Poole Grammar School has windsurfed to victory in the Sail for Gold OnBoard festival hosted at the FJB Watersports Academy.
Sail for Gold is the RYA’s nationwide London 2012 initiative celebrating Britain’s Olympic sailing heritage and inspiring more people to get out on the water more regularly. More than 40 pupils, age 10 to 16, from seven schools across Dorset who have been learning to windsurf at the Watersports Academy during the past eight weeks via the RYA’s grassroots sailing scheme OnBoard descended on the Watersports Academy to go head to head in Poole Harbour in a series of windsurfing competitions.
Schools taking part were Poole Grammar School, Poole High School, Blandford-based Bryanston School, Castle Court School in Wimborne, Highcliffe School in Christchurch and Bournemouth-based Avonbourne School and St Michael’s Middle School. The top four schools in the competition have now been invited to the Olympic sailing venue in Weymouth and Portland in June 14 for the Dorset school windsurfing championships.
Poole Grammar School stormed to victory, Bryanston School took second place and St Michael’s Middle school with an all-girl team took third place. The Highcliffe team then clinched the last spot to get into the championships.
Organiser and manager of the FJB Watersports Academy, Dave Hartwell says: “With 40 school children from across the region coming to take part this was a great event. With the world’s leading windsurfers coming to Weymouth this summer, we wanted to give youngsters the opportunity to take part in their own competition. We’re looking forward to seeing the top four teams compete on June 14 at the Olympic windsurfing and sailing venue.”