NZL Yachting Trust Youth Team countdown to Youth Worlds
Less than one week from now the 2010 Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championships will get underway in Istanbul, Turkey.
The twelve sailors that make up the 2010 NZL Yachting Trust Youth Team are counting down to the prestigious regatta which attracts close to 350 sailors representing 63 nations from around the globe.
Warming up in Europe right now is New Zealand’s 29er duo of Alexandra Maloney and Sam Bullock, currently competing at the 29er European Championship in Costa Brava, Spain. With two days remaining the kiwis are lying third in the gold fleet finals.
New Zealand’s 420 crews of James Turner and Logan Dunning-Beck, and Erica Dawson and Vicky Francis have been at Kiel Week, Germany to prepare them for the challenge of international competition they will face at the Youth Worlds. Turner and Dunning-Beck finished in eighth place in the fleet of close to 200 boats.
“The boys sailed a really impressive regatta showing consistency in the light tricky winds,” reports Youth Head Coach and Manager Ian Neely. “They were a click off the pace of some of the very light top teams who were using their own equipment but the highlight of their regatta was their starting.”
"The boys have worked really hard on their starting in the last four months and it really showed it was a credit to their training.”
New Zealand has a representative in each of the eight classes to be contested at next week’s Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championships in Istanbul. Competition starts on Sunday 11th July with registration, boat allocation and practice races on the preceding days.
The schedule is as follows…
Thursday 8th July – Official Arrival Day
Friday 9th July – Training day
Saturday 10th July – Practice races
Sunday 11th July – Race day one: 3 Races
Monday 12th July – Race day two: 3 Races
Tuesday 13th July – Lay day
Wednesday 14th July – Race day three: 3 Races
Thursday 15th July - Race day four: 3 Races
Friday 16th July – Race day five: 1 Race and closing ceremony
Saturday 17th July – Departure day
See the team announcement more information on the 2010 NZL Yachting Trust Youth Team.
In behind the NZL Yachting Trust Youth Team are long-time principal sponsor the NZL Yachting Trust. Yachting New Zealand is delighted to welcome Oceanbridge Shipping as a key sponsor and the team will wear SLAM Advanced Technology Sportswear.
About the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championships
The ISAF Youth Worlds was first held in Sweden in 1971. The 2010 Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship in Istanbul, Turkey will be the 40th Championship.
Past notable winners include American’s Cup skippers, Chris Dickson (NZL), Russell Coutts (NZL), Dean Barker (NZL); Olympic medallists, Robert Scheidt (BRA), Amelie Lux (GER), Ben Ainslie (GBR), Nick Rogers (GBR) and Siren Sundby (NOR); Volvo Ocean Race sailors like Stuart Bannatyne (NZL) and Richard Clarke (CAN).