Sign up for RNZYS youth training weeks

RNZYS training fleet of Elliott 7s © RNZYS

The Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron are seeking teams for this year’s 2020 MasterCard National Youth Training Weeks.

The weeks are designed specifically for younger teams from secondary schools or yacht clubs around New Zealand keen to get involved in keelboat racing.

Held at Kawau Island, the event is split in to two separate weeks between December 7-13 and December 13-19 – teams take part in only one week.

Each year yacht clubs and secondary schools from around New Zealand are invited to send a four-person youth crew to share in the intensive sailing experience synonymous with the world-renowned RNZYS MasterCard Youth Training Programme (YTP).

Teams taking part in the MasterCard National Youth Training Weeks are then encouraged to get involved in the MasterCard YTP and the Harken National Secondary School Keelboat Championships.

The week of training gives young sailors the opportunity to receive intensive theoretical and practical instruction in the various aspects of competitive keelboat racing in a disciplined environment. The Squadron provides an experienced range of world-class coaches to assist in running the event, including RNZYS YTP head coach Reuben Corbett, current YTP sailors and graduates, along with other professional sailors.

Not only is the week a good learning experience on the water for these teams, but it is also a great team building and character building exercise as the teams are away from home in a school camp-like environment.

The RNZYS National Youth Training weeks were established in 1989 and have seen thousands of young keelboat sailors come through the programme.

“It’s always a very exciting and fun week," Corbett said. "It’s very rewarding as a coach because we have a lot of kids come through who don’t have a lot of experience in keelboat sailing but by the time they leave they have learned a lot and are much more confident and knowledgeable in keelboat sailing and are ready to take it to the next level.”

Trainees must be between 14 and 20 years of age and have a reasonable standard of sailing competency and experience. Teams must be made up of four sailors to fit the four team positions of helm, main, trim and bow, however, individual entries are also accepted.

All training is completed in the Squadron's fleet of Elliott 7 keelboats.

If you wish to enter a team or individual in this year’s National Youth Training Weeks then please complete and expression of interest form here or email rcorbett@rnzys.org.nz

See here for more information on the RNZYS National Youth Training Weeks.