NEWS
Three RYA Junior Sailors Join Musto Academy
Three of Britain’s most promising young Junior sailors are celebrating after being named as the latest recruits to the Musto Academy.
Optimist hotshots David Grant and Tom Britz and up-and-coming RS Feva helm Alex Mothersele will receive a range of technical and casual sailing clothing from Musto for the next 12 months as part of their initiative to recognise and support emerging talent in the RYA Youth and Junior programmes.
Following the announcement of the three latest Youth Academy recruits at the RYA Youth National Championships and Trials last month, Junior selectees Mothersele, Grant and Britz have now joined Youth trio Izzy Hamilton, Martin Evans and Sophie McKeeman in the 2008 Musto ranks.
Reigning RYA South Zone Feva champion Mothersele, 15, is expecting a busy 2008 as he plans dual campaigns for both the Feva and 29er Worlds. Having been a member of the RYA Optimist National Junior Squad between 2004-2007, the Emsworth youngster won the Oppie Nationals at Weymouth last July before opting to concentrate on the double-hander.
Grant, 13, from Falmouth, finished last year as the country’s top ranked Optimist sailor having been a member of the RYA National Junior Squad since 2005-06. He follows in the footsteps of elder brother James, a 2007 Junior Academy sailor who won the Laser Radial class at the Youth Nationals.
Lymington’s Britz, 14, finished narrowly behind Grant in the 2007 Oppie rankings but has also been selected for this summer’s Optimist World Championships in Cesme, Turkey from 14-25 July.
Launched in 2007, under the banner of ‘Achievement through Adventure’, the Academy recognises those sailors who may not have actually already won medals but have shown the potential and desire to make the most of their talent while also acting as a positive role model for other sailors in their age group or class.
NEWS
Three RYA Youth Squad sailors are selected for the Musto Academy, a contract is signed to continue support for Volvo Oppies
At the RYA Youth Championships held at Pwhelli, 4-7 April, new appointments were made to the Musto Academy, created in 2007 to provide support for our emerging stars who are expected to maintain Great Britain’s dominant lead in international small boat sailing as the London Olympics come into sharp focus.
In its second year, the Academy welcomes the following entrants, all from single-handed classes and proposed by Simon Wergan (RYA Youth Racing Manager) at the close of the event which this year was attended by the RYA’s patron, HRH The Princess Royal:
Sophie Mckeeman (Radial) 15 years old from Kempsford, who won the Girls’ Laser Radial class at the RYA Youth National Trials and also secured a place in the British European Championships in Brittany this summer.
Martin Evans. Laser Radial, who sails a Laser Radial at West Mersea and recently took a silver medal at the New Zealand 2008 Youth World Championships.
Izzy Hamiton, RS:X: 15 years old of Holsworthy, Devon, won the demanding RS:X Girls’ title to confirm her selection to the Musto Academy.
Simon Wergan, RYA Youth Manager, said: “It was a testing week at times but everyone was patient and the standard of racing across the classes was fantastic and, as expected, extremely close in many cases. It is a great credit to the race officials and event organisers that things went as well as they did.”
Nigel Musto said: “It’s vital to wear the right technical kit to maximise performance, so we kit out our Academicians with a complete year-round selection to cover both training and competition programmes. We also ensure they have the appropriate shore-side kit.”
The RYA Team GBR, representing Britain at the 2008 Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championships in Denmark, will also benefit from Musto support.
MUSTO ACADEMY: £15000 SUPPORT SCHEME FOR ASPIRING YOUNG SAILORS
The Musto Academy was launched in 2007 under the banner ‘achievement through adventure’ to recognise and support emerging youth and junior talent in the RYA sailing programmes.
The Academy supports between three and five sailors from both the youth aged and junior aged categories each year, through the provision of technical and casual sailing clothing up to a value of £1500 each. The agreement with each sailor last 12 months; the number of winners varies to accommodate single and double handed classes.
How can you qualify?
Sailors are nominated and selected against three criteria.
• We are looking for sailors producing good results who have the potential to progress through the RYA schemes. They do not have to be the best in their class.
• Secondly, we want the support to make a difference. The aim is to help with clothing so that a sailor’s potentially limited finance can be directed towards training and competition.
• Finally, winners should be good ambassadors both for the brand and present a good image of the RYA and its training schemes.
Simon Wergan (RYA Youth Racing Manager) draws up a short list of possible winners then Musto and the RYA declare the winners in each category at important RYA Youth and Junior Championships each spring. At the ceremony, they are presented with commemorative certificates and are invited to discuss how their £1500 clothing award can be most successfully selected to provide on-the-water performance and create a good impression off-the-water.
The eight winners in 2007 came from the following classes: Laser Standard, 420, 29er, Topper, Optimist and Cadet.
