The UCKRA Youth National Spitfire Squad spent a fantastic four days of half term winter training at Datchet Water Sailing Club. Coached under the direction of RYA Youth Head Multihull Coach Paul Wakelin for two days, Monday saw the arrival, for a further two days, of guest coach Olympic Gold medallist Pippa Wilson MBE.
The light winds of the first three days gave Paul & Pippa some great conditions for the boats to practice starts and tactics in what are likely to be very similar conditions that will be experienced by whichever team is selected to represents GBR at the ISAF Youth World Championships in Malaysia later this year.
Pippa continued the format into the last days training with slightly stronger winds and clear blue skies for some much deserved ‘champagne sailing’.
The class is actively going from strength to strength under the direction of the new committee and the commitment of both UKCRA and RYA open training. Spitfire Youth will have completed 22 days training over this winter and will see the strongest fleet ever at the RYA National Youth Championships in April.
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With advances in sailing technology centred on foiling and multihulls it is no surprise that we have seen a steady increase in sailor numbers coming to the Spitfire. With a steady flow of new announcements concerning youth multihulls including RED BULL’s Youth Foiling Challenge, the Youth America’s Cup, the Nacra 17’s introduction to the Olympic games in 2016 and the forth coming completion of the BAR Racing HQ in Portsmouth youth multihull sailing has never looked stronger.
If you are a young sailor in the process of transition this season from junior into youth or a youth sailor in one of the other pathway boats interested in the future of high speed sailing through multihulls do come and visit us on the Spitfire stand C6 at the RYA Dinghy Show and hear first hand, from the youth who are sailing them, all about the exciting class developments of events and training for the coming year.
