LLSC announced as flagship youth sailing venue
Leigh & Lowton’s credentials as an elite sailing location have been underlined this week with the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) confirming it as one of the four venues which will host its new British Sailing Talent Academies.
Starting this September, Talent Academies will be a network of high-performance environments situated across England for aspiring youth sailors, with Leigh & Lowton Sailing Club, in partnership with Leigh Sports Village, joined by Datchet Water Sailing Club, Rutland Sailing Club and the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy as centres of excellence in youth talent development.
The Talent Academies are part of the RYA’s refreshed British Sailing Pathway, designed to support high potential young sailors aged 13–18 with quality training, performance coaching and skills development in settings closer to home.
This will help reduce costs and travel time to sailors and their families and broaden access to British Sailing Pathway opportunities in the process.
Each venue will have a team of expert RYA coaches leading their designated youth class.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Leigh & Lowton Sailing Club, in partnership with Leigh Sports Village, as one of our new Talent Academy venues,” said RYA Talent Academies Manager Huw Griffiths.
“The club has shown an impressive commitment to elite sailing development, and its facilities, environment and ethos align perfectly with the goals of the programme. We’re excited to work with the team to help support and inspire the next generation of high potential youth sailors.”
“Leigh and Lowton Sailing Club in partnership with Leigh Sports Village is incredibly honoured and excited to have been selected as the Talent Academy for the North,” said Gareth Williams from Leigh & Lowton Sailing Club.
“This recognition is a testament to the dedication, passion, and hard work of our volunteers, coaches, and members across many years, all of whom have contributed to the success and growth of our club. We are deeply grateful for the opportunity to play our role in the new British Sailing Pathway, and look forward to introducing athletes and their supporters to our club.”
Gareth continued: “We have developed our on-site facilities over recent years to enhance our training capabilities, offer extensive on-site parking and camping and we have worked closely with nearby Leigh Sports Village who can supply elite level gym and fitness facilities. We aim to create a legacy by continuing to develop the facilities for future sailors.
“Thank you to the Royal Yachting Association for placing their trust in us – we are excited for the future and the opportunities this collaboration will bring!”
Councillor Keith Cunliffe, deputy leader of Wigan Council and chairperson of Leigh Sports Village, said: “This is great news for Pennington Flash and the Leigh Sports Village. We’re looking forward to hosting the British Sailing Talent Academy and building our partnership with Leigh and Lowton Sailing Club.
“Leigh is already a hotbed of sport and recreation and we’re excited to play our part in developing the next generation of talent.”
Sailor development within the Talent Academies will be focused initially on:
- Talent Transition – sailors transitioning from junior into youth classes; and
- Performance Development – developing sailors with high performance potential already established within a youth class.
For more information on British Sailing Talent Academies and how to get involved visit rya.org.uk/racing/pathway