ILCA Training Camp in New Bedford MA: A US Sailing Event Recap

Youth and Women’s ILCA 6 Camp Successfully Concluded in Buzzard’s Bay

The Youth and Women’s ILCA 6 Camp, the second event of the summer 2024, was successfully concluded in Buzzard’s Bay. This program aims to bring together talented sailors from the Olympic classes and youth under 19 fleets for training and collaboration. The main objective of the camp was to refine new techniques on rig tuning, upwind moding, and downwinding in choppy waters.

Expanding Program’s Reach

Top youth sailors in the ILCA 6 class competed for one qualification berth at the World Sailing Youth Championships this July in Lake Garda. This event is the pinnacle of the year in youth racing, and only one athlete per class qualifies. The United States of America has a deep bench of talented sailors, which is why the program’s reach expanded this season. The top 12 ILCA 6 boys and girls from the MidWinters West were invited to the camp at New Bedford Yacht Club last week. This allowed the participants to exchange their sailing techniques.

Notable Participants

World Cup champion, Charlotte Rose, and skilled campaigner, Lilly Myers, joined the camp as part of the Olympic development program. The sailors from the youth and Olympic fleet gained a lot of knowledge from them. “Once again, showing us the importance of knowledge-sharing through the system! It was also really encouraging to see so many hard-working female sailors at the camp, the future is bright,” says Rosie Chapman, the new ODP Manager, and a multiple-time collegiate All-American and a proven ILCA sailor/coach.

Moving Ahead

The youth fleet is now moving to Narragansett Bay for another training block in preparation for the US Sailing Youth Championships and Jr. Women’s Championships in Bristol, Rhode Island. The camp’s participants were eager to learn, and thanks to the knowledge-sharing exercises, they achieved more than just refining their skills. With a positive attitude and excellent guidance, they’re ready for the upcoming competitions and hope to make the best of their newly acquired knowledge.

Conclusion

The Youth and Women’s ILCA 6 Camp aims to better prepare young sailors for international competitions and encourage gender equality in the sport. By exchanging knowledge with experienced sailors and applying it in practice, the young guns refined their skills and developed a positive attitude necessary to succeed in the competition. The future of the sport looks bright, and we hope the program continues to expand, and we see more and more young sailors achieving greater heights.

Originally Post From https://www.ussailing.org/news/event-recap-ilca-training-camp-in-new-bedford-ma/