Girton Lads Seal National Powerboat Final Spots
East Midlands champs George and Max return to Southampton Boat Show
Two young Girton Sailing Club youngsters will fly the flag for the East Midlands at the national Honda RYA Youth RIB Championship final in September after clinching age-group titles at the Championship’s regional heats on home waters on Saturday (27 June).
George Baxter, 12, and 16-year-old Max Toby will go head-to-head against the 13 other regional age-group champions at the Honda RYA Youth RIB Championship showdown at the PSP Southampton Boat Show on Sunday 13 September following their success in the 8-12 and 13-16 age groups respectively at the regional final hosted by Girton Sailing Club, north of Newark on the Lincolnshire / Nottinghamshire border.
This is the third successive year that George has qualified for the national grand final in the 8-12 age-group, finishing 10th (2013) and eighth (2014) on the previous two occasions, while it will be a fourth national finals for Max who qualified for two years running in the younger age-group in 2010 and 2011 before going on to beat drivers three years his senior to finish a hugely-impressive fourth in the 13-16 years age-group in 2012.
Now in its 14th year, the Honda RYA Youth RIB Championship, sponsored by Honda and Highfield, is Britain’s leading programme introducing kids to powerboats and training them to be safe, proficient drivers and excellent boat handlers.
George, who moves into the older age-group next year, said: “I’m nervous and excited to be in the national final again. I’m confident I will do my best in Southampton, I can’t wait!”
Max, who will make his final Honda RYA Youth RIB Championship at Southampton, added: “The person who has trained me and pushed me to do well has fallen ill so I’d really like to do him proud to say thank you."
RIBs (Rigid Inflatable Boats) 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 qualifying for the national final. Skills they must show include slalom, stopping, reversing round a mark and a blast to the finish.
In great conditions, with the weather warm and water calm, both George and Max took regional victory with winning margins of three seconds ahead of their nearest challengers.
George clocked a best run of 1min 29secs to edge out Carsington SC’s Max Hattersley in second, while Max’s best time of 1min 05secs put him ahead of 2012 national finalist, Thomas Coleman (Burton SC).
The overall national champion in each age-group wins a Honwave T40 RIB with a Honda BF20 engine (8-12 years) or a Highfield 460 RIB with a Honda BF50 engine (13-16 years) for their club.
Steve Morris, Head of Power Products for Honda (UK) said: "We are delighted to continue our long and successful partnership with the RYA in supporting the Honda RYA Youth RIB Championship.
"Both Honda and Highfield are only too pleased to support the RYA in its efforts to inspire and encourage young people to develop their skills and to promote safe and responsible boating through this unique championship."
For more information about the Honda RYA Youth RIB Championship visit www.rya.org.uk/go/hondayouthrib