ISAF Sailing World Cup heads to Weymouth

Skandia Sail for Gold, the sixth of seven ISAF Sailing World Cup Regattas, is being held from 4 to 9 June 2012. Over 700 sailors from 60 nations will compete at the host venue of the London 2012 Olympic Sailing Competition in Weymouth. Skandia Sail for Gold will feature many of the Olympic sailors as they enter the final stages of their preparations for the London 2012 Olympic Games. Thirteen teams have entered the Women’s Match Racing Competition at Sail for Gold which is lining up to be a dress rehearsal for London 2012 with those named all competing alongside teams who are fully expected to be announced before the final entry deadline of 9 July 2012. ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Anna Tunnicliffe (USA) is undoubtedly the favourite for top honours at Sail for Gold as she enters on the back of four consecutive regatta victories, including the US Women’s Match Racing Qualification Regatta. Silja Lehtinen (FIN) finished fifth at last year’s regatta but has since had a lull in form. But she has winning form in Weymouth following her gold medal at the 2011 Weymouth and Portland International Regatta. World 2 Lucy Macgregor (GBR), World 3 Claire Leroy (FRA) and World 4 Ekaterina Skudina (RUS) will also join the party in what will be a highly competitive display of Women’s Match Racing. Australia’s Tom Slingsby is undefeated at Weymouth and Portland and he will be looking to continue that run to reaffirm his position as Laser favourite. One of the surprise packages of the 2011-12 ISAF Sailing World Cup has been Charlie Buckingham (USA) who has consistently strung together impressive results in four of five regattas sailed so far. But with a highly competitive 96-boat fleet in Weymouth the Laser Standings leader will find competition stiffer. Beijing’s 2008 Olympic bronze medallist Lijia Xu (CHN) is starting to peak at the right time in the Laser Radial and is undefeated in the 2011-12 World Cup series. Xu also claimed the 2012 Laser Radial World Championship silver medal and has thrown a spanner in the works with many expecting Marit Bouwmeester (NED) and Evi Van Acker (BEL) to run away with the Laser Radial honours at London 2012. But as Sari Multala (FIN) also hits the right note, and Paige Railey (USA), a dangerous competitor, the Women’s fleet will be hotly contested in Weymouth ahead of London 2012. The Star fleet will feature 20-boats with a wealth of World Championship and Olympic experience spread across the fleet. Iain Percy and Andrew Simpson (GBR) and Robert Scheidt and Bruno Prada (BRA) rekindle their rivalry that has been fascinating to watch this year. The Brazilians had the better of the Brits at the Trofeo S.A.R. Princess Sofia MAPFRE in Palma, Spain as well as the Star Worlds in Hyeres, France so victory at Skandia Sail for Gold will set a benchmark ahead of the Olympic Games. Ben Ainslie (GBR) will be the man to beat in the 45-boat Finn fleet having taken the honours in Palma and at the Finn Gold Cup in Falmouth, Great Britain. Ainslie has dominated the Finn in 2012 and his rivals will find him tough to beat at Sail for Gold. The Women’s Match Racers get the regatta underway at 10:00 local time on Monday 4 June at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy before the Medal Races bring the regatta to a close on Saturday 9 June.

Sailing towards boating success

Sailing in Scotland appears to be avoiding the stormy seas of the economic downturn, as harbours and marinas invest in the future For Warren Scott and his wife Jill, there is nowhere better on earth to sail than the west coast of Scotland. The couple, who have circumnavigated the globe twice, have returned to Scotland to enjoy the area's cruising waters. They keep their boat Swn-Y-Mor (Sound of the Sea) moored in Tarbert Harbour at Scotland's longest sea loch, Loch Fyne. From there, they can share their passion with a seemingly growing band of sailing enthusiasts from home and abroad. Mr Scott considers the local waters the "pinnacle of cruising worldwide". "From the English people we meet who come here, some of them are totally knocked out," he said. Mr Scott says the west coast is the "pinnacle of cruising worldwide" "And it's not just the English. On the continent they are becoming more aware of the west coast as a cruising ground - it's not so crowded as it is down on the south coast. "The added advantage is that it is like having your own wee cottage in the highlands if you have a boat here." The Scotts are not alone in their passion. Leisure boating is fast becoming a cornerstone of local economies and the sailing community are hoping to see the industry burgeoning further over the next few years. A Scottish Enterprise report in 2010 suggested more than £100m is generated by sail and power boat tourism activity in Scotland alone. And last November, a guide published by Tourism Intelligence Scotland predicted market share for the sailing industry could increase to £145m in the next 10 years. Growing interest Mike Balmforth, from the Scottish Boating Alliance, commented: "People, whether they have large boats or small boats, have a capital investment and therefore they continue to use it. "This means the service side of the industry and the facilities are continuing to be used." Tarbert Harbour is hoping to capitalise on the growing interest in sailing. This year it secured a £200,000 grant from the Scottish government's Enterprise Growth Fund to create 40 additional berthing facilities that will allow it to accommodate up to 160 boats. Work is under way to expand berthing capacity at Tarbert Harbour The chairman of the Tarbert Harbour Authority trustees, Alan MacDonald, said the economic downturn had done little to put people off sailing. "Despite the recession, a lot of the boats coming in are bigger than they used to be so half the new berths will be to accommodate these bigger vessels," he said. "The other half will be able to relieve the system and allow us to take any growth that appears over the next few years. At least we will be ready to make the most of it once the recession goes." The local economy is already benefiting from the growth in interest, with a number of businesses opening in the harbour area, included an optician, two supermarkets and several restaurants. Transformation Tarbert's success is not a one-off. Across Loch Fyne is Portavadie, where millions of pounds have been spent in recent years on a marina, boatyard, shore facilities, a restaurant and holiday accommodation. Portavadie Marina now has 65 full and part-time staff in an area where there was virtually no employment five years ago. General manager Iain Jurgensen explained how Portavadie had been utterly transformed over the past few years. Heavy investment has transformed Portavadie in recent years "In 1975 this place was blasted out to create a dry dock and at that time oil rig construction, and the fabrication of it was based around cement as opposed to steel," he said. "So at the very time this facility was finished, the construction material changed, which actually made this place redundant. "It largely remained a white elephant for 30-odd years until the current owners embarked on this vision." Mr Jurgensen said Portavadie did not see itself as being in competition with other harbours and marinas on the west coast. He argued: "We are in competition on a global market. We are hopeful we have tapped into a market that has not perhaps existed." Having started a few years ago with about 25 staff, Portavadie owners expect to employ between 100 and 120 within the next two to three years. But some local business people would like to see more done at a national level to encourage faster growth. Loch Fyne Gallery owner Steve Bleasby said: "I think the sailing clubs by and large do a good job - they obviously sell it the best they can. "But in terms of the government, I really don't think they understand the significance of the economic impact of sailing to small communities like this, and the west coast in particular. "When people people step off the boat, they are on holiday. "By and large they like to go for a drink, something nice to eat and then they like to browse around and go shopping. They are looking to spend some money - quite a lot of money in some instances."

Accrington stroke survivor sets sail thanks to charity

A STROKE victim has enjoyed a day of sailing, thanks to the Stroke Association’s East Lancashire branch. Seventeen staff, volunteers and members of Stroke Association’s East Lancs Communication Support service, visited Hollingworth Lake for a day of sailing recently. The event was organised by Link4Life, to give people with disabilities the opportunity to lead healthy, creative, and active lifestyles. Andrew Graham, 45, from St James Street, Accrington, had a stroke in November 2009. He said: “Hollingworth Lake took me straight back to my youth, and conjured up memories of long summer evenings. I had a great day. It has been a long time since I have been there. “The day was a resounding success, despite not so glorious weather! A few of us are now hoping to complete the level one sailing certificate.” Stroke Association’s Andrea Walsh, who runs the service, said: “Everyone had a fantastic time, and it’s great to be able to offer exciting days out like this as part of the service. "We like to offer our members a variety of opportunities to rebuild their confidence and learn new skills.” A stroke is a brain attack which happens when the blood supply to the brain is cut off, caused by a clot or bleeding in the brain. Around 150,000 people have a stroke in the UK every year and it is the leading cause of severe adult disability.

Junior sailing mums set sail at Middle Harbour Yacht Club

The Junior sailing program at Middle Harbour Yacht Club (MHYC) is going through a rapid growth spurt and now the Mum’s are getting in on the action too. A local group of mum’s with children who are currently part of the MHYC junior sailing program, or racing with Redlands school from Balmoral Sailing, have recently completed a week long Dinghy Sailing - Learn to Sail course with Flying Fish Sail Academy located at Middle Harbour Yacht Club. The group includes Larissa Kelloway, whose eldest son, William Scott-Murphy (10) is into his second year at MHYC and nearly through Tackers 3, having participated in the school program with Redlands and the holiday camps. Youngest son, Zachary (8), has seen the fun that his brother has been having and decided to give it a go for the first time in the April school holiday program. Also joining Larissa for the week were Helen Roberts, whose son Lachlan is in Year 7 at Redlands, and is involved in the senior program for racing from Balmoral Sailing Club, along with Cherand Gray, whose daughters Charlotte (14) and Ella (10) both sail for Redlands. Larissa said the group was inspired to get more actively involved with sailing and learn the basics because all are mothers of child sailors and felt it was hard to help their children when they were unaware of the sports requirements, safety considerations and equipment. “On a much more personal level, my husband and both my children sail, and my husband's family are very involved in the sport. Frankly, the dinner table discussions were leaving me behind,” larissa said laughing. “The program offered through Flying Fish was comprehensive and pitched at the right type of learning, unlike other programs that seem more focused on yachts or racing. Plus the Junior sailing program at MHYC is such a good program that it seemed a logical conclusion that the Flying Fish program would be of equal calibre due to its association with the Club,” she added. The group enjoyed a week of theory and on water practical application of theoretical skills learnt in light winds ideal for beginner dinghy sailors. Although, by the end of the week, the ladies would have liked the chance to test their new-found skills a little further in stronger breeze. “We had the most enjoyable week. I don't remember laughing so much in a long time," Larrisa said. "Despite not leaving Sydney for a ‘break’, I felt very much like I've had one. I loved the mix of theory and practical and would love to have had a little bit more wind to really get the boat going." Cherand commented, “We had an extremely knowledgeable coach in Russell from Flying Fish. I felt that although the practical side was unfortunately slow, due to the light to no winds, Russell was able to accommodate ‘quite nicely’ other aspects into the program. In other words, we now feel comfortable knowing what happens in a capsize - lots of bruises! “I did feel I came away ‘knowing’ how to sail from a lot of the theory we picked up. The Bahia’s are great boats for learners too. I will definitely be sailing again on a dinghy, because the kids will be making sure it happens!” The women are all keen to continue their own personal involvement with the sport and expand on the confidence the course gave them: “I do feel that I'm capable of getting in a boat now and having a go, and also feel confident that I could get out of trouble if necessary. I will be out in a dinghy again for sure, but maybe not until the weather warms up,” Larissa said.

Cork Week on Track to Deliver a First Class Sailing Regatta

#CORK WEEK – With just under two months to the 18th edition of Cork Week entries are beginning to build momentum. With the Euro 20% down on the pound sterling and promises of better value for competitors writes Louay Habib. Cork Week is on track to deliver a first class sailing regatta, especially to sailors visiting Ireland's most prestigious yachting regatta from overseas. Cork Week's Chairman, Pat Lyons sums up what Cork Week is all about. "Cork Week comes along every two years and offers an occasion to celebrate all that is best about how we can enjoy the wonderful facilities that our environment has placed on our doorstep. In Cork Harbour, we have a world class maritime playground and by bringing together a sailing event of international quality, the Royal Cork provides an opportunity for both sailors and spectators alike to meet old friends, engage in a top class sailing competition, and enjoy the waterside hospitality and entertainment for which Crosshaven is renowned." A bevy of Cork 1720s are expected for Cork Week and rumour has it that several professional sailors will be making an appearance to take on top Irish competition. In the IRC racing classes, several winning yachts are returning to defend class wins from 2010 including; Paul Kirwan's Sigma 38, Errislannan, who was jointly awarded Cork's top award of Boat of the Week last time out. Conor & Denise Phelan's Kerr 37, Jump Juice will be returning to defend their hard fought class victory in 2010 and a large contingent of Corby Yachts is expected including Richard Goransson's Inga from Sweden with round the world sailor, Matt Humphries calling tactics and four time Volvo Ocean Race veteran, Richard Mason amongst the crew. Earlier this year, The Royal Cork Yacht Club became the first club in Ireland to be awarded Five Gold Anchors by the Yacht Harbour Association. Gavin Deane is the new General Manager of the Royal Cork Yacht Club and he lives in Crosshaven and his family have been part of the fabric of the RCYC for generations. With 20 years of experience in the luxury hotel industry, Gavin is highly accomplished hotelier that is deeply passionate about Cork Week. "It is a common misconception that Cork Week is expensive. The entry fee for Cork Week includes your mooring fees and if you want to arrive a few days before the event and stay a couple more after, there will be no additional charge. As far as catering facilities, Anthony McCann and his team have been doing a fantastic job for the club this year and will have a variety of menus available, including breakfast each morning. In the Tented Village, we will also have BBQ food as well as a food court with gourmet fast food and oriental cuisine, all at competitive prices. We are determined to deliver a memorable event." In addition to top class racing, the fabled on-shore craic in the tented village has become one of the main ingredients in the success of Cork Week with some of Ireland's best bands performing live each evening. However, Cork Week 2012 will have a few changes. There are many people attracted to Crosshaven during the regatta who do not get out on the water and the Cork Festival will give the event village a more interesting agenda for them and the racing crews at the end of the day. A large exhibition tent has been earmarked for the festival, which takes place on the first weekend of Cork Week. Plans include a whale workshop, an aquarium touch tank and other attractions. The festival will also host cultural and artistic flavours of the region including the work of local artists and vendors of local fayre. Many sailors who work in the marine industry have not been to Cork Week due to the strict policy of not allowing professionals to race in most classes. However, this year the rules have been totally relaxed, one upshot of this change has attracted sailors from the Volvo Ocean Race to Cork Week. The round the world race ends in Galway shortly before Cork Week and several sailors involved in the Volvo Ocean Race have already entered for Cork Week. However, there will be no change to course variety at Cork Week Regatta this year and Cork Week scoring will include Progressive ECHO so results will be provided on a dual scoring basis with results and prizes for both IRC and ECHO. "It is still a 5 course Dinner for 2012! Desert on the final day will be the Harbour Course for all and the possibility of a start line from one of the three historic forts of Cork Harbour" confirmed Cork Week Racing Chairman, Anthony O'Leary. "Cork Week has had a separate race team for each course for many years. In many cases race teams have managed same course for a number of Cork Weeks so they have the confidence that goes with plenty of practice!"

It was a great day for the British sailors on the second day for the J.P. Morgan Asset Management Finn Gold Cup in Falmouth, with Ben Ainslie winning the opening race to take the overall lead, while Ed Wright dropped to second and Andrew Mills had another good day to move up to third. Race 2 was won by Chris Cook (CAN) and the big question for the sailors today was whether to favour the left or the right. With dark clouds, moderate to strong winds and intermittent rain all day, there were some big gains to be made by choosing the correct side. Race officer Peter Reggio was delighted that the 94 sailors got away cleanly on both starts at the first attempt; perhaps an indication that they didn't want to hang around any longer than necessary in the inclement conditions. The left side was favoured on the first beat with overnight leader Ed Wright (GBR) leading round the top mark from Andrew Mills (GBR) and Anders Pedersen (NOR). Jonathan Lobert (FRA) then found more pressure on the right on the first downwind to take the lead at the gate from Ainslie and Wright. On the second upwind, Ainslie and Ivan Kljakovic Gaspic (CRO) favoured the right side and rounded the top mark in the lead. Mills moved from third into second on the final downwind with Ainslie extending for a second race win to the overall lead of the Championship. Race 4 started very quickly, with the left side again proving popular. This time Mark Andrews (GBR) led Ainslie round the top mark, but they went the wrong way on the first downwind, while Pieter-Jan Postma (NED) found more pressure in the right to round the gate ahead of Lobert and Chris Cook (CAN). The second upwind sealed the fate of many, with a big right hand shift as the clouds cleared. Cook was just under the leading bunch and lifted up to the mark to lead down the final run. Lobert went high and Postma went low, but Ainslie found a way through in third. At the finish, they were separated by no more than 20 boat lengths, with Cook taking a well-deserved win from Lobert and Ainslie. Ainslie said, “It was really tough today. It was quite windy, a lot of rain and low visibility, so it was a difficult day for everyone, and physically a real challenge. In the first race a front came through with quite a big wind shift to the right hand side, and made it a little bit difficult, but that’s part of the challenge of sailing in these conditions. “In the second race I went the wrong way, there was a big clump down the right hand side and also the wind shifted a little bit to the right. It was a difficult run but I managed to contain the loss and then catch up with the rest of the race so I overall I’m happy with my day. It was great racing out there despite difficult conditions.” After a good day, Jonas Hoegh-Christensen (DEN) moved up to fourth overall. “It was pretty shifty out there, but actually pretty good racing. In the last race we got a big shift in the end and that kind of ended the race for most but I think pretty much the both races were fair. I got a terrible start in the first race but I managed to claw my way back and finished in fourth. “The second race was pretty much the same story, but I lost a couple because of that big shift and had a sixth so it was a pretty good day, could have been a little better, but I’m pretty satisfied.” Race four winner, Chris Cook said, “On the first beat I thought that the right side was going to have something in it, I think it’s the typical thing that’s been happening in all the races is a little bit of left and a little bit of right, it’s just how you play your side. “I got to the top in decent shape, and I got to the right side of the run as fast as I could and the pressure filled in from there and it sort of set up the opportunity to round with the top guys. “On the second beat again, I was worried about the right side and I was forced to the left gate, I was up quite a bit on the right so I just had to wait. I got in front just in time for that big right shift and then it was a nice easy reach on the way in.” After two days of racing in Falmouth, British sailors fill the top three places, while behind them the form is beginning to establish itself. Several top sailors had better results today so there could be a significant change after Tuesday's two races, again scheduled for 11.00. The forecast is for some sunshine, and strong winds. At least some in the already tired fleet will be thankful for the sunshine. Top 10 after four races 1 GBR 3 Ben Ainslie 8 2 GBR 11 Edward Wright 15 3 GBR 85 Andrew Mills 25 4 DEN 2 Jonas High-Christensen 33 5 FRA 112 Jonathan Lobert 35 6 CAN 41 Christopher Cook 37 7 POL 17 Piotr Kula 42 8 FIN 218 Tapio Nirkko 45 9 NED 842 Pieter-Jan Postma 51 10 AUS 1 Brendan Casey 54

Suffolk sailing barge at Queen's Jubilee Thames pageant

School children from Suffolk are set to crew a sailing barge which will be representing the county at the Queen's Jubilee pageant on the Thames. A flotilla of boats will sail down the river on Sunday 3 June. The SB Victor from Ipswich will take part in the spectacle with a crew made up of a dozen pupils from the Royal Hospital School, Holbrook. Steve Godwin, the boat's manager, said: "We'll be carrying the flag of Suffolk with pride." The SB Victor, which is 82ft (25m) long and has four sails, was built in Ipswich docks in 1895 for the linseed trade along the east coast ports. It also worked out of Chatham, in Kent, moving munitions in World War II. It returned to Suffolk in 2005 for refit and now operates as a charter vessel. 'Treacherous' route Victor will leave Ipswich for the pageant on Wednesday 30 May. Mr Godwin said: "The chaps who do it routinely will make it look easy, but the east coast is a pretty treacherous place if you don't know what you're doing. The bow of HMS Fame is in the grounds of the Royal Hospital School "The skipper is not backwards in coming forwards and will make his views known, but as long as everybody understands the rules of the game then we'll have a great time." Victor will be moored near HMS Belfast on the Thames as part of a static avenue of boats which the Queen will sail along. "We'll probably be doing a salute in our naval uniform and lots of smiling, waving and cheering," said Alex Slatter, a Royal Hospital School pupil. Rebecca Taylor, another pupil, said: "I've spent up to three weeks before on a boat, so I think I can do this, but, depending on the weather, it could get very tough at times. "It's going to be amazing just to see the Queen." 'Fantastic showcase' Alex Alderton, another member of the school's sailing squad, said: "I should imagine the day itself will be a mass of red and white sails and more boats than you can see. "It's a fantastic showcase of the country and how great we are." The Royal Hospital School was founded in Greenwich in 1712 as a charity school for the offspring of those injured in naval warfare and is currently celebrating its 300th anniversary. It moved to Holbrook in 1933 and the Queen's father, George VI, laid the foundation stone at the new site in 1928. Rob Mann, the school's tercentenary co-ordinator, said: "With the Queen's Diamond Jubilee coinciding with our tercentenary, it was just an excellent opportunity to celebrate together. "It's a fantastic opportunity to work together as a team out on the open water learning techniques from old sea dogs."

Hannah Mills on a mission to become a golden girl of Olympics

SHE has quickly become the silver lining of the British sailing team. Now Welsh ace Hannah Mills is looking to become its Olympic golden girl this summer. Mills and partner Saskia Clark have forged a formidable partnership after only linking up 15 months ago, winning silvers at the Olympic Test event and the World Championships in Perth. Mills and Clark will be aiming to go one better at this year’s World Championships in Barcelona which starts on Sunday. But the Dinas Powys ace already admits Olympic gold is the medal she craves. “We have had quite a few second places,” said Mills. “It is important to keep getting consistent results and keep pressure on other teams. “We want to keep proving we are the team to beat. “While we seem to keep coming second, different teams keep winning. “That is encouraging for us because we are not struggling to beat one particular team. We have the ability to beat anyone.” Great Britain were the leading sailing nation in the last three Games and Mills admitted there was pressure to emulate the achievement. “There will be expectations of us and that is good,” she added. “I would never want to go to an Olympics and just have an outside chance of a medal because you go to a Games to win. “There are high hopes of the team and we can deliver in a number of events. “Saskia was one of only four people who did not win a medal which she explained was so hard. We don’t want to have that feeling.” Ben Ainslie remains the sailing standout performer after winning three Olympic golds and challenging for a record fourth this summer with Mills admitting he is an inspiration. “Ben is a great person to have in the team and it is a real honour to be in the same Olympic squad as him,” she added. “When I was younger he was an idol of mine so to be in the same team as him is amazing. “He has this aura and is a huge figure within the sport. “There is a lot of pressure on him from outside but he copes with it. “He has not changed and hopefully he will nail it this summer.” Mills is also backing Ainslie to recover from the controversy he suffered last December at the World Championships in Australia after he was disqualified for an altercation with a media boat. “Sailing is getting bigger in the media and people are trying to get the sport more exposure which is great,” she added. “But there are going to be occasions where you are impeded by press boats. “We had a bit of that in Miami last year where we almost crashed into them. I am not sure what the answer is. “All you can do is concentrate on your race because it is not something you can control.” Hannah’s profile has risen since she became the first Welsh sporting star to be selected for the Games last summer. Mills told the Western Mail last year about her reaction to American rapper Snoop Dogg’s backing for golden glory, while the 24-year-old has already been labelled one of the new blondes in a boat by the Sun. “We have done a few cool things and had a few interesting interviews,” she smiled. “We have seen the headline ‘Two blondes in a boat’ and that is fine. “It is a bit of fun and we like the media side of things. “We love what we do and it is great to get to speak to people about that. “Things have not changed massively since we have been selected. But it will go mental and we are preparing ourselves for that. “I can’t imagine what it is going to be like because it is the Olympic Games and it is going to be insane.” The racing experiences will be confined to the Weymouth and Portland Harbour in Dorset where she lives and trains. So the British sailors will benefit from home advantage with Mills admitting it will be more Weymouth 2012 than London 2012. “Our schedule allows us to go to the opening and closing ceremony,” she added. “Other than that we are not going to go to London because our event lasts nine days.”

Britain completes sailing team for London Olympics by filling last 3 available spots

The British Olympic Association has confirmed the Royal Yachting Association’s nomination of 2008 veterans Stevie Morrison and Ben Rhodes in the 49er class. Alison Young will make her Olympic debut in the Laser Radial event. RYA Olympic manager and sailing team leader Stephen Park says “we’ve got people who’ve got potential to medal in every single event. We’ve never had that before.” The BOA also rounded out its Paralympic team with the addition of Helena Lucas.

Kiteboarding to replace windsurfing at 2016 Rio Olympics

Kiteboarding will make its Olympic debut at the 2016 Games in Rio after the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) dropped windsurfing. The decision has been met with surprise and frustration within windsurfing and an online petition has been set up to keep it as an Olympic discipline. British sailing's John Derbyshire said: "We're disappointed for windsurfing. "[But we are] looking forward to working with kiteboarders to develop the talent pathway for this new event." The decision was made by the ISAF at a meeting in Italy on Saturday and Derbyshire added: "While an exciting prospect for a new discipline, the decision to replace windsurfing will of course be a huge blow to the windsurfing community. Kiteboarding v windsurfing •Kiteboarding - a wind powered surface watersport using a kite and a board to move across the water. •Windsurfing - a wind powered surface watersport using a sail attached to a board to move across the water "We're disappointed for all those who are working at the coal face of the Royal Yachting Association's windsurfing programmes to deliver activity and British success on the world stage who will be affected most by this decision." However, he added: "Kiteboarding made a solid case for its Olympic inclusion at the March trials and, although a surprise that ISAF has voted it into the Olympic programme at this stage, it appears they wished to seize the opportunity, rather than wait until 2020." Britain's Bryony Shaw, who won bronze in Beijing at the 2008 Olympics, said on Twitter: "Windsurfing is me... I am windsurfing!" before adding: "My focus on London now seems heightened!! New discipline for Rio... New challenge...!" Compatriot Nick Dempsey, who was fourth in the men's event four years ago, commented on Twitter: "Wow, unexpected. That was a big decision and a very sad day for windsurfing. My heart goes out to all the aspiring champions and kids with dreams of windsurfing at the Olympics." Meanwhile, following sailing equipment trials held in Santander, Spain in March, the 49er FX was chosen for the new two-person women's skiff discipline while the Nacra 17 will be used in the two-person mixed multihull event.

How sailing helped autistic boy

Last year, Bonnie Monroe searched tirelessly for a summer camp that would enroll her autistic son, Mark. She found Clearwater Community Sailing Center and Rich White, an instructor who taught Mark to sail. "Rich told me to bring Mark out," recalled Monroe. "After Mark went out with Rich in a Hobie, he said, 'I'm ready to sail, Mom, let's go.' Rich didn't know about working with children who had autism, but he was willing to learn." The encounter changed Mark's life forever and became the catalyst for Camp Awesome, a new summer camp at the Sailing Center that will be aimed at helping children with disabilities. This evening, the center at 1001 Gulf Blvd. on Sand Key will hold a silent auction and cocktail party to raise money for the camp. "We will start out this program in a small but phenomenal way and work up to the best way of moving forward," said Sue Steward, the Sailing Center's director. "I'm overwhelmed by the amazing local support and donations we've received." Mark Monroe, 12, has high functioning autism. By the end of last summer, not only had he learned to sail and paddleboard by himself, he had joined the Sailing Center's regular summer camp activities. "After meeting him and evaluating him to make sure I could teach him, I started with one-on-one instruction three half-days a week," said White, the sailing instructor. "Within two weeks we went to full days. Mark is amazing. Not only does he sail alone, but he has become much more social." Monroe was so pleased, she told White she wanted to stay connected with the Sailing Center and become a member. "That's when the idea about a program that reached out to the community began," said Monroe. She wants to help make the sailing program for children with special needs a success. She's working for it to become financially self-sustainable and able to offer help for families that might not otherwise be able to afford it.