Cowes honour for young sailor
by Michael Ford 4 Aug 2018 15:37 BST
One of the principal trophies for yacht racing at Lendy Cowes Week Regatta is to be presented by a 14-year-old newcomer to sailing, thanks to an innovative move by the Royal Southampton Yacht Club.
The Club's Armitage Challenge cup will go to the winner of Class Zero racing by some of the biggest yachts at the regatta on Saturday, August 4, the opening day of the Cowes regatta, always the scene of some of the most competitive action on the water by international yachtsmen in a quest for honours.
By contrast, newcomer Jake Mitchener, from Romsey, Hampshire has been learning to sail with the Royal Southampton Yacht Club under a special programme through the charitable RSYC Trust to widen opportunities for sailing and focussing on young carers who have taken up the challenge of looking after parents or siblings.
The prizegiving will take place on the lawn of the Royal Yacht Squadron on Saturday, August 4 at 6pm.
The Royal Southampton Yacht Club is one of the nine Solent clubs that run the annual Cowes Week Regatta in partnership and for many years has made a major contribution to the organisation of the event and this year is fielding a larger and stronger team of race officers than ever.
Teenager Jake, a member of Romsey Young Carers. Jake cares for his mother who has had health issues following surgery, and has thrived learning to sail through the Royal Southampton Yacht Club Trust which is sponsoring him at the RYA On Board club at Southampton Water Activities Centre over the summer.
The RSYC Trust's aim is to provide opportunities for all to experience sailing. A major focus is on Young Carers and is working closely with Young Carer organisations in Southampton, and much of Hampshire in the New Forest, Romsey, Eastleigh, Winchester, Gosport, Fareham and Princess Royal Trust for Carers.
How RSYC Trust supports Young Carers
The RSYC Trust has an objective to provide opportunities for all to experience sailing. A major focus is on Young Carers and we are working closely with Young Carer organisations in Southampton, New Forest, Romsey, Eastleigh, Winchester, Gosport, Fareham and Princess Royal Trust for Carers.
The sailing programme usually starts with taster sessions leading on to RYA dinghy courses, yacht sailing and racing. One group of young carers is competing in a Sonar in the RSYC Summer Series and is currently leading the fleet. We aim not only to introduce young people to sailing but encourage them to keep sailing.
The Trust is working with Sport England Energise Me, Southampton Water Activities Centre and No Limits Southampton to create a Sailing Club for Young Carers in the Southampton.
Funding come from the RSYC, Local authorities and business such as Greggs, Cooperative Group and Red Funnel.
The work of the Trust gives young carers the chance to be young people free from their caring responsibilities through trusted activities.
RSYC Trust Trustee Graham Tracey, said: "The effect sailing has had on them has been amazing; building confidence, giving self esteem and an opportunity to be in control of their own small dinghy in a healthy outdoor activity. This in turn creates young people with a sense of accomplishment, recreational therapy, builds new skills, physical and emotional health, teamwork, comprehension skills and awareness of waterways. There are also opportunities for young people to progress into a career linked to sailing via instructor courses and professional sailing qualifications.
"We identified that Young Carers were an often overlooked and neglected group of young people, who may not otherwise have the time to actively seek to be involved in community activities. We were also surprised how many young carers there are looking after parents, siblings and family members. and we recognise that many of the Young Carers have special needs themselves. Many of them struggle at school because of the pressures of their caring duties and they certainly have very limited opportunities to take up a sport."
The RYA has recognised that sailing activities has huge benefits to young people
Sailing provides broader learning, develop life skills. and has learning at its core.
Being on the water creates multiple situations where young people are challenged and tested as they learn a new sport or activity. A sailing club programme provides a safe and proven structure for this to happen and a great environment to help young sailors to develop the character attributes and capabilities that are so important for success in later life.
The six character attributes that sailing and water activities can help develop have been identified as Creativity, Teamwork, Determination, Communication, Independence and Confidence.