Next Gen. Sharpie sailors at GBYC
As Most sailors know, one of the greatest difficulties facing young sailors these days is choosing a class of boats to sail which best suits them. At GBYC, with a bunch of Sharpies in the water every week with a wealth of experience, it has made Sharpie sailing to juniors even more welcoming. With a good fleet to our club, a great fleet within our state and a national competition beyond most other national classes, Sharpies really are becoming a great option for our juniors to step up into and move forward. I'll explain how;
First Junior James Newton; recruited at 15: The Uninvited. It seems our juniors are getting bigger and bigger, so no surprise to James when approached by Moz to have a go at being a forward hand. James approx. 180 CM tall and 85kg was very keen, and that has certainly shown. Moz is begging James, who hasn't missed one race, to carry on, well done James!
2nd junior to join the GBYC fleet, Finn Manning. Recruited at 15 years of age on Amber Dreams. Another one of our big young boys at GBYC, not sure what these boys are eating, another one who weighs in approx 85kg and 180 CM tall, still growing? Finn was approached by the Amber Dreams boys to go up front, he jumped at it and, much like James, has held the role perfectly, once again, doesn't miss a race. Well done Finn!
Next is where we see quite an uproar at GBYC, an all junior boat! Kiara Sims, at 14 had taken an interest in sharpies last season. Although a lot smaller than the boys, she has more of a passion for the helm. Last season she filled in on the sheet and helm wherever possible. This season, atthe age of 15, she decided that she wanted her own boat, and her 14 year old friend Dusty Hedley was great on the wire. So Kiara managed to get a great deal from Kim Taylor from Mounts Bay Yacht Club with "Meat and 2 Veg", thanks Kim! That saw Kiara enter the fleet with Dusty Hedley up front, 14 years of age approx. 180 CM and 85kg - seafood diet! Sadly a couple of weeks later Dusty broke his collar bone and couldn't sail again until the State Championships in March. Obviously there has been a lot for them to learn and week by week, race by race, they are moving forward. The state championships were tough for them, but they are now looking forward to the next one. Sheet hands were switched due to unavailability from Ben Horton to Mitch Stone, who did a great job at the state championships. Well done Kiara, Dusty, Ben and Mitch, we look forward to seeing you all back out there.
Also it would be wrong to leave out some of the other great juniors who have started showing interest in Sharpies. Especially Ollie Roodhouse and Lachlan Putt. We have had many great moments over the past season with you all. Well done champs!
