Sean Evans set for new sailing role at the Welsh Yachting Association
by Hamish Stuart, Welsh Yachting Association 9 Dec 2013 19:05 GMT
9 December 2013
Sean Evans is the new Club and Pathway Officer for the Welsh Yachting Association © Hamish Stuart
Sean Evans is to swap Bermuda for South Wales as he takes up a new national role with the Welsh Yachting Association to help encourage sailors through to the top level.
The brother of 2016 Olympics sailing contender Dave Evans, Sean is to take up the new position of Club and Pathway Officer, supporting more clubs to improve their race training and coaching, as well as developing up and coming sailors.
"This is a vital new role and we are delighted someone of Sean's calibre is keen to take on the challenge," explained WYA chief executive Steve Morgan.
"He is someone who has been around Welsh sailing for a long time before moving out to Bermuda, who knows how it all works to make the different pieces of the jigsaw fit better together."
Evans, aged 25, has represented Great Britain at world and European level and was also part of the Olympics transitional squad himself. Older brother Dave is one of the sailors competing for a place in the 49er boat for the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Sean started sailing at Llanishen in Cardiff at the age of 8, moved into junior Welsh and GB squads and has spent the last two years at the Royal Yacht Club in Bermuda.
"I wanted the job because it gives me a chance to give something back into Welsh sailing, which has given me so much," he said.
"Hopefully I can help expland the base of Welsh sailing and windsurfing to provide an easier platform for future sailors and windwackers to get moving on up through the levels.
"There are a lot of clubs still in Wales that hopefully will be utilised over the next few years, allowing Welsh sailing and windsurfing to grow into what I has always had the potential to do.
"I think that I will bring some new perspectives to Wales after working in Bermuda for two years at a Royal yacht club - it can open your eyes to some of the approaches a small community has to sailing and how they have progressed it into a successful thing.
"By knowing a number of the clubs around wales already from my travels as a sailor and coach it provides me with a few faces that I will know.
"Nowadays I am just sailing for a bit of fun - trying my hand at a few other boats apart from the laser, which I like to jump back into every now and then down my sailing club to keep practicing what I preach."