Fiji Ready To Host First Emerging Nations Program Clinic

Young sailors and coaches from six nations are preparing for the first clinic of the 2015 ISAF Youth Sailing World Championship Emerging Nations Program (ENP) set to be held in Suva, Fiji from 24-30 April 24 – 30.

Representatives from hosts Fiji, the Cook Islands, Samoa, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and Guam will attend the seven day clinic to be delivered at the Royal Suva Yacht Club.

The Emerging Nations Programme will create opportunities and better prepare young sailors as they build up to the 2015 ISAF Youth Worlds set to be held in Langkawi, Malaysia from December 27, 2015 to January 3, 2016.

Through a seven day intense program, which culminates in a two day regatta, the ENP sailors and coaches will be working on development of skills both on and off the water. Alongside traditional sailing skills and coaching techniques, they will be fronted with an ISAF media presence to further their media skills and enhance sailing’s profile within their nation.

Two ISAF Nominated Experts will be responsible for the delivery of the Oceania regional clinic with theoretical and practical aspects within the clinic. Joining them will be representatives from the Oceania Sailing Federation (OSAF) including three OSAF Regional Development Officers, two of whom are graduates of the ISAF Training Scholarship Course. The ‘supported class’ of equipment for this clinic is the Laser Radial.

The Youth Worlds ENP clinic, hosted by ISAF member the Fiji Yachting Association (FYA), is the first of five regional clinics to be delivered in the build-up to the 2015 Youth Worlds in Langkawi in December. Over 50 nations are expected to benefit from attending the regional clinics.

One of the key targets of this year’s ENP is to have 80 nations present at the 2015 ISAF Youth Worlds (11 more than in 2014) and the ENP has been identified as key to achieving this outcome.

ISAF will be providing regular updates from the clinic on all social media platforms and using a dedicated #YouthSailing hashtag on Twitter and Instagram in order to promote ENP.

The aims of the ISAF Youth Worlds Emerging Nations Programme are:

– to help ‘Narrow the performance gap’ between nations attending the ISAF Youth Worlds through the provision of pre-event training opportunities for sailors and coaches;
– for ISAF to actively engage with ISAF Member National Authorities (MNAs), encouraging a greater attendance of nations at the ISAF Youth Worlds;
– to enable ISAF Member National Authorities (MNAs) access to a ‘development pathway’ for young sailors and their coaches, linking the YW ENP to similar projects being developed for the 2018 ISAF World Championships;
– to provide ISAF MNAs with the opportunities to benefit from further development support through IOC Olympic Solidarity funded programmes;
– to empower ISAF MNAs to develop national sail training programmes which will enable independent, un-subsidised attendance at future Youth Worlds events.

Upon completion of each regional performance clinic, attending nations will be encouraged to apply for up to two ISAF Youth Worlds ‘ENP Scholarships’. ISAF will provide successful candidates with additional financial support for attendance at the 2015 ISAF Youth Worlds, including travel costs, entry fees and equipment charter.

Clinics are scheduled in the following locations:
Suva, Fiji – 24 to 30 April
Balatonfüred, Hungary – 9 to 15 May
Maputo, Mozambique – 16 to 22 May
National Sailing Academy, Antigua – 14 to 21 July
Langkawi, Malaysia – 24 to 30 October

Full details of the Emerging Nations Program as well as all other information on the ISAF Youth Sailing World Championships can be found here www.isafyouthworlds.com