RYA launches new British Sailing Talent Academies
The Royal Yachting Association (RYA) is launching four British Sailing Talent Academies as part of its ongoing drive to develop the next generation of high-performance sailors and future medal winners.
The host venues for the academies are Datchet Water Sailing Club, Leigh & Lowton Sailing Club in partnership with Leigh Sports Village, Rutland Sailing Club and the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy, following several high-quality applications.
Inland academy venues will be supported by coastal venues to ensure sailors can develop adaptive skills across differing conditions.
A new programme identified following the British Sailing Pathway Review, Talent Academies will provide high-quality, regular training opportunities closer to home for sailors showing future performance potential.
In 2025, the RYA has also launched The Female Futures Group, which is dedicated to increasing female participation in British sailing and unlocking new opportunities for women and girls in the sport.
Youth sailors with the RYA
The British Sailing Talent Academies aim to reduce costs and travel time to sailors and their families and broaden access to the British Sailing Pathway in the process.
Talent Academies will serve as regionalised performance hubs across England to identify, support and develop youth sailors with medal winning potential, and will sit alongside existing home country talent programmes in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Offering tailored training, high-quality facilities and access to world-class coaches and specialists, the Talent Academies will focus on providing year-round support and holistic development for aspiring youth sailors who have the potential and ambition to progress within the British Sailing Pathway.
Developing young sailors
Sailor development within the Talent Academies will be focused initially on:
- Talent transition – sailors transitioning from junior into youth classes; and
- Performance development – developing sailors with high performance potential already established within a youth class.
“We’re excited to roll out the new British Sailing Talent Academy programme across our four new host venues,” says RYA Talent Academies Manager Huw Griffiths.
“By bringing high-performance training closer to home for many young sailors, we hope to remove barriers and make world-class training opportunities more accessible and inclusive.
“This is a key step in helping young talent thrive, no matter where they are.”
How to apply for the RYA’s Sailing Talent Academies
Applications are now open for sailors to join the Talent Academy Talent Transition programme.
The RYA is looking for youth sailors who love to race, are passionate about reaching the top of the sport and who love the process of learning and improvement.
Applicants should be aged 17 years or under by 31 August 2025, and new to the ILCA 4, 420, 29er or iQFOiL class (typically less than six months in the class).
They need to have experience of racing amongst national fleets, can apply good tactical knowledge to practice and must be eligible to represent Great Britain (in accordance with World Sailing Regulation 19), as well as a member of the RYA.
Find out more about the application and selection process, including the full Notice of Selection, on the RYA Talent Academies page.
The deadline for applications to the talent transition programme is 1 August 2025.
Applications for Talent Academy Performance Development places will sit alongside applications for the British Sailing Youth Team, and will be open before the end of June.
