The winners of the 29er and male Laser Radial classes in this year’s Volvo RYA Youth Championships and Trials will be invited to join the GBR Challenge training programme for a day. These sailors have been chosen, as their classes are not selected for the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship 2001, they will however, form part of the 100-strong Volvo RYA Youth Squad.

Peter Harrison commented: “As one of the aims of our programme is to ensure that there are British America’s Cup Challenges in the future, we are keen to support youth sailing in the UK. We are delighted to link with the Volvo RYA programme to offer some of their champions the chance to join GBR Challenge for a day.”

Ian Walker, Harrison’s Sailing Manager pointed out: “Many of our Sailing Team came through the RYA youth programme, and are indebted to it. It will be interesting for the youth sailors to join us for a day and it provides us with an opportunity to have a look at some of the best young sailors in the country. If, as we sincerely hope, Britain is in the next America’s Cup cycle, the youth squad sailors of today will be competing for places in the team.”

James Kendall for Volvo Car UK Ltd commented: “In sponsoring the grass roots sailing, the Volvo RYA Youth Sailing Programme has always looked to nurture young talent through their early sailing careers. The programme’s ultimate goals being to introduce more people into sailing but also to find future youth champions, who we hope will go onto compete in the Olympic arena and the Volvo Ocean Race. Now we are pleased they have an added goal, a British America’s Cup Challenge.”

“Sailing with the GBR Challenge crew on an IACC yacht will undoubtedly be an inspiring experience for the youth sailors as they can clearly see how sailors like Ian Walker and former youth world champion Andy Beadsworth, who learnt their trade in the RYA Youth Squad, have developed and gone to sail at this level. It’s another clear example to them that the Volvo RYA Youth Squad of today are the world’s top sailors of tomorrow,” remarked RYA Youth Manager Steve Joel.