Report by D’Arcy Kemp (IYD Coach)

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Last Sunday saw the conclusion of the 2024 Interclub Challenge. The regatta is composed of four, one-day fleet racing rounds hosted by NCYC, RSYS, RPAYC and CYCA and is designed as a friendly competition among each of the club’s junior keelboat squads.

The RPAYC was represented by teams from both the Intermediate Youth Development squad and some Youth Development sailors.

The focus of RPAYC’s participation in this event is to provide as many IYD and YD sailors the opportunity to compete in introductory Keelboat racing events. Sailors came away with valuable racing experience to reinforce the learnings of the last couple of months of training.

The coaches and Club are very impressed with the spirit, tenacity and drive that the sailors have brought to this year’s programme and have improved out of sight from where they started, and we are excited for the future of these young and emerging sailors.

Finally, congratulations to the team of skippered by Will Hough for coming away as boat of the day on Sunday’s final Interclub Challenge round, hosted by the CYCA. The same team raced at the Alfreds’ event, placing third on home waters, but turned it on for the final round. They won three of the six races and sailed the course exceptionally well in somewhat unpredictable conditions.

There are only a couple of weeks remaining in the IYD programme for 2024, and the sailors will now turn their focus to sailing asymmetrical spinnakers in preparation for the Mick Hole regatta 20-21 July.

Thank you to Andrew Lee (RSYS Parent) for his excellent photos of the last two rounds of the series.