The Land Rover BAR Academy, a new initiative set up by the British America’s Cup Challenger to find and support talented young British sailors and create a pathway into the America’s Cup, has been training at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy (WPNSA) this week as part of their immediate goal to select a British team to compete in the 2017 Red Bull Youth America’s Cup. Raced on the same AC45F multihulls that the senior teams use for the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series, the finals will be fought out during the main competition in Bermuda 2017.
This is a welcomed step in the evolution of the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy as a venue fit to host America’s Cup sailors of the future. Logistically the secure site at Weymouth and Portland is ideal for large container storage and craning facilities involved in foiling multihull training and transportation. The Land Rover BAR Academy coaching team has made use of WPNSA’s World Class launching facilities, ample coach boat mooring, extensive onshore debrief rooms and the good range of accommodation available locally.
The Land Rover BAR Academy has used the opportunity at WPNSA to put 24 triallists through their paces over five days, with the aim of selecting 12 squad members to join the team at forthcoming Extreme Sailing Series events. Portland Harbour and Weymouth Bay exhibit excellent conditions for productive America’s Cup multihull coaching.
Rob Andrews, Project Manager, Land Rover BAR Academy said:
“As well as competing at global events, an essential part of the Land Rover BAR Academy’s development is quality training with long periods afloat coaching. The Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy lends itself as a world class venue for America’s Cup style training.”
The WPNSA visit follows racing for the youth team in Muscat and Qingdao as part of the Extreme Sailing Series. Time afloat at Weymouth and Portland is important in gearing up for Act 3 of the 8 event series scheduled for late June 2016.
For further information visitlandroverbar.com/academy
Image © Land Rover BAR