Youth classes

I dont know whether anyone else has had this problem but the youth sailing scheme is so irritating! I normally sail a laser radial but my club (dovey yacht club) has a thriving GP14 racing scene. i love sailing the GP's but i cant go anywhere with them, alright there are normal nationals and everything but there is a very limited youth scene. also there is no youth hiking class, apart from the rs feva, which is a junior class and im sorry to say - not very good.

any other youths here annoyed about the fact that we are being shoved into the boat that is apparently 'right for us'??

 

(sorry bout the ranting, its a terrible condition of mine )

The youth classes are chosen to reflect the olympic classes and including a hiking boat would not follow this principle and just dilute the followers, leading to smaller fleets which are one of the big draws for the youth classes.

I totaly understand where you are comming from though, I did the 'done thing' and got a radial as soon as I was big enough. I never did any of the big youth events but trained with a few of the front-of-fleet guys and usualy wasnt too far back on them.
I then decided to concentrate on my kayaking for a few years and when I acomplished my goals with that went back to sailing. From the first time I got back in my boat it hit me just what a dull boat the laser is without the close racing, and within 2 months swaped it for a moth and havnt regretted it for one moment.

If I had a reliable crew I would have been tempted to hit the 29er but I would recomend anyone to go with the class they really want to sail, not the one they are expected too.

Oh, and the GP is an old mans boat

The RYA Youth scheme is only interested in getting the olympians through. If youre not the right size or don't want to sail a recommended boat they're not really interested in you. Having said this i'm going to be very hypocritical and get a radial, but i'll keep my options open by crewing in 200's.

Originally posted by sam knight i got the problem of being too light. The classes they want me to move up to are to big unless i got a really big crew, but i'm too old to stay in toppers

How much do you weigh? age?

Sam have you looked at the Topper Youth Squad???