THERE were celebrations from South Bromsgrove High School which was awarded the Best School Team trophy at the Worcestershire Youth Sailing (YSA) OnBoard Regatta.
Lia Horne, also from South Bromsgrove, took the Margaret Alton Award for Best Girl and Izzy Rollit from Westacre Middle and Claudia James Evans from Bowbrook House were awarded the Collings Cup for Enthusiasm to the Fun Racing Fleet.
The event, held since 1982, took place at Upton Warren Sailing Club and was contested by the most experienced and talented young sailors from ten schools from across the county.
The OnBoard Regatta was formerly known as the Worcestershire Schools’ Sailing and Canoeing Association (WSSCA).
WYSA aims to help young people under 19 develop in dinghy sailing.
It recently became one of the first organisations in the country to receive British Youth Sailing Recognised Club status celebrating excellence in developing future sailing stars.
Many of the youngsters have learned to sail with their schools through RYA OnBoard, the national sailing programme providing low cost opportunities for kids aged eight to 18 to learn to sail and stay in the sport.
Vivien Brookes, WYSA Chair, said: “You could see the confidence the sailors had acquired both on the water and off it in the way they communicated and how determined and independent they were, and it was fantastic to see the newer or less experienced sailors want to push themselves.”
Alice Russell and Lia Horne decided to take up the challenge of racing with the senior fleet and did exceptionally well, finishing third and fourth.
A willing team of 17 volunteers supported the event with the regatta coming to a close with the traditional ‘thank you’ BBQ.
Other schools from the area which took part included Dodderhill Independent Girls School and Droitwich Spa High School.
Since 2005, OnBoard has helped over three quarters of a million young people try sailing and windsurfing and learn an activity that often stays with them for life.
Visit http://www.wysa.club for more information on the Worcestershire Youth Sailing Club or go to www.rya.org.uk/go/onboard for more details on how schools and clubs can get involved in RYA Onboard.
