Girton Powerboat Pair Geared Up For National Showdown
George and Max set to do battle for East Midlands at Honda RYA Youth RIB final
Two young Girton Sailing Club powerboaters are steeling themselves to go head-to-head against the country’s top young drivers in a test of skill and nerve in the national final of the Honda RYA Youth RIB Championship at the Southampton Boat Show on Sunday (13 September).
George Baxter, 12, and 16-year-old Max Toby, who sail at the club on the Nottinghamshire/Lincolnshire border, will pit their wits against the 13 other regional age-group champions in the national showdown after claiming the East Midlands regional crowns in their respective 8-12 and 13-16 years age-groups in August.
Now in its 14th 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 (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.
This is the third successive year 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.
Meanwhile it will be a fourth and last 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. He wants to go out with a bang.
Max said: "I’m determined to win. I haven’t had much practice in a RIB since the regional final, but my aim is to complete the course in less than one minute, which would be great. It’s always penalties that get me and I hit two buoys in the regional final, so if I can avoid that I hope to do well.”
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.
Andrew Norton, RYA Powerboat Projects Manager, said: “The RYA is delighted to see such a high standard set across all regional competitions. The Honda RYA Youth RIB Championship is a great way of helping young sailors become proficient and safe powerboat drivers, and we look forward to the final at Southampton Boat Show.”
Steve Morris, Head of Power Equipment for Honda (UK), added: “We are pleased to continue our long and successful partnership with the RYA in supporting the Honda RYA Youth RIB Championship in its 14th year. Honda and our boat partner Highfield are delighted to support the RYA in its endeavours to motivate and encourage young people to develop their skills and to promote safe and responsible racing through this unique and exciting championship.”