Countdown begins to the RYA Sail for Gold Roadshow

RYA Sail for Gold Roadshow © Jesus Renedo

With Rio 2016 just around the corner, there's now only two weeks to go until the start of the RYA Sail for Gold Roadshow.

During the Olympic sailing medal race week (14-18 August), the RYA will be hitting the road to visit six venues which have a special connection with the sailing team's potential medal contenders and offering free sailing and windsurfing.

As well as the taster sessions, you can watch the Olympic sailing drama unfold with live medal races shown at 5pm on big screens. Members of the British Sailing Team who aren't competing in Rio will also be joining us to provide sailing master classes and offering analysis and commentary during racing.

The Sail for Gold Roadshow will begin at WPNSA on Sunday 14 August, the medal race day for the windsurfers including British stars Bryony Shaw and Nick Dempsey, and will travel across the UK before finishing with events in Glasgow and Rutland.

Cardiff Bay Yacht Club, the home club of Silver Medallist Hannah Mills, will be hosting the Welsh Sail for Gold event to coincide with the medal races in the 470 class.

Dinghy Chairman Sean Carter said: "This is great for the club and also for the city of Cardiff, we are very unusual in having a sailing club right in the heart of a major city. The roadshow will be on the same day as the medal race in Hannah's event and of course she did a lot of her early sailing here, we're all really behind her and hope she can get gold this time round."

Olympic Silver Medallist Saskia Clark said: "The Roadshow is a fantastic way to bring all the excitement of the Games into our home clubs and it will mean so much when we're out in Rio to know everyone will be at home supporting us. It will also be great to see the Games inspiring people to get on the water and have a go for themselves".

There is no need to book for the Sail for Gold Roadshow events, just come along and get involved! For more information visit www.rya.org.uk/roadshow

Event at Grafham SC

It doesn't matter if you've never stepped in a boat or on a windsurfer before, you and your friends and family can get afloat and sample the freedom and exhilaration of a fantastic outdoor sport at this friendly club. The sessions will be lead by qualified instructors supported by club members who will be on hand to take you afloat. The club will provide all of the equipment and information you need and give you a superb introduction to sailing and windsurfing. Buoyancy aids will be provided, but please bring your own soft shoes and a change of clothes.

Alongside the taster sessions, all visitors and club members will have the opportunity to meet members of the British Sailing Team, with inside knowledge on all the action in Rio as well as advice on how you can get into sailing and maybe start your own Olympic journey.

Some of these team members will give a master class from 12:00 to 16:00 with tips and techniques for sailing catamarans and Finn dinghies. If you sail a cat or a Finn, you're welcome to bring you boat along (no charge) but please let us know in advance if you're coming along, by emailing

Visitors can enjoy refreshments and learn more about the sport before watching the Finn and Nacra 17 medal races on the big screen sin the top floor of the clubhouse from 17:00.

With Ben Saxton (current club member) competing in the Nacra 17 Class, and Giles Scott (past club member) competing in the Finn Class there will hopefully be a chance to see the local heroes go for gold.

Both Ben and Giles spent their formative sailing years at the club. Ben was there as recently as last month for the Anglian Water Grafham Water 50th celebrations and stayed on to show the way around from the front of a Flying Fifteen in the Wednesday evening racing.

"The Roadshow is a fantastic way to bring all the excitement of the Games into our home clubs and it will mean so much when we're out in Rio to know everyone will be at home supporting us" said Olympic Silver Medallist Saskia Clark. "It will also be great to see the Games inspiring people to get on the water and have a go for themselves".

RYA Sport Development Manager Duncan Truswell said: "We're delighted to be able to support our athletes as they go for gold in Rio. Each of these events will be a fantastic opportunity for locals to come down and get afloat during what will be a fantastic summer of sailing and find out why sailing can be so much fun at all levels. We'd like to thank each of the sailing venues that have played significant roles during the sailors' journeys and have helped make these events possible. We hope to see everybody turn out to cheer our sailors home."