They may one day represent their country on the biggest stage of them all at an Olympic Games.

But this weekend (26 – 27 September) more than 70 of Wales’ most eager young hopefuls will be bidding for bragging rights as they do battle at the 2009 RYA Volvo Welsh Zone and Home Countries Championships.

Hosted by Pwllheli Sailing Club, North Wales, the Championships will see no fewer than 70 boats compete across six RYA-supported Junior dinghy classes; the Optimist, Laser 4.7 and Topper one-person classes and Cadet, Mirror and RS Feva two-person classes as well as a range of windsurfing classes.

The RYA Volvo Welsh Zone and Home Countries event is one of nine Zone and Home Country Championships taking place throughout Great Britain this weekend, with some 1050 children all aged under 16 taking part in total. 

The RYA Volvo Zone and Home Country Championships traditionally mark the end of the Junior racing season and the start of a hard winter’s training. They are a key event for any young sailor wishing to be selected for the RYA Zone and Home Country squads, which are the first step on the pathway to Olympic Classes sailing.

Having honed their skills at club training and competitions throughout the year, the annual Championships give the sailors the chance to pit their wits against the best of the rest within their Zone under the watchful eye of their local RYA High Performance Manager (HPMs) and other senior RYA racing staff.

Duncan Truswell, RYA Youth Racing Manager, said: “The RYA Volvo Zone and Home Country Championships are always a really great event as for many of the youngsters it’s the first time they have taken part at such a big competition while others will be aiming for selection for the Zone and Home Country squads.

“The purpose of the Zone and Home Countries squad programme is to deliver high quality foundation training locally and ultimately, to feed talented sailors into the RYA National Junior squad and help them succeed at World and European Championships at Junior and Youth level. We are delighted that Volvo are sponsoring all nine events this year and value their considerable support in the RYA's continuing quest to produce World Class sailors.”

Lesley Milne, Head of Events and Sponsorship, Volvo Car UK, added: “We are very proud of our association with the RYA and their Junior and Youth racing programmes.”

“The RYA Volvo Zone and Home Country Championships provides great introduction for young sailors wanting to progress along the pathway to Olympic Classes, which is a crucial part of Volvo’s continued commitment to supporting  British sailing, from grass roots to the pinnacle of the sport.”