MORE than 250 of the South Coast’s Olympic sailing stars of the future will be bidding for bragging rights this weekend as the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy (WPNSA) plays host to one of the Royal Yachting Association’s (RYA) flagship events.

The 2012 Olympic sailing venue will welcome aspiring young sailors, aged between eight and 15-years-old, who will tussle for championship titles across eight of the RYA-recognised junior classes at the RYA Zone and Home Country Championships.

To add to the excitement, the young competitors at WPNSA will be given the chance to rub shoulders with British Sailing Team and Rio 2016 Olympic hopeful Eilidh McIntyre who will be there this weekend to inspire the next generation of British sailors.

The event, which takes place concurrently across nine different venues throughout the United Kingdom, traditionally marks the end of the junior racing season and the start of a hard winter’s training.

They are a key event for any young sailor wishing to be selected for the RYA Zone and Home Country squads, which are the first step on the pathway to Olympic Classes sailing.