Lough Erne Yacht Club

News > Volvo Champion Club Report

Created: 8/18/2009 7:19:05 AM, Updated: 8/18/2009 10:00:47 AM

The LEYC RYA Volvo Champion Club Programme is well under way now. Colin de Fleury, Senior Instructor has successfully led 3 junior courses one in July and two in August.


A rota has been drawn up for Race training on Sunday mornings.
10.30-1.30. This comprises of a Coach and an Instructor and enthusiastic parents to deliver the training.

The Volvo RYA Champion Club Programme recognises those sailing clubs with a commitment to the development of junior and youth racing and race training. At LEYC, we are committed. Our aim is to encourage young sailors at grass roots level to stay in the sport and learn to compete. This objective is good for the RYA and for our club, a better club = more and better sailors = more medals. !

Twenty-six children aged 8-15 enrolled in the July and August courses. 14 Sailors achieved an RYA level 3 ready to start race training. 9 sailors achieved an RYA level 2, and 3 achieved Level 1. Also 6 new juniors’ sailors have applied for junior membership.

Our vision with the assistance of the trained coaches and instructors is to ensure that the young sailors progress to the RYA squads and onwards maybe towards Olympic success.

Evelyn Hehir-Ghareeb, Youth co-ordinator LEYC, August 2009

British National Success
Two graduates from these LEYC courses in recent years, now teenagers, did well at July’s British National J/24 Championship in Cornwall.

Six sailors travelled from Northern Ireland. All were RYANI Laser youth squad sailors, four boys and 2 girls .Good results included Michael Molloy from East Down, 6th in the 4.7 fleet, Peter Cameron 8th, and LEYC’s Ashraf Ghareeb 11th. Likewise, Mia Macadorey, Carlingford SC, made 22nd overall in Radial Fleet, 96 boats Gold, Silver and Bronze. LEYC’s Ali Ghareeb was 12th in the Silver fleet overall.

Mark Taylor
Worth noting is another of LEYC’s ex-youth sailors, Mark Taylor, who progressed to a high level in race training, Mark has been coaching our J/24 fleet on Tuesday evenings. So we can expect top results and cups back to LEYC from September’s Irish J/24 National Championship on Lough Ree.