Sea Scouts Billy Brooks, 14, and Jonathan Lile, 11, will be heading off to the Southampton Boat Show in September where they will compete in the National Final of the Honda RYA Youth RIB Championship. They won the first ever Sea Scout championship heats held last week (Wednesday, 5 August). Icom UK are providing the Championship with a prize of a VHF radio, for use at the winner’s chosen club.

Posting a time of 1:17:69 Billy, racing for 6th Hamble Troop, took honours in the older 13-16 age group. Having competed at the south regional finals earlier this year, he had got some good practice in for the Sea Scout heats. That coupled with previous experience driving various powerboats through his Scouting proved a winning combination.

Billy commented, “I’m really happy to have won that especially after missing out at the south region heats. I can’t stop grinning!”

In the younger 8-12 age group competition Jonathan, who only sparked an interested in power boating a couple of months ago at his troop 6th Newark, won the heats posting a time of 2:00:07 to secure his place at the final.

He commented; “I can’t believe I’m going to Southampton. I’m really taken aback as I completely wasn’t expecting to win. I only had my first go in a powerboat in May! ”

The HRYRC race course includes tricky timed manoeuvres such as a stop exercise, high speed slalom and reversing round buoys to test every aspect of powerboat driving. Skill and control, and not necessarily speed, are the most important factors to help the young drivers achieve winning times round the course.

Sea Scout volunteer Dave Roy who was helping co-ordinate the event commented; “I’m really pleased we were invited to take part in the RIB challenge – the kids have loved it. For most of them it was their first experience of driving a RIB and they learnt very quickly that they are much more responsive than the slower powerboats they have driven through Sea Scout activities and much more skill is required in manoeuvring them. After spending just 15-20 mins on the water during the challenge I could already see so much improvement from them and they are really hooked on getting better which is great.”

Billy and Jonathan will face competition from 32 club regional finalists in Southampton so they will need to get practising to be in with a chance of winning the national final prize for their troop – a brand new 4.8m Ribcraft RIB powerboat with a 50hp Honda four stroke engine on an Indespension trailer, equipped with an Icom IC-M505 VHF radio. 

For more information about the RYA Youth RIB Championship, details on how to get involved and a list of regional finals scores visit www.rya.org.uk