British Keelboat Academy gear up for an eventful 2014

British Keelboat Academy Elite Squad © RYA / UKSA

Sailors from the British Keelboat Academy, a joint keelboat racing initiative between the RYA and UKSA, are gearing up for three consecutive weekends of competitive action on the Solent following the conclusion of the Elite Squad training last weekend (4-6 April).

The 13 sailors aged between 18-24 who were selected to join the BKA Elite Squad in January, have undergone an intense two weekend training programme focused on preparing the boat, positions and manoeuvres on board for successful 2014 campaigns.

Training on board the Farr 45 Kolga this weekend in Cowes, Isle of Wight, sailors were joined by BKA graduate and 'Team Aqua' Boat Captain Chris Noble.

"This weekend started with an insightful talk from 'Team Aqua' head Chris Noble, which was characteristically to the point and covered everything from his days in the BKA's 'John Merrick II' TP52 to his current job with the RC44 'Team Aqua,'" enthused BKA sailor Piers Hugh Smith.

"This was a great insight into the world of professional sailing for the squad, and allowed most of the team to ask Chris questions about his approach and attitude that got him to where he is today."

Smith, 18-years-old from Henley on Thames, continued: "On the water, we had Chris Noble coaching us and helping us polish out manoeuvres and gain a bit more boat speed round the track.

"It was incredibly useful having a professional coach like Chris on board, as it allowed us to gain knowledge of how to coach ourselves, and debrief effectively between runs, to get the most out of our training time, to analyse and develop the team as a whole, with input from everyone on board. By the end of our training day on Sunday we were sailing with a lot more cohesion than before, with slicker manoeuvres and a more effective use of each individual's position.

"Overall, as a team we're looking forward to racing this weekend in the Spring Championships and think with the right groundwork we have a good season ahead of us," concluded Smith.

The Warsash Spring Championship commences this weekend (12-13 April), which will be the first race of the competitive season for many of the BKA Elite Squad sailors, and concludes the 26-27 April. The sailors will also compete in the RORC Easter Challenge (18-20 April), which allows coaching to take place during racing, enabling specific training and support for the BKA squad.

Ash Holmes, BKA Head Coach, added: "Once again, I am pleased with the outcome of the final training weekend for the BKA Elite squad. The sailors pushed themselves hard to make the most of the time on the water. Huge thanks to Chris Noble from the RC44 team 'Team Aqua' for helping the sailors perfect their skills. The Elite squad now face their first event this weekend in the Warsash Spring Championships."

For more information about the British Keelboat Academy visit www.britishkeelboatacademy.org, or follow the BKA on Facebook or on Twitter.