New Quay beach and harbour were a hive of activity on Saturday and Sunday 25th/26th February as 25 junior sailors and their parents from south and west Wales prepared to set sail for intensive training sessions in their Optimist dinghies.
The participants were all members of the Welsh Yachting Association (WYA) youth training squad with an average age of 9-10 years. The young sailors come together for regular sessions, normally in Cardiff Bay, as they prepare for national and international competitions.
Lead Coach, Nick Sawyer, said: “This is the first time the squad has trained in this part of Wales and for many of the children it is their first experience of sailing on the open sea. New Quay is an ideal venue for this type of race training with its ease of launching and recovery of boats.
“We are grateful to Cardigan Bay Watersports for providing a base for the sailors and their coaches who enjoyed a great weekend’s sailing. The weather was superb for the time of year and despite light winds our objectives were accomplished. The Welsh Yachting Association has a great record of preparing providing sailors for GB National and Olympic teams through its progressive training squads. The Optimist fleet is an important first step on this road and who knows, we might have a future Olympic medallist in the group.”
Stephen Wood, Principal of the Watersports Centre said: “We were pleased to be able to support the WYA with this event. In collaboration with New Quay Yacht Club, we are currently in discussions with the WYA to host the Volvo WYA Zone Championships in New Quay on the 29/30th of September this year.
“This important event of the WYA sailing calendar would see around 100 young sailors competing in a variety of dinghies. We are developing our own training programme for young Ceredigion sailors this year and hope to see some of them compete in September.”
Individuals interested in taking up sailing or joining the Cardigan Bay Watersports training programme for young sailors can find further information at www.cardiganbaywatersports.org.uk
