Sport and competition
If you are looking for sport and competition there’s plenty on
the water and Britain has a great record at winning too!
There’s competition at all levels and for all ages. You don’t
have to own a boat – yacht and dinghy racing takes place around the
country all year round, and owners are always looking for crew.
You can start boating at a very young age, for example you can
start power boat racing as young as 10 and race a yacht well into
your 80’s.
Here are some ways to compete on the water:
- Dinghy racing - take your dinghy to a
local race or regatta or join
a club with regular racing, you don’t even have to own your own
boat you can use the club boats
- Freestyle kayaking – join a growing number of
local groups around the country , check out local forums such as
TV freestylers or
Canoe and Kayak
- Yacht racing – enter your boat, join a crew or
book a place on a yacht racing course
- Power Boat racing – from Zap and Thunder Cats
to P1 Offshore racing, start as a team member and end up as a
driver
- Windsurfing – if you are under 15 years
old then the RYA’s
Team15 could be for you, its a great way in to trying
windsurfing with people your age
Did you know?
Great Britain is the world's top Olympic Classes sailing nation
with the British Olympic team sailors topping the medal table at
the past three Games in 2000, 2004 and 2008.
The British Canoe Union’s World class programme has as its
vision “to be the number 1 Olympic Canoeing Nation with success and
depth of excellence at every level”. Having consistently won
Olympic medals since 2000, the sport gained its first Olympic
Champion in 2008. The aim is to win more gold medals in
2012.
Britain is recognised as the birthplace of world class power
boating and is home to an eight times world champion and the first
woman to win a top level Grand Prix