RYA Scotland Youth and Junior Championships 2019

RYA Scotland hosted British Youth Sailing’s Regional Junior Championship at Dalgety Bay Sailing Club 102 junior and youth sailors took to the Forth, over the weekend of 21st and 22nd September 2019 in a series of races as part of a nationwide festival of youth sailing. Dalgety Bay hosted one of 8 events over two weekends as part of British Youth Sailing’s Regional Junior Championships which offers a championship format with sailing for all levels of ability with plenty of fun mixed in. RYA Scotland were joined by RYA Northern Ireland and RYA Cymru Wales in starting the festival of youth sailing before the English regions host 5 more events next weekend. Over 1,500 youth and junior sailors took part in 2018 across all 8 venues in the UK. The RYA Scotland Youth and Junior Championships ends the official season as the winter performance training gets underway for the young sailors. There were a lot of keen sailors ready to prove their knowledge on the race course ahead of the Performance Team training block. The conditions were pretty epic on Saturday with sunshine, a solid easterly and a lumpy race areas, with up to 5 races taking places across 3 race areas on Saturday. Bravo Course had the two person classes of the 29er, 420 and Feva racing alongside the windsurfing fleet who made the most of the breeze. Further to the east on Alpha Course the single person dinghies of Optimist, Toppers and Lasers shared Inverkeithing Bay with a backdrop of Keelboat racing as the Hunter 707 sprint series took place nearby. A regatta fleet course for younger sailors sailing was just off the club for some of the younger sailors new to racing enjoyed some calmed waters to learn their way around a race course. “The conditions on Saturday were amazing and it was really great to see the sailors really enjoying the breeze and waves. All the volunteers and helpers at DBSC were outstanding both on and off the water. Most of all the sailors out there were a tough lot and had a big day out on the water with smiling faces which was really amazing to see.” Notes Abbie Hewitt the event director. Sunday was overcast with lighter winds setting a different challenge for the sailors. Some managed to change gears very well and keep up a solid set of results. Among those was Elise Fitzgerald who won the largest fleet, the Topper Class after race wins in both sets of conditions. Elise said “It was a good day for me, with a lot learning around the tide. You had to go right out so you sailed in the tide and it created more wind but you had to be careful not to over-stand the lay lines.” “Thanks to the John Merrick’s Sailing Trust I got the boat brand new Topper a couple of years ago, which was really helpful. You need to take care of it and it’s been very useful to get these results. ” Her boat, Red Arrow, was supplied by the John Merricks Sailing Trust which aims to help junior sailors with equipment to maximise their potential in sailing towards their goals, with applications closing on the 1st of October. 29er coach and British Sailing Team member Gillies Munro commented on the sailors in the double handed fleet noting. “Lots of learning through the fleet not just in the 29er but in the Feva and the 420’s where the racing was very close. All told a really good weekend.” Para Sailor, Rory McKinna of the Clyde Cruising Club Dinghy Section at Bardowie Loch joined the Topper fleet in his Hansa 303 to get some experience at a different sea venues and commented. “Brilliant racing, thoroughly enjoyed it. The tide made it quite difficult at times, especially today at the start with loads of people getting pushed over. Going up the course it would help and you could turn before you needed to and the tide would push you up. Harnessing nature and all that.” With so many great results the local sailors at Dalgety Bay Sailing Club they were awarded the Championship Trophy for 2019. This was received by Gavin Homer who thanked the enormous support from the volunteers afloat and ashore. The RYA Scotland Performance programme for pathway classes runs throughout the winter with open Class Academy training run at clubs across the country. RYA Scotland Youth and Junior Championship Results Summary For full results click here Optimist Overall and 1st Boy Rory Gifford 2nd Boy Alexander Cogan Sivararjan 1st Girl Sophie Kennedy 2nd Girl Macy Law Topper Overall and 1st Girl Ellise Fitzgerald 1st Boy Jamie Briggs 2nd Boy Max Vella 3rd Boy Roo Purves 2nd Girl Morven Wood 3rd Girl Anna Miller Laser Radial Overall and 1st Boy Scott Forbes 2nd Boy Finlay Tullett 1st Girl Suzanna Homer 2nd Girl Molly Tullett Feva Class 1st Jamie Tennant and Scott Dunlop 2nd Finlay Cooper and Martha Cooper 420 Class 1st Finlay Herrington and Tess Crooks 2nd Eva Herrington and James Gifford 29er Class 1st Daniel Scott and Tom Irving 2nd Alistair Coombs and Sam Carr Windsurf 4.5 1st Zak Nicol Windsurf 5.8 1st Kyle Clark Windsurf 6.8 1st Kai Beattie Windsurf 7.8 1st Millie Johnson