In search of the next Shirley

RYA Scotland are starting a search for tomorrow’s Olympic stars

Royal Yachting Association (RYA) Scotland is taking steps to make Scots a major force in Olympic sailing.

A study will be carried out over the summer to find out how to encourage more people to take up the sport north of the Border and so increase the chances of finding new talent.

The three-month investigation will look at the sailing that takes place in Scotland’s clubs to find out if there is a way it could be improved and become more appealing.

It will also look at the likely benefits from encouraging clubs to develop fleets with the same types of boats and holding fleet racing. It’s thought this could lead to increased training and a more active social side – both of which are crucial when it comes to keeping people interested.

The eventual aim is to have more Scots becoming good enough for not only the Scottish Sailing Squad but the British Olympic Sailing Team as well. From there, it’s hoped they will win selection to go for Olympic gold and follow in the footsteps of people like double Olympic gold medal winner Shirley Robertson.

RYA Scotland High Performance Manager Roy McCubbin said: “This is a vital piece of research which could give us a blueprint for growing sailing in Scotland.

“If we can increase the number of people coming into the sport, we have a greater chance of finding the stars of tomorrow for Scotland and Great Britain.

“We already have a small number of sailors who we expect will have a chance of being selected for the London Olympics but we need more coming through.”

RYA Scotland Chief Operating Officer Agnes Barclay said: “Finding the next Olympic sailors is one of the organisation’s primary aims and we are confident this study will take us forward.

“Once we have analysed the outcomes in the autumn, we will prepare a proposal to source funding from SportScotland to implement a plan of action to improve competitive sailing for everyone while increasing our chances of finding the next Shirley Robertson.”