Webb joins selectors

Double Olympic medallist joins the team to determine the RYA Volvo National Youth Squad

Skandia Team GBR’s Sarah Webb OBE, has joined the RYA’s Selection Panel responsible for determining the 2010 RYA Volvo National Youth Squad as well as sailors set to receive International travel grants and places on international teams this season. As Britain’s most successful Crew ever at Olympic level, Webb brings to the panel a wealth of experience and knowledge gathered during her double Olympic Gold medal winning career in the Yngling keelboat.

Webb and the other five appointed selectors will be attending various indicator and review events over the season, including the RYA Volvo Youth National Championships next month, where they will be assessing sailors skills, attitude and performance. They will use their observations as well as the results data to informed to ensure RYA Team GBR has the best chance of winning medals at both European and World level this season.

The panel will also be responsible for making selections for RYA Volvo Team GBR – the team that will compete at the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championships this year 8-17th July in Istanbul, Turkey. As the principle selection event, selectors will be carefully watching the top sailors whilst monitoring the conditions at the RYA Volvo Youth National Championships to ensure that those who finish first-past-the-post at the event are indeed the best prospects for winning medals at the worlds. As with last year, if selectors feel these sailors are not the team’s best prospects they will extend the series or draw on previous results and secondary indicators to make their decisions.

The selection policies for the RYA Volvo National Youth Squad and RYA Volvo Team GBR follow exactly the same format as last year’s improved versions and set out to provide more clarity and security for sailors and parents aiding them to both plan and budget more effectively for their competitive season ahead.

RYA Youth Racing Manager Duncan Truswell explains; “We had good feedback after last year’s changes to the policy documents so we have more or less followed the same principles for this year. We have however added a little more clarification to continue the drive towards greater transparency regarding; training alongside the squads, transferring to the Paralympic squad versus staying in the Youth Squads and Youth grant usage in conjunction with Development Squad grants.”

As well as detailing indicator and review events, the 2010/11 RYA Volvo Youth Squad policy document sets out all available coach support and international travel grants as it did last year, breaking down grants where possible to indicate exactly what parental contribution is required to mitigate any ambiguity as to parental financial commitment.

“We’re pleased to announce the number of grants and international competition opportunities this season has increased allowing even more squad sailors to experience and learn from international events. By giving parents more solid financial figures to budget with, it should make the planning process easier and less stressful for all parties involved, ultimately enabling more sailors to attend international regattas and be even more prepared for competition thereby furthering their potential in terms of results,” Truswell concluded.

Entries for the RYA Volvo Youth Nationals remain open at www.ryaracingevents.org.uk until Sunday 28 March.