10 March 2009
Great Britain's most promising young sailors will 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 RYA Youth National Championships and Trials 2009 at Largs Sailing Club next month.
Around 250 of the country's best Youth (19 and under) dinghy racers and windsurfers will converge on the West Coast of Scotland for five days between Monday 13 and Friday 17 April to do battle at what is regarded as British Youth sailing's premier annual racing event.
Having previously attended the RYA Youth Nationals at Largs in 2005, HRH The Princess Royal, President of the Royal Yachting Association, will again return to the venue to see the latest crop of talented British sailors coming through the ranks on Wednesday 15 April.
RYA Youth Racing Manager, Duncan Truswell said: "It will be a great privilege for the competitors to race in the company of HRH The Princess Royal and as always we are very grateful to Her Royal Highness for supporting this event. We are always made to feel so welcome when we bring the Youth Nationals to Largs and are looking forward to another week of top class racing this year."
10 Youth classes, totalling around 200 boats, will race at Largs with Scottish youngsters Lorenzo Chiavarini (Laser Radial) from Bellanoch Bay and 420 class duo Shandon's Anna Burnett and Flora Stewart from Edinburgh among those providing the host nation's best chances of medal success.
Among previous big name RYA Youth National Champions are three-time Olympic gold medallist Ben Ainslie, Beijing 2008 Yngling gold medal winner Pippa Wilson and Skandia Team GBR's double World champion 470 helm Nic Asher.
John Kent, Chairman of the Scottish Sailing Institute, said it was always an honour for Largs to host the Championships and they were looking forward to once again welcoming HRH The Princess Royal to Largs.
He added: "The Scottish Sailing Institute has been working closely with the RYA to ensure the success of this Championship. In previous years many of the British Olympic sailors have attended this event early in their careers and the visit of HRH The Princess Royal of course adds to the prestige of the event."
As well as acting as the RYA Youth National Championships, as always the event doubles up as a selection event for the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championships, which this year take places in Buzios, Brazil in July. Last year, Great Britain finished top of the ISAF Youth Worlds medal table and claimed the prestigious Volvo Trophy for the top performing nation for the first time in 1996.
For more information on the 2009 RYA Youth National Championships and Trials visit www.ryaracingevents.org.uk