Grafham OnBoard sailors are flying high
by Mike Haigh 16 Sep 2015 19:24 BST
24-28 August 2015
Abi Clark racing in the NSSA High Fliers Week in Weymouth © Ali Butler-Baines
Two of Grafham Water Centre's OnBoard Sailors have been flying the RYA OnBoard Flag at the NSSA (National Schools Sailing Association) High Fliers Week in Weymouth on 24-28 August.
The event saw a selection of 18 young sailors spend the week at the Andrew Simpson Sailing Academy sailing different boats in the Olympic waters of Weymouth Bay under instruction from the Academy's top Instructors, and also getting to meet some of their sailing idols.
Max Oscroft and Abi Clark were nominated by their team leaders, Gordy Baines and Ali Butler-Baines, whilst attending this year's National Sailing Regatta at Rutland Water. Both were nominated for their hard work and commitment to their sport, and for the time they give to their club.
Max said the week was: "Awesome, tricky weather conditions, windy every day but I didn't care, we had a great time." Max has come back with lots of new skills and added: 'It was a privilege to have been chosen."
Abi also said: What an honour it was to have been chosen to represent our county at such a high level." When asked for one word or one sentence to sum up her week the word was: "Phenomenal!"
Competing at Weymouth for the week gave these young sailors a taste for success and they have just returned from a weekend on the south coast trying out for places in the GB Junior Youth Squads sailing Lasers.
Ali Butler-Baines, business development officer at Grafham Water Centre, says: "We wish Abi and Max the best of luck with their progression at this exciting time; quite an achievement as six years ago they first turned up on Grafham Water Centre's doorstep wanting to learn to sail through the RYA OnBoard Scheme with their sailing mentor, Gordy Baines."
Run by the RYA, OnBoard is a grass roots programme which introduces sailing and windsurfing to young people aged 8 to 18, through schools, youth groups and training centres.
Over a ten year period OnBoard has introduced more than 500,000 children to sailing and windsurfing in the UK, converting over 10% of them into regular participants.
For more information about how to get involved in sailing visit www.rya.org.uk/go/onboard