Rogers-Glanfield honour their promise to Children in Need

Fresh from winning a gold medal at the 2006 Qingdao International Regatta, the first Test Event for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, 470 sailors Nick Rogers and Joe Glanfield honoured their promise to Children in Need and on Monday 18 September, the pair took to the Solent on Pindar’s Volvo 60 accompanied by four students from A4e’s ‘Life Academy’ programme.

Last autumn, Skandia Team GBR’s Rogers and Glanfield helped raise a massive £10,000 for Children in Need at the charity’s star-studded auction, The Great Big Bid.

The Athens silver medalists offered eight people the chance to be put through their paces on a day sailing in the Solent area on a high performance sail-racing boat. This ‘money can’t buy experience’ gave the highest bidder the chance to learn the basics of sailing or to fine-tune their sailing skills.

The lot was bought by Emma Harrison who generously donated the prize to yet another good cause, the A4e’s groundbreaking ‘Life Academy’ programme which helps children that are finding education difficult, reduces the risk of young people being excluded from school and engages them in learning by taking a new approach to education.

In breezy conditions, Pindar’s crew for the day got kitted out for a blast from Gunwharf Quay, Portsmouth to Beaulieu and back.

Andrew Butler, a student at the Life Academy in Birmingham, came off the water elated. “It was a perfect day to sail. It was a right laugh, especially when my hat blew off over the side."

“We had a great sail!” Joe Glanfield enthused. “It was nice and breezy and all the kids got a chance to steer. We set up a little competition where the kids tried to beat each other’s boat-speed records.”

“Donating a day sailing to help Children in Need has been an absolutely rewarding experience. It was great that the money went to Children in Need, but that the actual day sailing was donated to yet another charity really made the event special for us. It’s an amazing feeling to know that we have made such a difference for people who will genuinely appreciate it.” Glanfield concluded.

Olympic 470 sailors Nick Rogers and Joe Glanfield have grown a reputation as one of the sailing world’s strongest pairings. They’ve achieved medals at Olympic, World and European competition and reached number one on the world rankings.

They teamed up together in 1997 and at just 23 and 21, went to the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. Though the pair were one of the most junior teams competing in their event, they ended just one point off a bronze medal.

Over the following four years Nick and Joe went from strength to strength and won 14 medals at international events, growing a reputation for having exceptional communication and team work skills as well as being renowned as the team that often moved into medal positions on the final day of racing.

In 2004 Nick and Joe won a medal at every international event including a gold medal at the European Championships and the year ended with a silver medal at the Athens Olympic Games.

Nick and Joe continue their Olympic dream and are currently campaigning to represent Great Britain at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, recently finishing in first place at the first Qingdao Olympic Test Event . Joe explained, “Our dream has always been to win a gold medal at the Olympic Games and we now have our sights on doing so in Beijing.”

For more information on Nick Rogers and Joe Glanfield please visit their website www.rogersglanfield.com or www.skandiateamgbr.com or contact the Royal Yachting Association on 02380 604 219.