With the 70th Anniversary of the Osprey coming in September 2023, the Class association put together a package for one lucky pairing to get on the water with the rest of the fleet!
The search for a new Osprey Youth Team started last month. The applications were sifted, shaken thoroughly, and drawn, and today the Class Association can announce the names of the lucky winners.
Many pairs of sailors, all under 30 years old, put themselves forward for the competition, and applicants included several big names, all the way up to Olympic aspirants. The winning Youth Team would get free use of the Osprey Class boat at this year’s 70th Anniversary National Championships, Hayling Island, September 2nd to 5th. What a prize!
Would Sam and Ben Whaley, of British Sailing Team and RS200 fame, get the chance to show their mettle against the best the Osprey class has to offer? Could the likes of Blaze sailor Eden Hyland and Will Gould from Hartley Boats mount a campaign against their bosses at the Osprey class builders? How would young RS Aero 5 sailors Tom Ahlheid
and Mark Ripley fare together in a powerful spinnaker boat?
These were just some of the star names who went into the draw for the prize of sailing the Class Association boat, at this year’s Nationals, with all entry fees paid!
A few days ago, the draw was made by David Downs, class Technical Officer, and we can now reveal the lucky winners. The new Osprey Youth Team is Patrick Bonner (20) and Adam Southern (21) both of Emsworth SC. They are both at University and when they can they now sail a Laser 4000, having found an RS200 a bit dull!
Patrick and Adam will be eager to get their hands on the Osprey Class boat, sail no 1360, which is a top spec, well tuned Mark V Hartley built Osprey, complete with full carbon fibre rig. It will be interesting to see how they cope with a symmetric spinnaker, although Adam has been practising with his dad.
This boat was campaigned in the 2022/23 Selden Sailjuice Winter Series, and came out the overall winner in the hands of Peter Gray and Geoff Edwards. Now what can the new Youth Team, Patrick and Adam, do with this boat at the Hayling Island Osprey Nationals in September? No pressure there boys!
The Osprey Class Association’s Youth committee member Jamie Blake said, “I’m delighted to give a warm welcome to our newest members, Patrick and Adam. We look forward to seeing you on the water at Hayling Island in September!”
Making the draw, Osprey committee member David Downs added, “We were most impressed with the calibre of the applying teams, while the variety of types of boat sailed by the applicants is testament to the Osprey’s wide appeal to all ages and types of sailors. Whether you are used to sailing single-handers or crewed boats, hiking or trapeze boats, the Osprey offers all sailors exciting sailing and close competition.”
