A total of 297 competitors have entered the annual Volvo RYA Youth Championships and World Trials, being held at the Weymouth and Portland Sailing Academy this week.

Sunday was the first chance for the youth sailors to get a taste of the competition, competing in a practice race in a good south-westerly breeze, although many chose not to finish due to sailing superstition.

Due to the high number of entries, the 117 boat Laser Radial class has been split into two fleets.

297 of Britain’s top young sailors will be competing to win a place in the prestigious Volvo RYA Youth Squad, and represent Great Britain at the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championships to be held in Canada this July. This event is the most important youth racing event in the UK calendar – one that has launched the careers of many top sailors such as Sydney gold medallists Ben Ainslie and Iain Percy.

Fresh from his success at the Princess Sofia Olympic Classes Regatta in Palma, Paul Goodison will be on the water selecting the Laser sailors for the Volvo RYA Youth Squad and the talented sailor that will represent Great Britain at the ISAF Youth Worlds. Assisting Goodison with the selection of the Lasers and 29ers will be David Campbell-James, Tim Robinson and Chairman of Selectors, Jeremy Vines.

This evening (Tuesday), members of Great Britain’s America’s Cup Team, GBR Challenge, including Andy Beadsworth a previous RYA Youth sailor who competed at the ISAF Youth Worlds in 1989 and won Gold, will debrief the sailors on the days action and follow this up with a talk about the exciting developments that are taking place in the GBR Challenge camp.