Badenoch boy Brown on crest of a wave
Badenoch-trained windsurfer Andy Brown will be going for gold when he competes at the upcoming RYA Youth National Championships on Monday.
The 16-year old member of Kincraig’s Loch Insh Sailing Club and Largs Sailing Club will take to the water in the RS:X windsurfing class, to race against the cream of British Youth Sailing.
The new Welsh National Sailing Academy, Plas Heli will play host to the 2016 RYA Youth National Championships.
Nearly 380 young sailors from across the United Kingdom are set to converge on the Lln Peninsula in North Wales for the premier competition in the youth sailing calendar which, for some, may yet provide a springboard into a future Olympic campaign.
Brown’s recent performance at the Olympic Classes Spring Series will be a boost as he won the weekend ahead of rival Matthew Carey.
“I feel very confident going into the youths,” said Brown, who lives in Glasgow. “The Spring Series was a good event and it’s great to see that my winter training is paying off. There's a lot of competitors at a high level, so it will be a challenging week, but I'm going to be focusing on the processes, sailing my own race and I’m looking to win it.”
Winning is certainly on the cards for Brown. He finished second at last year’s event behind Dan Wilson who has progressed into senior windsurfing.
Pwllheli will play host to the Youth Nationals for the first time in five years and Brown is looking forward to the North Wales venue: “Pwllheli looks great, I have sailed there before and I'm getting lots of information on it, so it should be fine. Some pre-training should enable me to get more familiar with the venue.”
The Youth Nationals is regarded as one of the premier competitions in the youth sailing calendar and Britain’s brightest young sailing talents will be vying for medals and, alongside the accolade of being crowned Youth National Champion, they will also be battling for selection to compete for Great Britain on the international stage. The event plays an important role in the selection process for the 2016 EUROSAF Youth European Championships taking place in Austria in August and the Youth World Sailing Championships in December.
The RYA Youth Nationals regatta has been a proven talent indicator for sailors who are likely to progress towards Olympic success. Previous winners of the competition include multiple Olympic gold medallists Ben Ainslie, Iain Percy and Sarah Ayton. RYA Youth Racing Manager Mark Nicholls said: “We’re looking forward to what I’m sure will be another great RYA Youth Nationals, and using the new facilities at the Welsh National Sailing Academy.”
“The Youth Nationals sees not only high class competition from our top sailors vying for Championship honours and squad selections, but it’s also a great platform for young talents making their first steps into the youth boats to see what the competition is all about.”
Great Britain’s top youth sailors will also have the chance to show off their talents in front of a Royal audience after confirmation that HRH The Princess Royal will be attending the 2016 RYA Youth National Championships on Friday (April 8).
Event registration and equipment inspection opens today (Saturday, April 2) and racing starts for all classes on Monday through to Friday 8 at the Welsh National Sailing Academy.
