Derbyshire Youth Sailing Team to defend their title

Derbyshire Youth Sailing Team ready to defend their title © Andy Hart

A 36 strong team of Derbyshire Youth Sailing members is sailing at the National School Sailing Association Golden Jubilee Regatta 2012 in Weymouth this week, on the same waters that will very soon be the venue for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Team Derbyshire are defending their Overall Championship title won last year at Grafham Water and many of the individual sailors are in Weymouth this week to see if they can repeat their personal racing successes as well.

The NSSA Golden Jubilee Regatta is the last event before the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy concludes the final preparations for hosting the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic sailing events. The timing of the Jubilee Regatta also coincides with the visit of the Olympic Torch to Weymouth and there is a huge beach party taking place on Weymouth beach to celebrate the torch relay passing through. This will be another significant highlight for the 650 young sailors who are competing in the NSSA event.

There will be five racing areas for the sailing competitions to take place on and the logistics of dealing with 500 boats to be launched, raced and returned back safely to shore, provides demanding challenges for the NSSA volunteer team and organisers of the Regatta. There is a small armada of powerboats and yachts providing race management and safety cover for the competitors that also need to be controlled.

Derbyshire Team Manager, Melissa Wellbourn said, “This week is going to be a huge amount of fun for the sailors with a serious bit of competition included in the dinghy racing sailing that they equally enjoy. We are really looking forward to getting the racing underway and hopefully the weather will play its’ part in providing some sunshine and moderate breezes and a lot less rain”.

The Derbyshire Team are also using their new team kit of sailing tops provided by Derbyshire School Sports Association help through a sponsorship deal with Kukri.

Melissa will be among the Team Managers who have been invited to an informal tea with HRH Princess Anne, Patron of the Royal Yachting Association, who is attending the event this week. In addition, among those at the WPNSA venue are several of the Team GB sailors, including triple Olympic Gold and Silver medallist, Ben Ainslie. Ben has already been meeting the sailors, chatting and signing autographs.

The Derbyshire Team had a boost before the racing started on Monday, when Splash Class sailor Ben Haynes (17) from Matlock, arrived in Weymouth, having become the Splash Class British Champion, at a two day event over the weekend in Christchurch, just up the coast from Weymouth. Ben Haynes commented, “Racing on Saturday was really hard work with very gusty conditions and heavy rain to contend with and while Sunday provided better weather, the racing was tougher too, as I fought hard to stay ahead. I’m excited about the weeks’ racing to come in Weymouth and I hope I can do well again”.

Olympic Gold medallist Paul Goodison, the 2012 Team GB Laser class sailor, who is training in Weymouth this week, won the Splash Class British Championship three times, as well as, in 1998, winning the Laser Class Trophy at the NSSA Regatta in Weymouth, so you never know what the future holds.

Derbyshire Youth Sailing website is at www.dysailing.com