The RYA Mirror National Junior Squad (NJS) is a group of up to 8 helms and their crews who are selected by the RYA as showing promise and talant racing Mirror dinghies. They then attend training sessions over the winter to develop them further. Some funding for these sessions comes from Sport England via the RYA and the rest from the parents. The sessions appear on our events list, needless to say, they are only open to members of the NJS. Sailors have to be under 15 and normally have spent at least one winter training with an RYA Mirror Zone Squad or the National Youth Development Squad.
The squad are coached by a top level coach, appointed by the RYA. In 2013 Nicky Macgregor was appointed as acting head coach to replace Catherine Maguire who is on maternity leave. Catherine was appointed in 2009 to replace Peter Aitken who had been the NJS Head coach since the RYA started the scheme in Mirrors dinghies around 1998. The NJS Head coach uses a RIB kindly donated to the RYA by the Eric Twiname Trust.
The NJS session venues and dates etc. are arranged by the RYA Mirror NJS Coordinator. Currently this is Dave Woodhead. Squad parents with any questions regarding the NJS or sessions etc. should contact Dave in the first instance.
To make best use of the time spent at sessions, the sailors use RYA Interactive, the RYA's e-learning platform, to prepare for a session and after the session it enables any video footage to be reviewed, homework to be set and submitted before the next session.
Further Information
Further information on the Mirror National Junior Squad, current members, selection policy and so on is on the RYA website here. Both helm and crew need to apply separately online to be considered. Applications opened on 1st June and close on 12th October 2014.
Mirror National Junior Squad 2014-2015
Sailors wishing to be considered for selection for the 2014 - 2015 RYA Mirror National Junior Squad shall normally be under 15 on the 31 December 2014 and be members of the Mirror Class Association and the RYA. However in exceptional circumstances sailors who do not meet the age criteria may be invited at the discretion of the selection committee.
Selection events
Selection for places is judged by performance at UK MCA events (Nationals, Nationwide Series,..) plus indicator events which are
- RYA South Zone Championships, at the Weymouth & Portland Sailing Academy on the 27th & 28th September
-
Navigators & General Nationwide event at Northampton SC on 11th & 12th October
The RYA have a strict policy which requires that you attend both qualifiers and both helm and crew need to complete a squad application separately online to be considered. Applications opened on 1st June and close on 12th October 2014. Further details will be announced on the RYA website here.
Squad Places and Selection Policy
Eight places will be offered, however this may vary according to the ability of competitors taking part in the indicator series. Additional sailors may also be invited after the initial selections have been completed should they emerge from other RYA/Class programmes
