Royal London Yacht Club Young Sailor Performance Initiative
by Peter Taylor 20 Jun 2008 12:21 BST
The Royal London Yacht Club (RLYC) has launched a Performance Initiative to provide funding for young persons who have world class and Olympic potential in yacht racing.
Sponsorship has been provided in 2008 in conjunction with Roger Duckworth’s Highland Developments to members Rachel Larman and Henry Bagnall. Rachel is a key member of Josie Gibson’s Women’s Match Racing team who were 4th in the World Championships in New Zealand earlier this year ranking 13 in the world in this category. Henry is campaigning a Finn and was 14th in their World Championships in Australia in February.
The RLYC are also sponsoring Chris Rashley who is not a member but was born and is living on the Isle of Wight. Chris aged 19 from St Helens was selected for the RYA Tornado Olympic Squad in 2006 at the age of 17 and when the Tornado was deselected from the Olympics in late 2007 moved across to the very competitive 49er skiff.
Chris is hoping to be selected for the RYA Olympic Development Squad and receive RYA funding by the end of this year. He is currently campaigning his 49er with his crew Matt Gotrel full time and is almost entirely self funded. He has already been in the top 5 GBR boats at 49er events at Las Palmas, Hyeres and Holland Olympic class events and is currently training with the GBR Olympic 49er representatives Stevie Morrison and Ben Rhodes for Kiel Olympic Week and for other key events later this season.
The classes that Rachel, Henry and Chris sail have all been selected by the International Sailing Federation for the London Olympic sailing events which will take place at Weymouth in August 2012.
A key objective of the RLYC Performance Initiative is to provide sponsorship to young people from the Isle of Wight who have world class and Olympic potential in yacht racing.
Enquiries should be made to P J Taylor MBE, Royal London Yacht Club, the Parade, Cowes, PO31 7QS, telephone number 01983 299727.