Sydney Gold Medallist Iain Percy presents Largs Sailing Club
with Volvo RYA Champion Club Status at London Boat Show

Largs Sailing Club was centre stage at the London Boat Show this year when Sydney gold medallist Iain Percy awarded eleven UK sailing clubs Volvo RYA Champion Club status on Sunday 6 January 2002. The ceremony was hosted by BBC sailing commentator, Richard Simmonds, and the award given in recognition of Largs Sailing Club's first class sailing coaching and race training programmes for their youth members.

"The Volvo RYA Champion Club scheme aims to support clubs all over the UK to develop the very best race training programmes for youth sailors, and guarantee Britain's future success at the Olympics and other top international regattas," said Iain Percy. "To achieve this level of excellence requires a considerable effort by Largs Sailing Club and it's members, and I'm delighted to present them with this award."

The scheme is a key part of the RYA Youth Initiative that has received £1 million per annum support from Sport England for four years, with the aim of identifying and nurturing young sailing talent for future Olympic and international success. Largs Sailing Club is one of only 77 clubs out of 1300 UK sailing clubs that have made the grade.

"This is great news for Largs Sailing Club, and particularly for our youth members" said Sue Kirby, Youth Co-ordinator, who received the award on behalf of the club. "We have been working hard with the RYA to establish a strong programme of coaching and race training for our young sailors, and it's great that our efforts have been recognised." "Its very exciting to be involved with youth sailing in the UK at this time," said John Lefley, Director of PR at Volvo Car UK. "This RYA scheme should ensure that talented young sailors can be assured of quality race training at these clubs located all over the UK, and who knows, we could be seeing some of them at the Olympics or skippering the Volvo Ocean Race (formerly the Whitbread Round the World Race) in the future."