Following a massive response from Clubs around the UK the RYA has announced the dates for this year's Honda RYA Youth RIB Championship
Following a massive response from Clubs around the UK the RYA has announced the dates for this year’s Honda RYA Youth RIB Championship.
Showcasing some of the hottest youth powerboating talent around, the Championship provides a responsible way of encouraging young people into the sport of powerboating in a competitive, safe and controlled environment. With regional heats taking place all over the country there’s still time to get involved in what promises to be an exciting summer of events.
This year’s competition looks to be full of action as clubs enter their representatives to battle it out for the top prize of an Avon 450 RIB fitted with a Honda 40hp 4-stroke outboard on an Indespension trailer. The Championship follows the same format as last year in which kids firstly compete within their club for the chance to go through to the regional final, with the regional winners progressing to the national final. Competitors are spilt into two age ranges: 8-12 and 13-16 in which they have to battle the clock completing individual time trials with boat handling skill drills.
The 2003 finals will take place in front of crowds of spectators at the Southampton Boat Show on September 13th. 2002 Junior Champion Thomas Morgan, who won the Championship in a fantastic 1 minute 33 seconds, enthused, “To win the RIB for my club gave everyone there a brilliant opportunity to get into powerboating. I really enjoyed testing my abilities against other kids – the whole competition has been loads of fun.”
The RYA’s event director Andrew Norton said, “It is great to see kids all over the country competing in the RIBs and this year we’ve had an unprecedented number of entries already. There are some very talented youngsters out there and this gives them a chance to show us what they can do. For kids between the ages of eight and sixteen this is the perfect time for them to be introduced to powerboating. The Honda RYA Youth RIB Championship provides them with a safe, well structured competition for them to hone their skills. Although it’s a competition it is open to everyone in the clubs within the age groups. Even kids who have not tried powerboating take part and have fun.”
The dates and venues of the regional finals are as follows:
Thames Valley, Boats on Show – Sunday 18 May
North East, Wear Boating Association – Saturday 31 May
Northern Ireland, Ballyholme Y.C – Saturday 7th June
West Midlands, Midland Powerboat Racing Club – Saturday 21 June
Eastern, Stewartby Water Sports Club Sailing School – Saturday 12 July
North West, Lancs Powerboat Racing Club – Saturday 19 July
South East, Pevensey Bay Sailing Club – Saturday 26 July
Overseas, Guernsey Y.C – Saturday 2nd August
East Midlands, National Water Sports Centre – Sunday 10 August
Southern, Parkstone Yacht Club – Tuesday 12 August
Yorkshire & Humberside, Welton Sailing Club – Friday 15 August
Scotland, Port Edgar Sailing School & Marina – Monday 18 August
Wales, TBC – 5 July
SW Plymouth, Mountbatten Centre – Saturday 6 Sept
FINAL, Southampton International Boat Show – Sat.13th September
