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LATEST NEWS |
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Lord Coe Returns to Plas Menai
14/05/2008
Lord Sebastian Coe, the Chair of the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games, visited Plas Menai and Pwllheli Sailing Club to see first hand the developments which are planned for the future and to meet club officials and young sailors.
Following his visit to Pwllheli, the double Olympic champion went on to visit Plas Menai National Watersports Centre, which he had previously stayed at in 1987 when making a sports aid foundation presentation organised by Harry Lloyd, the former Dean of Bangor Normal College.
Alan Williams, the Head of Plas Menai, and Tim Hall, the Director of Sailing for the Welsh Yachting Association, discussed the Welsh successes in junior, youth and senior sailing with Lord Coe.
Lord Coe complimented the centre on the numbers of people attending the centres courses and its local community work. Marianne Jackson from Gwynedd County Council also outlined the community-based work being carried out by the North West Wales Outdoor Partnership which Lord Coe showed great interest in.
Lord Coe took the opportunity to watch school children enjoying watersports activities which were taking place on the centre’s waterfront. He also talked with staff about the teambuilding event for the Beijing-bound British Sailing Team which was held here at the centre recently.
Before leaving, Lord Coe congratulated the centre on its 25th anniversary, and paused for a photograph next to the centre’s opening ceremony plaque. The centre was officially opened by another Olympic Gold Medallist, Welsh legendary show jumper Sir Harry Llewellyn, in September 1983.
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Top UK Freestyle Windsurfers have a blast at Plas Menai
14/05/2008
Andy ‘Bubble’ Chambers and Colin Dixon two of the best Freestyle windsurfers in the UK visited Plas Menai National Watersports Centre yesterday and gave a master class in freestyle windsurfing.
A North Easterly Force 3-4 wind meant the sailors enjoyed over three hours of perfect freestyle conditions, with Plas Menai staff and students being treated to a hugely entertaining and impressive display of tricks, bumps and jumps.
Andy Chambers (K540) is the No 1 UK Freestyle Champion with Colin Dixon (K99) equal 7th. The pair had spent the weekend at Rhosneigr on Angelsey, a favourite location for experienced windsurfers, in preparation of a Freestyle clinic they will be holding there the weekend of 16-18 May.
The conditions at Rhosneigr had not been particularly favourable and the pair were delighted to find such good conditions only a few miles away.
Ed Curtis, Assistant Head of Sailing at Plas Menai and a keen windsurfer commented “The skills they displayed were awesome and it demonstrated what a fantastic windsurfing location the Menai Strait is.”
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Deputy Minister Sets Sail at Plas Menai
08/05/2008
John Griffiths AM, the Deputy Minister for Skills, took to the water at Plas Menai today to experience at first hand the skills and training required to work in the outdoor activity industry.
The Deputy Minister joined local pupils from Ysgol Rhostryfan for a dinghy sailing session on the Menai Strait. The pupils, aged 10-11 years, have been receiving sailing, kayaking and windurfing training over the past few months as part of the Watersports in the Curriculum Interreg 3A project by North Wales Watersports.
The Minister met with North Wales Waterports and Plas Menai to look at the role of vocational training schemes for instructors and other marine leisure-related jobs, as well as the opportunities for school age youngsters to participate in outdoor activities to gain as much experience as possible.
The visit follows a ‘Watersports in the Curriculum’ conference attended by the Deputy Minister last December, organised by North Wales Watersports, which looked at the potential for greater local employment opportunities within the marine and outdoor activity sector and the importance of vocational training schemes, watersports activities and environmental education for pupils within the school curriculum to support local employment in the long term.
Amongst those meeting the Deputy Minister, were current trainee instructors undertaking 6-month courses to build their coaching skills in activities such as kayaking, sailing, powerboating and mountaineering. Arwyn Thomas, from Groeslon, and Anglesey-based Dion Roberts, are two such successful graduates of the scheme and now instruct watersports and mountain activities at centres across North Wales. Arwyn Thomas now specialises in powerboating and swiftwater training for groups such as the rescue services.
A Modern Apprenticeship in Marine Engineering with Coleg Meirion Dwyfor, has benefitted Gary Julio from Caernarfon. Gary, 20, currently works four days a week at Plas Menai training to build and maintain the huge range of kayaks, dinghies, yachts and powerboat equipment used by thousands of activity participants.
Stuart Gibson, Coordinator of North Wales Watersports Ltd, has no doubt about the opportunities within the industry:
“By embedding coastal leisure, recreation and learning activity opportunities directly into the mainstream curriculum, the way of life of the region’s young people can be positively influenced to enable them to take advantage of the expanding marine leisure and oceanic science industries right on their doorstep.”
Centre Manager, Alan Williams, added:
“For anyone wanting to work in the outdoors, gaining as much experience as they can is key. The vocational training schemes, work experience and apprentice programmes are vital for the professional qualifications and specialist skills needed to work in today’s industry. ”
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British Sailing Team Put Through Their Paces at Plas Menai
01/05/2008
Skandia Team GBR, the British Sailing Team whose sailors are off to China to represent Team GB at the Olympics in August, has been attending a teambuilding camp here at Plas Menai over the last two days.
Nearly 40 members of the team including the sailing squad, coaches and support staff attended the camp. The team, which is one of the most successful in British and World sport, boasts many Olympic medallists and current World and European champions. Wales’ Sydney silver medallist Ian Barker and world champion and Athens gold medallist Sarah Ayton were amongst those training at Plas Menai.
In addition to conference sessions on preparations for China, the centre set up and ran an extraordinary sailing regatta on the Menai Strait. With so many of the world’s top sailors pitted against each other, it was the most competitive event ever held on the Menai Strait and possibly ever in Britain, in one competition.
The brisk conditions saw Paul Goodison, European Champion and world number 2 in the Laser class, win from Star class sailor Andrew Simpson in second, and Yngling world champion crew Pippa Wilson in 3rd – crewed by RYA Olympic Manager Stephen Park. Sydney Gold Medallist Iain Percy, representing Team GB, in the Star class in China, was plagued by gear failure when his mast snapped during the first race, but made a good recovery.
The squad were then tested on Plas Menai’s ropes course and, as part of a team challenge, the whole team jumped off the centre’s ‘leap of faith’ - a psychological test. Wearing climbing harnesses and supported by ropes, all team members leapt from the top of a 10-metre pole.
The team dinner included a prize-giving for the sailing regatta and Pen Hadow, the Arctic Explorer who walked unaided to the North Pole, inspired the team with a powerful motivational talk.
The final element of the teambuilding saw the Team ascend the Afon Ddu mountain gorge, which included climbing waterfalls, swimming across big pools of water and working as a team to get each other to the top of the gorge - guided and supported by Plas Menai’s instructional team.
Following a team photograph on the centre’s waterfront the team departed to make their final preparations for China.
RYA Olympic Manager Stephen Park:
“The strong team spirit which the British sailing team possesses has helped give us that extra edge at recent Olympic Games, and it will be equally important as we head towards a tough Games in China this summer.
“Skandia Team GBR has had a fantastic couple of days at Plas Menai – it’s been really important in developing synergy within the team, which we’re hoping will be a small but key differential when it comes to winning medals for Team GB in Qingdao in August.
“We’ve been impressed by the dedication and commitment shown by Alan Williams and his staff at Plas Menai, which is a fantastic facility and one we look forward to returning to in the future.”
Manager of the National Watersports Centre, Alan Williams, also wished the team well in its Olympic campaign:
“This has been a great showcase for Plas Menai, our staff worked hard to provide the team with an inspirational couple of days and we wish the team every success in China".
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