Final call to enter the 2014 RYA Zone and Home Country Championships 

Entries close Sunday 21 September

Sailors from across the country have up until Sunday 21 September to submit their entries for the 2014 RYA Zone and Home Country Championships.  

More than 1,000 young sailors are set to gather at nine Zone venues across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland on the weekend of 27-28 September for what is considered one of the premier events on the RYA Junior racing calendar.

The event is the RYA Regional Championship for each Zone and is aimed at sailors in local clubs under the age of 16 who are racing in the RYA pathway classes. It is a great first-time event for club sailors, giving them the opportunity to get a real feel of a Championship atmosphere.

The Championships are also a key event for any young sailor wishing to be selected for the RYA Zone and Home Country squads and provide the stars of the future with the perfect opportunity to test their racing skills in a fiercely competitive environment.  

Racing takes place across the nine RYA recognised Junior dinghy and windsurfing classes including the Mirror, Optimist, Topper, RS Feva, Cadets and the windsurfers on the Bic Techno using the open 4.5, and 5.8 rigs, and the Techno 6.8s and Techno 7.8s – classes vary according to each venue. All of the Zones and Home Country Championship events will also offer ‘novice’ regatta fleets for Toppers, Optimists and the RS Tera. Fleets will vary according to each venue.

Continuing on the exciting partnership between the RYA’s OnBoard participation programme and the John Merricks Sailing Trust, one lucky sailor from each venue will be given two years of exclusive use of their own boat donated by the Trust. After which the boats will be returned to the sailor’s original OnBoard club so other young OB sailors can continue to benefit in the future and progress into club and regional racing activities. For further details click here.  

In addition to the RYA High Performance Managers, sailors will have the chance to showcase their talents in front of some special guests from the British Sailing Team who will be making appearances at a number of venues.  

Competitors are urged to submit their entries, together with the entry fee, online at www.ryaracingevents.org.uk before Sunday 21 September. Due to safety considerations and the size and complexity of the event, entries after this date cannot be accepted.  

The 2014 RYA Zone and Home Countries Championships will be staged at the following venues:  

• South Zone – Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy

• South West Zone – Paignton Sailing Club • South East Zone – Bewl Valley Sailing Club

• East Zone – Dabchicks Sailing Club & West Mersea Yacht Club

• West – Blithfield Sailing Club • North – Derwent Reservoir Sailing Club

• Wales – Pembrokeshire Yacht Club • Scotland – Largs Sailing Club

• Northern Ireland – Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club  

For further information on the 2014 RYA Zone and Home Countries Championships and for details on how to enter, please visit the event website.