The 2020 Queensland Youth Championships kicks off tomorrow, 23 September 2020, from Keppel Bay Sailing Club. With record entry numbers in both the coaching clinic and the Championships along with three days of top quality coaching, this year’s regatta is sure to be exciting! 

The coaching clinic was completed over three days with a new record number of 37 Green Fleet sailors attend.  Ella, the Sports Coordinator for Keppel Bay Sailing Club, explained with Covid-19 KBSC was unsure if this year’s event would go ahead and have the support of the Queensland Sailing community attending this year coaching clinic is impressive.

“Gary Bruce Head Coach for Green Fleet, when I first attended the Coaching Clinic we had 12 Green Fleet sailors enrolled back in 2016. Green Fleet has grown from strength to strength. All sailors have been eager to learn and progress their sailing skills. It`s been fun watching their confidence build through the camp and into the regatta days.”

With the introduction of Kite Foiling into the Olympic this year saw one of the new class join the QLD Coaching Clinic and Youth Championships.  Ryan Palk National Pathway Co-ordinator for Kitefoiling “Our focus is developing sailors ability to feel more connected with their performance goals, foiling frameworks and each other.  As such a new class, many sailors will not have met each other before, and so this will be a great chance to meet not only new training partners but also make new friends!”.

This year’s youth championships will see 155 competitors attending including the QLD Sabot and O’pen Skiff State Championships. 

Last years winner in the Sabot was Kelson Eaton will be a sailor to watch again including, last year saw Hayden Barney who won the Laser Radial has moved over to a 29er and teaming up with Blake Ejlertsen.

Sailors to watch this year in the Laser 4.7 Angus Wheatley or Travis Wadley and the Laser Radial Issac Schotte and France Beebe will be another sailor to watch for, and with the Kites joining the regatta we will have to wait to see who are the top place getters in the state.

For more information on the 2020 Queensland Coaching Clinic and Youth Championships see the website here.

Queensland Coaching Clinic and Youth Championships is proudly supported by Keppel Bay Sailing Club and Australian Sailing.

Follow all of the QLD Youth Championship action online at www.sailingyouth.org.au and via the socials for the latest interviews, images, videos and racing updates @AustSailYouth on Facebook and Instagram. #QLDYouthChamps