Training

The RYA UK Youth programme, British Youth Sailing (BYS), is designed to enable the best British sailors to develop their racing skills so that they can succeed on the international stage. It is aimed at sailors with the potential for world-class performance.  BYS sailors should have the potential to meet the below criteria: 

• To qualify to represent Great Britain at the World Sailing Youth World Championships

• To perform at World and European Championships

• To successfully transition into the British Sailing Team olympic pathway 

• To develop a lifelong passion for the sport

As an RYA Youth Pathway class, the RYA typically selects the top Nacra 15 teams to be part of the RYA Youth Squad, with winter training focusing on developing key skills, behaviors and undertstanding, while the summer training programme focuses on racing performance. 

RYA Youth Squad training is coached by our RYA Nacra 15 head coach Theo Williams. Full information on selection criteria can be found here.

As a class, we organise training camps for sailors who are not part of the RYA UK Youth Squad. To promote inclusivity, and encourage sharing or knowledge between newer and more experienced teams, we run our class open training alongside RYA UK Youth Squad training, with shared onshore and on the water sessions to allow all teams to learn from one another.

Our Class Open Training is lead by Class Development Coach, Ben Harris, and entry for these training camps can be found here.

With a strong history of youth catamaran sailing, and one of the strongest Nacra 17 programmes in the world, there are lots of opportunities for private coaching in the UK, a great way to work on specific aspects of your sailing, whether that is learning the basics of sailing then boat, or seeking marginal gains at the top level! 

Coaches who have previously delivered coaching in the past include ex-Nacra 15 sailors, Nacra 17 champions, Olympians and Americas Cup sailors, often keen to share their expertise in the most exciting youth class!