Medway Lads Geared Up For National Powerboat Final 

Harry and Morgan will represent South East at Honda RYA Youth RIB Championships

Two young Medway Yacht Club powerboat aces will take on the UK’s best young RIB (Rigid Inflatable Boat) driving talent when they compete at the National Final of the Honda RYA Youth RIB Championship at the PSP Southampton Boat Show on Sunday (14 September).

Harry Chung, 14, from Chatham, and 11-year-old Morgan Glass, from Dartford, will go head to head against the 13 other regional 13-16 years and 8-12 years age-group champions respectively at the national grand final after they clinched the South East regional age-group titles last month.

This will be Harry’s second national final, having qualified for the Southampton showdown in the younger 8-12 age-group two years ago, while Morgan makes his national final debut. 

Harry admits he took plenty from his own national bow in 2012 to try to make his mark amongst the older drivers this time out.

He said: "Last time I tried doing everything too fast, so I'm going to try to focus and take my time a bit more this year. I was really pleased at the regional final as I achieved my best time so far. I love that I've got the chance to go to nationals again and try to win a boat for my club."

Now in its 13th year, the Honda RYA Youth RIB Championship is Britain’s leading programme introducing kids to powerboats and training them to be safe, proficient drivers and excellent boat handlers.

RIBs are light, manoeuvrable craft and the boats driven in the Honda RYA Youth RIB Championship can hit speeds of up to 25mph. 

The youngsters compete in time trials around sets of marks with the driver with the fastest time in each age-group - 8-12 years and 13-16 years - crowned national champion, winning either a Highfield 460 or a Honwave T40 RIB for their club.

With the emphasis on swift, efficient and safe manoeuvring, the skills the youngsters develop through the Honda RYA Youth RIB programme are a great chance for them to experience the thrill of racing a small powerboat and invaluable in developing safe, proficient powerboat drivers to support sailing clubs in running the activities they want to get more people out on the water more often.

Harry added: "Since the regional final I have been practicing by doing the whole course and some extra practice on the stop buoy, which I've been working especially hard on improving. I think it’s really important youngsters like us get to do events like this because we need to learn that it's not all about going fast but about control as well.”

The newly crowned 2014 Honda RYA Youth RIB champions will also take on representatives from the Royal Lymington Yacht Club and Royal Motor Yacht Club in a head-to-head showdown to determine the winner of the Honda RYA Youth RIB Champion of Clubs Trophy. 

Andrew Norton, RYA Powerboat Project Manager and Event Director said: “With so many talented young RIB drivers across the country the 2014 titles and the Champion of Clubs trophy could belong to anyone. Qualifying for the  Honda RYA Youth RIB Championship national final is a huge achievement as it not only means these youngsters can drive the RIBs at speed but they can handle them safely under pressure.”

Tom Busfield, Honda RYA Youth RIB Event Manager, added: “The expert level of RIB driving we have seen across the UK means things are really hotting up for this year’s final. Youngsters have been training hard in the hope that they will be crowned 2014 champions. Good luck to everyone taking part”.