The Eastern Region Zone Champs will be on 27th – 28th September, hosted just down the Blackwater by West Mersea YC and Dabchicks SC.
This regatta is a great first-time event for club level Junior class sailors, giving them the opportunity and support to get a real feel of a Championship atmosphere. It is a fantastic stepping stone into regional and national racing and race training programmes and also a key event for any young sailor wishing to be selected for the RYA Zone and Home Country Squads. Racing (for the Easter Region) will be for Topper, Cadet and Optimist (with ‘regatta’ sailing also for Teras and windsurfers).
Paul Wren, RYA High Performance Manager, commented: “The RYA Zone and Home Country Championships are always a fantastic experience for the young sailors and this year’s event will be no different. Taking place across nine venues across the UK, the regattas give sailors the opportunity to compete in a fun and friendly environment whilst under the watchful eye of their local RYA High Performance Manager. In addition, we are also expecting a handful of British Sailing Team members to attend a number of events this year to help inspire the next generation of sailors.”
So if you’re a Topper sailor, why not give it a go? You’ll have to enter by 21st September… you can submit your entry, together with the entry fee, online at www.ryaracingevents.org.uk. (Due to safety considerations and the size and complexity of the event, entries after this date cannot be accepted.)
AND… there is a fantastic offer from the John Merricks Sailing Trust! JMST will provide 10 boats each year for 5 years to be allocated to young sailors who “show potential, drive and enthusiasm who wouldn’t normally have the opportunity to buy their own boat“. These boats will be for the exclusive use of the lucky recipient for two years… then they’ll be passed to MSC.
Why not apply? I think there’s a realistic chance of getting one… but you MUST sail in the Zone Champs to be considered.