award presented to the top scoring nation), which they last won ten years ago when the event was staged in Newport, USA.

Several of the medallists from Korea will be returning to the Youth Worlds this year, with Brazilian bronze medal winning Girls' 420 helm Mariana Basílio lining up with new crew Daniela Adler Pimentel Duarte, whilst last year's silver medal winning crew Briana Provancha will be back in 2006 with Emily Dellenbaugh now at the helm. Meanwhile Britain 's charge for medals will be led by 2004 gold and 2005 silver medallist in the Hobie 16, Tom Phipps. Now somewhat of a Youth Worlds veteran, Phipps this year will be teaming up with Richard Glover in his bid to retain the title he lost to Australia last July.

Through the funding support of the ISAF Athlete Participation Programme, 25 sailors from 17 countries have been assisted to compete at the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship, with Barbados set to compete for the first time, represented by Gregory Douglas in the Laser. Colombia , Cuba , El Salvador , Jamaica and Pakistan will appear in only their second ever Youth Worlds through the support of the Programme.

Previous ISAF Youth World Championship medallists include sailing legends such as Russell Coutts (NZL), Robert Scheidt (BRA), Alessandra Sensini (ITA), Chris Dickson (NZL), whilst from this year's host nation, Ben Ainslie, Iain Percy, Sarah Ayton, Nick Dempsey, Nick Rogers, Joe Glanfield and Chris Draper have all stood on the podium at the Youth Worlds before going on to win medals for Great Britain at the Olympic Games.

Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Bermuda, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Mexico, Moldova, Myanmar, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Russia, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, Turkey, US Virgin Islands, USA

Ø It represents a further estimated 500,000 boat owners nationally through its 1600 affiliated clubs and boat owner associations.

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Perfect day to end RYA Youth Championships & Trials
After five days of tough competition at the RYA Youth National Championships and Trials, 15 of Britain 's brightest young sailing stars have been named the 2006 Youth National Champion in their respective classes.

With perfect sailing conditions today (Friday) and all classes completing at least three races, the Championship has certainly ended on a high note.

Today's battle of the Lasers, ended with Cardiff 's Sean Evans winning by a mere two points. Evans, who struggled at the beginning of the week, had a seamless last day of sailing which catapulted him into the lead. Welshman, Dyfrig Mon finished in second after earning a string of seconds and fourths on the final day. Max Holloway of Mudeford slipped into third during the last race.

In the Hobie 16 class Richard and Andrew Glover of Weymouth and Tom Phipps and Sam Newton from Cornwall went head to head. The Phipps-Newton team managed to pull off three bullets while the Glover brothers seemed to struggle in the last race taking second place overall. Christchurch 's Luke Butler and Sam Rowles from Weymouth finish in third.

"Our goal for today was to go out and sail conservatively;" Sam explained. "We covered the fleet well and won the series. We're really pleased with the result."

Richard Mason from Lymington and Daniel Schieber of Englefield continued to dazzle in the 420 fleet and will go home with a gold medal from the event after a combination of 1,3,3 finishes in Friday's racing. "It's really great that in our last year of youth racing that we will go out with a bang!" Richard grinned.

Second place goes to the Ellis brothers from Wembury, Plymouth , who have continually pushed to finish in the top five this week and have solidly succeeded. David Brewer of Poole and Oren Richards of Lymington will finish the week third in the boys' fleet.

The girls' 420 fleet was dominated by Lymington's Sophie Weguelin and Leigh-on-Sea's Katrina Hughes who have secured a gold medal. Welsh sailor, Hannah Mills and Oxfordshire's Peggy Webster finished in second with Ashford's Sophie Anisworth and Jasmine Husband of Lymington in third.

Winners, Sophie and Katrina explained, "The whole week was quite hard so we're very happy to have won. It means quite a lot."

Richard Hamilton of Barrow-upon-Humber proved that consistent sailing pays and clenched the title of National Champion in the RS:X after eleven top three finishes. Elliot Carney of Hythe , Kent and Kim Jiskoot of Uckfield finished in second and third in the boys' fleet.

Also in the RS:X Beth Williamson of West Kirby was able to secure her place on the podium as the top finishing girl after pushing herself hard out on the water. Hampton 's Kirsten O'Callaghan earned a second and Flintshire's Jilly Bromley earned a third on the girl's podium respectively.

Draycote's Dylan Fletcher and Weaverham's Rob Partridge were an unstoppable force in the 29er and tied up the event 12 points in the lead, only counting second and first place finishes. Anglesey 's duo, Huw Humphries and Max Todd have ended the week well in second place overall followed by Henry Maxfield of Farnham and Dicken Maclean of Sutton who have earned a bronze medal.

Clinching pole position in the 29er girls' fleet were Sarah Martin of Buckinghamshire and Nicola Groves of Surrey who finished 44 points ahead of the nearest girls' boat. London sailors Hannah Tattersall and Sophie Porteous finished in second and Hannah Diamond of Warsash and Olivia Petitt third in the girls' fleet.

Eifion Mon from Anglesey took the top slot in the boys' Laser Radial Fleet and Anna Dobson from Helensburgh was top of the heap in the girls' fleet. Stuart Godwin and David Jessop finished in second and third respectively on count-back after they tied in points.

Second and third in the girl's laser Radial Fleet was Welsh sailor Sarah Williams and Clare Chapple from Guernsey respectively.

Photographs are copyright free for editorial use. Please credit RYA/Photolounge.

For more media information please contact Myrrh Walker, RYA Racing Communications Assistant, Tel: +44 (0)23 80 604 219 Mobile : +44 (0) 7769 505 203 Fax: +44 (0)23 80 604 293 Email: myrrh.walker@rya.org.uk

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All to play for at the RYA Youth National Championships and Trials
13 April
On the penultimate day of racing at the RYA Youth National Championships and Trials all fleets got out on the water, but as the wind built to an average 25 knots, race organisers were forced to send competitors back to the shore after the majority of classes completed one race.

By the afternoon, further racing in the Laser, Laser Radial silver fleet, 29er, 420, Hobie 16 and RS:X fleets was postponed; however the Laser Radial gold fleet was sent back out as the wind slowly began to ease off.

The RS:X sailors got in two solid races in the harbour but the second race proved a challenge for some of the younger racers. Beth Williamson, who remains in the lead in the girls' fleet, pulled off a gutsy second race in the building breeze and was the first girl to zoom across the finish line.

"It was really good racing out there this morning," a grinning Beth explained. "It was quite breezy and a bit scary downwind but I just held on tight and made it across the finish line. I really got going and was just flying across the course."

The 420's completed one race which saw Sophie Weguelin and Katrina Hughes slip out of first and into second after Richard Mason and Daniel Schieber earned a second place finish moving them back into first overall.

It was a no-sail day for the 29er's who made it out into the harbour before being turned around and set back to dry land as conditions became more extreme.

The top three in the Laser fleet remained unchanged after today's race. Max Holloway remains at the top with 18 points followed by Dyfrig Mon in second and Evan Scott in third.

Hobie sailors, Richard and Andrew Glover, currently lead the fleet but continue to battle for the top slot with Tom Phipps and Sam Newton. With only two points separating the two teams there is still everything thing to play for.

The Laser Radial fleet split into gold and silver flights with the silver fleet completing one race and the gold fleet completing three. The Radial golds were the only fleet to race in the afternoon, not coming off the water until after 1800.

Competitors from the Radial fleet carried their net points from the qualifying series into today's racing. Eifion Mon managed to unseat David Jessop from the top slot by securing a first and two seconds. Tomorrow Eifion will don the yellow jersey.

In the girls fleet Anna Dobson and Sarah Williams continued to battle it out with Sarah Williams beginning to close the gap moving from third into second in the girl's fleet.

Tomorrow is an important day for the selection committee as they will have to decide which sailors will go on to represent Great Britain at the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship 2006.

"It will be a really hard decision;" RYA Youth Racing Manager and selector Simon Wergan explained. "We have seen some top talent and a high standard of competition throughout the event. We are looking for sailors that will be able to medal at an international level and want to make the right calls."

Photographs are copyright free for editorial use. Please credit RYA/Lee Whitehead.

For more media information or to register for a press pass to attend the event, please contact Myrrh Walker, RYA Racing Communications Assistant, Tel: +44 (0)23 80 604 219 Mobile: +44 (0) 7769 505 203 Fax: +44 (0)23 80 604 293 Email: myrrh.walker@rya.org.uk

RYA Youth National Championships & Trials
12 April
After disappointing conditions on Tuesday, the RYA National Championships and Trials got back on track today with every class completing at least three races at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy.

With fifteen knots in the morning, the Beachmaster and his crew of volunteers got over 250 boats and boards on the water promptly. Racing kicked off on three courses with the 29ers and Hobie 16's attracting a crowd of spectators who watched from the balconies at WPNSA.

Richard Hamilton from Barrow-upon-Humber continued to consolidate his lead in the RS:X fleet with three more first place finishes today. In the girl's fleet, West Kirby 's Beth Williamson has a 12 point lead over her nearest female competitor.

RS:X sailor, Kim Jiskoot of Tunbridge Wells struggled with the cold conditions that Wednesday had to offer. "I got a third, sixth and seventh today. I don't think I had the settings on my sail quite right. I really enjoy sailing and racing here; in the harbour the water is often flat - just how I like it."

Sailors jostled for position in the Hobie 16 fleet, but after three races, brothers Andrew and Richard Glover from Weymouth , came out on top. However they will have to sail fast to keep Cornwall 's Tom Phipps and Sam Newton out of pole position. Phipps and Newton were on top form today racking up three bullets.

"Today has definitely been the highlight of the event for us;" Tom explained. "Monday was a really tough day. The shifty conditions made my brain ache from concentrating so hard so it was nice to have some bigger breeze today and focus on getting the boat to move fast. Hopefully we can keep improving tomorrow."

The 29er fleet managed to get five races on the score sheet. Dylan Fletcher from Draycote and Rob Partridge from Waverham continue lead the fleet with a 12 point advantage. Anglesey 's Huw Humphries and Max Todd finish the day in second with the third place boat manned by Henry Maxfield or Farnham and Dicken Maclean of Sutton hot on their heels. Sarah Martin and Nicola Groves, from Buckinghamshire and Surrey respectively, remain in the lead in the girl's fleet.

It was a game of snakes and ladders for the 420's, as sailors shifted up and down the leader's board. Lymington's Sophie Weguelin and Leigh-on-Sea's Katrina Hughes took control and charged to the top of the fleet after consistently finishing in the top three. Richard Mason from Lymington and Daniel Schieber from Englefield moved from fourth to second following three bullets, while Poole's Stephen Tiernan and North Guildford's Jamie Crapnell dropped to third.

Plymouth sailors James and Dan Ellis jumped from eleventh into fourth after a string of good results. "We had a good day today and started to pull our way up through the fleet;" Dan commented. "The competition on the start line is incredible so we're pleased with how we've done so far."

Today's three races in the Radial fleet were of highest importance as on Thursday the Radials will be split into gold and silver fleets. Helensburgh's Anna Dobson continues to lead the girl's fleet with Guernsey 's Clare Chapple and Welsh competitor, Sarah Williams nipping at her heels.

David Jessop from Bedfordshire stays in pole position in the boy's fleet just ahead of Eifion Mon of Wales and Iain McKeeman of Kempsford.

Mudeford's Max Holloway sets the pace in the Laser fleet with a 10 point lead over second place boat Dyfrig Mon of Wales. Evan Scott from Cambridgeshire moves up the board from fourth to third.

Racing continues through to Friday 14 April. Further results and event information can be found on www.ryaevents.org.uk/youthnationals

Interviews with race organisers and competitors will be available on request.

End

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Competitors' spirits lifted by Royal Presence
11 April 2006
Day two of the RYA Youth National Championships and Trials brought strong gusty winds, abandoned racing and a visit from HRH The Princess Royal to the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy (WPNSA).

As light rains swept in, HRH The Princess Royal joined competitors, coaches, volunteers, parents and event staff in the main hanger to speak about the Championships. After chatting about fitness, rig tuning and weather with coaches and sailors, HRH The Princess Royal met the 150 volunteers that help to run the event by donating their time.

The competitors from the front of each fleet also spoke with HRH The Princess Royal. The group discussed the challenges of competing at the Youth National Championships and about their dreams of representing Great Britain at the London 2012 Olympics. If successful they will be competing on these same waters in six years time.

"It was fantastic the have HRH The Princess Royal with us today." Event organiser, Rob Andrews enthused. "It's wonderful to have such an enthusiastic patron and supporter of our sport."

While the Royal visit was a great success, squeezing in racing was proving to be more of a challenge. The Laser Radials were the first afloat in tough conditions, but subsequent squalls forced the race team to postpone and send the Radials back to the slipway.

With over 330 competitors entered in the event, WPNSA, the Olympic sailing venue for London 2012 and one of the only venues for the Games that is up and running, became a hub of activity. Sailors waited eagerly for the race committee to make the final call on racing.

By the afternoon wit the wind steadily in excess of 25 knots, the race committee reluctantly had to call off the day's competition.

Radial sailor, Elliot Banks, from Buxton, Derbyshire commented "It's really disappointing that they cancelled the racing but I think they probably made the right decision. When we launched it didn't seem that windy but there are several sailors new to the class and with less experience, so for safety reasons they called it off. Hopefully we will be back out there tomorrow."

Simon Wergan, RYA Youth Racing Manager explained. "We really wanted to get some racing in today and held off as long as we could, but the wind just never dropped off long enough for us to safely get the boats out there. The race and safety teams went out there several times but unfortunately we never got enough of a window to go ahead with racing."

Racing continues through to Friday 14 April. Further event information and final results can be found on www.ryaevents.org.uk/youthnationals

Interviews with race organisers and competitors will be available on request.

End

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Racing gets underway at the Youth National Championships & Trials
8-14 April 2006
The RYA Youth National Championships kicked off this morning, Monday 10 April, with over 330 aspiring young Olympians taking to what will become Olympic waters.

Racing at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy (WPNSA), the sailing venue for the London 2012 Games, Britain's best youth talent are competing for the Youth National Championship title and for selection to the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship 2006.

Up to 25 knots greeted competitors as they prepared for a day of racing. By the afternoon the breeze died down creating shifty and challenging conditions.

Stephen Tiernan from Poole and Jamie Crapnell from North Guildford take the lead in the 420 after the first day of racing. Hot on their heels are the Tim Saxton/ Jamie Hare pair from Baldock, Hertfordshire and Maldon, Essex respectively, while Sophie Weguelin of Lymington, Hampshire and Katrina Hughes of Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, take the lead in the girls fleet.

Cheshire sailors Dylan Fletcher of Draycote and Rob Partridge of Waverham got off to a rocketing start in the 29er. After two first place finishes, the pair have taken the lead and will hope to continue their run of good form throughout the week. However, they will be strongly challenged by Henry Maxfield and Dicken Maclean from Farnham and Sutton, Surrey, who follow in second. Paul Turnill from Maidstone and Preston Taylor from Brighton ended the day in third.

Mudeford sailor Max Holloway proved a forced to be reckoned with as he took a first and second place finish. Competing under the Welsh banner, Dyfrig Mon from Ynys Mon, currently rests in second place with hopes of moving up the ladder into first before the week is over.

The Radial fleet sees the biggest number of entries with over 100 boats registered to take part in the event. David Jessop of Bedfordshire, Cameron Steele of Glasgow and Tom Hayes of Staffordshire are at the top of the leader's board with first, second and third respectively. In the girls fleet Anna Dobson from Helensburgh, Rhu leads, with Birmingham's Kelsey Suggitt and Clare Chapple from Guernsey following closely behind.

In the Hobie 16 catamaran, Hannah Rowles and Stephanie Wall from Weymouth put their local knowledge to the test and came up strong, finishing the day in first ahead of Luke Butler from Christchurch and Sam Rowles from Weymouth who took second. Cornwall's Tom Phipps was placed third after having to change his regular crew, Jon Cook, who broke his collarbone just days before the RYA Youth National Championships and Trials. Sam Newton gets on board with Tom to see if they have the skill to be crowned National Champions.

The RS:X windsurfing fleet showcased some close racing. In the boys RS:X fleet, Richard Hamilton from Barrow Upon Humber won the first two races followed by Brighton's Kim Jiskoot who earned two second place finishes. The pair will continue to battle it out over the rest of the week.

Racing on the same course as the boys, the girl's RS:X fleet saw Beth Williamson from West Kirby take a strong lead finishing in fourth overall with a 12 point advantage over her nearest female competitor.

HRH The Princess Royal, President of the RYA, will attend the event on Tuesday 11 April to watch competitors battle it out on the race course.

Racing continues through to Friday 14 April.

Results will be posted on the RYA website.

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Arts workshops at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy - all for free, and free for all.
The Sailing Academy will be hosting free arts workshops with two Dorset based professional artists, Annalisa Renee and Darrell Wakeman between the 24th and 28th April.

The arts project is the result of a successful funding application by WPNSA on the Awards for All scheme- part of the Lottery Grants for Local Groups. A total of £3,050 has been invested in the project to pay for the artists, materials and installation of the birds.

The workshop will involve creating large-scale withie and tissue sculptures representing the birds of the local vicinity, thus engaging in the rich diversity of bird life that migrates to and from this area. Birds such as Little Tern, Cormorant, Diver (Black Throated), Diver (Great Northern), Diver (Red Throated), Eider Duck, Little Egret, Grebe (Black Necked), Grebe (Great Crested), Grebe (Little), Grebe (Red Necked), Grebe (Slavonian), Heron, Red Breasted Merganser, Common Scoter, Shag, Guillemot, Brent Goose and Razorbill. There will also be opportunites to see these species live in their natural habitat, going about their daily business!

The finished giant sculptures will decorate the café area of the Sailing Academy . The canteen as it stands, is quite empty with lovely high ceilings that can be used.The idea being that as someone comes through the door in the canteen, the wind movement will move the birds, so they will appear to be in flight. It will be educational, creative and fun.

There will be room for up to 25 people per day (some people may want to go for more than one day), with all ages and abilities welcome.

If you are interested in taking part, or know of groups / individuals who are please contact Cleo Evans: cleo.evans@dorsetcc.gov.uk or telephone 01305 224244 . Please book early!

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WPNSA Boats for sale
WPNSA currently have the following boats for sale:
Laser Stratos
Excellent condition- used for two seasons. Ideal family asymmetric boat.
Price guide: Approx £6,000 including trolley & top cover. New trailer available at extra cost.
Can deliver depending upon location.

Contentious 30 Fin Keel Yacht
New Perkins 30 diesel engine 2005
Electric windlass
Cruising set of sails
Spinnaker pole
Price guide: £17,500 - £18,500

1 x 4.5m Avon Sea Rider RIB
New tubes- 2004
25HP Mariner outboard engine (electric start)- New 2004
Centre consul
Excellent condition
Price guide: Approx £4,250

2 x 5.4m Avon Sea Riders
60 HP Mariner Outboard Engines
Both in good working order, regularly serviced
Price guide: Approx £3,000

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Sailing Academy wins planning award
Following a joint submission by Weymouth and Portland Borough Council and the Sailing Academy , the Academy has won two prestigious awards from the Royal Town Planning Institute for the South West.

The Academy won the award for the best entry in the 'schemes on the ground' category and the Phil Barclay Silver Cup as the overall winner of schemes submitted in the South West region.

Director of Development John Tweed said "We are delighted that the Academy has won these two awards from the Royal Town Planning Institute. The awards recognise the importance to the local community of the Sailing Academy development and the significant contribution made towards the regeneration of the area and the Borough Council's objective of creating a 'marine centre of excellence' in the Borough.

We are particularly pleased that this award recognises the partnership established between the Academy, the Borough Council and the other agencies including the Portland Harbour Authority Limited, English Nature, the Environment Agency, etc. which has enabled this important development to take place".

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Disappointment at Spring Series opener
This weekend's inaugural RYA Olympic Classes Spring Series event (25-26 February) got off to a disappointing start, with racing abandoned due to the bitterly cold and windy conditions at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy .

Temperatures hovered around 3ºC and winds were in excess of 27 knots at the scheduled race start time on Saturday, and with conditions predicted to be even colder and windier on Sunday, Principal Race Officer Frank Newton took the decision to call off the weekend's racing.

The next RYA Olympic Classes Spring Spring Series event will take place at Grafham Water on 18-19 March, with Hayling Island Sailing Club hosting the third and final event of the Series on 6-7 May.

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