Sam Goodchild Sailing Press Release
A team of young Oxfordshire sailors are heading for New Zealand this week to compete in ‘The National Bank Youth International Match Racing Championships’.
They will be competing against other youth teams from all over the world in the five-day event in Auckland.
Last year, the team led by 19 year-old former Burford schoolboy, Sam Goodchild, won the title ‘Youth National Match Racing Champions’ after competing against youth teams from all over the country. The Oxfordshire team of five won the title without losing a single match! They won the ‘National Schools’ title in the same year.
Three of the original winning team are competing in New Zealand: Sam Goodchild, Nick Wilkinson aged 17, and Tom Altmann aged 18, (Rory Spriggs aged 17 and Jonty Cook aged 16 are staying behind).
The team have raised the money for flights and competition entry from OYSTC (Oxford Youth Sail Training Centre) and private sponsors.
Sam, Nick and Tom will be racing ‘Elliott 6 keel boats’ (which have just been selected as a women’s class for the Olympics 2012, but unfortunately not yet for men’s events).
Sam said, “Match racing is a very tactical form of sailing. Each team races all the other competitors once, ending in a final of the top two. The three of us need to work really well together because we all have identical boats and advantages you gain to win are purely down to the skill of the crew.
“We are the only UK team competing in New Zealand so the pressure’s on. We have been training on the reservoir at Farmoor and on the south coast all winter. It’s been freezing and we are looking forward to a bit of sun!”
In July the Oxfordshire team are competing in a similar event in California - the ‘Governors Cup’ at the Balboa Yacht Club near Los Angeles.
Sam is hoping to make yacht racing his career. He said: “I have delayed going to University in the hope of making a career yacht racing. My ambition is to compete in solo off-shore racing starting with the mini-transat race from France to French Guiana in 2010. It takes about three weeks to complete.”
The mini-transat is a 6.5 metre long racing yacht. If Sam can do the race next year he will be one of the youngest sailors ever to compete in the mini-transat event. He has already had a taste of yacht racing, including sailing with Alex Thompson’s Hugo Boss Volvo 60 across both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. “For most people the thought of spending weeks alone on a yacht in the middle of the ocean is a terrifying prospect, but for me, it would be a dream come true. It’s a tough challenge and one I can’t wait to take on.”
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