The 2020 Qld Youth clinic at Keppel Bay Sailing Club saw the first group of Aussie junior sailors participate in kite racing as a new class in the ever popular camp experience hosted by Australian Sailing.

There were 6 sailors from a mixture of locations in Queensland – all keen to progress, make new friends and share the stoke. From the outset,  it was obvious to see the sailors were enjoying themselves as they learnt about the importance of challenge, supporting each other through struggle, and refining the fundamentals of their performance. 

Camp Coach and AS Kitefoil pathways manager Ryan Palk had this to say about the camp – “It was such a fantastic week. I was really impressed how the group came together to not only focus on their performance, but also connect with new people in their training group. It is so important for our young sailors to realise they have a real opportunity to create a culture in a new class and type of sailing that has real potential to grow our sport.  Watching the sailors learn, grow and interact with all the other sailors at the event, all sharing the same stoke - was really cool”.

The Keppel Bay Sailing Club  brought an extremely welcoming and proactive spirit from the outset, always finding a solution to any request the kiters threw at them and being extremely accommodating to our newest fleet – they really set the standard for inclusivity for

With beautiful conditions, a revamped foreshore and friendly people, the event really has the right platform and location to ensure our next generation are safe, having a blast and improving along the way. Palk – “As such a new class  with a developing pathway – the coaching techniques and progression models into the sport are in particular focus at these camps.This clinic was the first test ground for some of the new curriculum, language and fundamental models we have been working on to coach this sport. There is a lot that applies from the sailing mindset, but also a lot of body intelligence queues that need to be understood to nail the basics. Doing the simple things well in this class is of paramount importance, but not always easy.”

A great example of this in the kitefoil discipline is executing the humble tack.. Tacking is something we usually see sailors learn quite early on in their development, but in this class it takes a real focussed effort of coordination, practice and understanding of the forces in motion to nail the manoeuvre. “ It was very satisfying to see sailors here who had never tacked, or even attempted to tack before on a foil, start to nail  this skill within a 3 day period. Working on these simple concepts and breaking them down further in a supportive, fun environment will be the focus for the future of our grassroots programs” says Palk. 

The sailors were also fortunate to have a supportive group of parents, Keppel Bay Volunteers and  Australian Kitefoil National champion brother/sister team Breiana and Scott Whitehead as assistant coaches. Brei and Scott helped on and off the water, with the sailors throwing plenty of good questions at the duo as well as relishing the opportunity to ride with some of the best riders in the world.

So what did the kids say?

Oscar Timm – 16:  I felt really welcome and had a heap of fun at the Qld youth clinic and champs. There was some really close and good racing, and I think everyone who competed and took part in the clinic  had a really good time and learnt a lot. 

Jake Timm – 14 “the event was really mad! Was super fun doing the first youth states, and my first regatta ever. We were really welcomed into the event, all the other sailors and club officials really made sure we were looked after, and they were all super interested and had great questions about what we were doing, it was awesome.

Elliot Tobin – 16

The 2020 Qld Youth Clinic and Champs was flawless. KBSC put ion an awesome event with some beautiful conditions every day! The organisation of the event was great and the training helped everyone progress. The racing tight, and gnarly to say the least! With conditions and competition at a pristine level the event couldn’t have been better!

Rylie Sinclair – 16

I really liked the theme for week – which was Confidence. Everyone needs it to succeed and it can present itself in many different ways. This is something I  learnt over the course of the 2020 Queensland Youth Camp and Champs, and how it fits into kite foiling.  We gained new skills and improved our technique in training sessions tailored to our goals and skill levels, providing feedback and support to each other throughout. There was a really good sense of community, and I’m confident we will see even more sailors next year!

Kai Timm – Parent – from a parents perspective the event  was exceptional. We felt very well looked after, it was very safe and we made to feel very welcome. The conditions were a good challenge, The girls and boys got exposed to a range of conditions that they had to adapt to and I think that is great. We definetely can’t wait to come back next year”

The QLD Youth Clinic and Youth Champs will be run again next year during the school holidays, September 20-25. For those wishing to participate in kitefoiling, it is recommend that you start the learning process this summer so are you are well on your way to foiling come next year.

For more details, please contact ryan.palk@sailing.org.au