40 Advance In Youth America’s Cup Process
After two open fitness combines, 40 athletes have met the minimum physical and mental standards necessary to advance in the selection process of the Bermuda Red Bull Youth America’s Cup [RBYAC] team.
A third combine in Dockyard will take place December 20, 2015 at 10am for young athletes who have not yet tried out for the team.
“We made this initial evaluation of our applicant pool so we could notify those who tried out in August and September – we didn’t want to keep them waiting,” said Craig Brown, responsible for athletic conditioning and vice chair of Bermuda’s RBYAC Committee.
“Among the 40 to make the cut, about half are trained as sailors and half are athletes from other sports. That’s an excellent start and is a good indication that we’ll have a balanced team.”
In addition to sailors, athletes from the worlds of cricket, boxing, rugby, swimming and football are advancing in the process. Thus far, 29 candidates have not met the minimum standards or were deemed ineligible for other reasons like age or insufficient documentation.
“After our first cut, we’re satisfied the athletes still standing reflect the diversity of our community – both demographically and athletically,” said Jane Savage, chairperson of the RBYAC Committee.
During the recruitment process the RBYAC Committee works with local coaches and schools to attract athletes of all disciplines, from all sectors of the community.
Athletes interested in the next tryout should register their intent on the Team BDA page at the ACBDA website. The deadline to register for the December 20 fitness combine is December 15, 2015 at 11:59pm.
Mr. Brown said, “Just like our initial audition call we’re looking for the best athletes from all sports who are physically fit and have a hunger to win. This is exactly the approach professional teams are taking.
“Today I read SoftBank Team Japan is recruiting top athletes – even ice hockey and basketball players are trying out for the team. Our process in Bermuda is keeping pace with the future of the sport.”
To be eligible for Bermuda’s Red Bull Youth America’s Cup team athletes must:
- Be at least 19 years-old and under 25 years-old on December 31, 2017
- Be born in Bermuda or possess a Bermuda passport
In early 2016 the selection committee hopes to identify a squad of 18 of the best sailors and athletes who, with intensive training and coaching, will be equipped to compete with the world’s best young sailors in foiling high performance catamarans.
The final racing team will consist of six Red Bull Youth America’s Cup squad members, with others supporting as training partners and a shore team.
Team Bermuda will train and race in the Great Sound before a hometown crowd as they face other youth teams from around the world in June 2017.
The Red Bull Youth America’s Cup in Bermuda will take place on one-design foiling AC45 catamarans – the same boats the professionals used in last month’s Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series.
Apparently its also a requirement they must be male! Why even waste the ladies time to let them try out??
Unfortunately it’s in females DNA that the peak of athleticism for them is less than males. They are looking for success.
Try telling that to Dame Ellen MacArthur!
Women are more than welcome to try out, but it has to be understood that this isn’t about equal representation, this is about who can perform to the high levels of mental, emotional, physical and endurance stress that is required to handle one of those flying boats. The final selectees will also have to show tremendous abilities to function in a team unit. I believe there are women out there who could do this, but from what I saw at the initial assessments, there was very few women trying out, far below the demographic representation. It’s a shame.
Nice diversity.
Things are looking up.
I think the point cmbbda is trying to make here is that it is not necessarily the fact that no women were selected that is most problematic, but rather that the underlying societal issues that the lack of representation by women in the selected group indicates. The lack of representation likely reflects the fact that young Bermudian women may not be encouraged to participate in sailing to the same level as young men are. It is not hard to see that, as easily as looking at some of the comments below, that many people seem to think of sailing as a ‘man’s sport,’ a truly inane assumption evidenced by the very existence of many world-class female sailors. I have no doubt that if there was more emphasis placed on encouraging women to become involved in sailing, and if sufficient dedication was made on behalf of sailing organisations in developing their talent, that there would be a good number of women comprising the squad.
nah….cud say the same for the choices for the new shared parenting research council members…all female! Thanks minister Pamplin
Where are the girls?
Maybe they didn’t pass the physical?
Some look like they are really happy, as they should be. A few look like it is a mug shot.
I know there were girls that out did the boys in severalccategories! What happened to them!
Maybe the boys that they beat out didn’t make it either.
well done !!!!!
Couple of the girls have gone back to college
the boys have also gone back to college?
So congrats to the list, great mix of sailors and non sailors but REALLY disapointed not to see any girls. Is that dues to the lack of entrants or is this another All male sport….
My child sails and she definately want to try out when she gets of age…..
It would appear to be an all-male sport, unfortunately!
Dont know where u got that information from. Sailing has many world class female sailors around the world. They have 4 whole Olympic classes dedicated to just females and one class that is mixed out of 10 classes.
Could there be a few female applicants that would have made good contributions to the team? Maybe. But the selection committee probably didnt think their potential was as high as the rest of the people who made it.
Also what is wrong with some of the people who post on this blog. Why does everything have to be a race issue and the few times its not a race issue its a gender issue. I can understand legitimate cases of discrimination but it seem a this stage people are crying foul play with everything.
“After our first cut, we’re satisfied the athletes still standing reflect the diversity of our community – both demographically and athletically,” was stated by the selectors? Where are the females? Do they not reflect 50% of the demographics! Come on are you kidding!
I can almost guarantee the selectors were looking for females who could meet the demanding physical requirements of an exceedingly tough sport, and make no mistake the physical tests were gruelling for males and females who were being judged on an equal basis. If they didn’t quite make it then it would be wrong to accept females at the expense of a male or males who did met the criteria. I just hope there is at least one young lady out there who can make the grade but she will have to be exceptionally tough to do so.
So if you as a female was told that you outgrinded 80% of the males that showed up, swam and sprinted with ease and the person who did the interview part said that they really wanted to see you as part of the team, what are you supposed to think? Oooops, if only you were a male!
Perhaps you needed to be in the top 10% to make the cut. This cut was passing the minimum standards. the second round will be tougher I expect.
Just because someone really wants or hopes someone to be in the team, doesn’t mean that they will make the team or cut, especially when the numbers are run and they were outperformed.
You, as a female (or male actually) could only be upset if you weren’t chosen but had out performed one of the 40 who were selected.
You sound like someone with a wall full of those participation ribbons that seem to be so prized these days.
What are the fitness tested at the try out?
It would have been helpful if the organizers had explained why there are no females on the squad when they announced the successful participants, rather than be seen to be unaware or insensitive to the fact that it’s an all-male representation. Ironic that Jane Savage feels this group is an accurate demographic slice of our community.
people dont seem to understand the physical demands being put on these sailors. As mentioned by a commentor above, its guaranteed the selectors were looking for female athletes who were fit enough, but lets be honest its just a fact of life that males are genetically disposed to be stronger and more fit. Truth be told it would be to the organisers advantage if they had a female on board in terms of publicity, support etc. However, if there were no females who were able to make the grade physically there is no reason to complain about their lack of selection. In fact putting someone onboard one of these boats who isnt up to the task, physically,may very well put the other crewmembers lives in danger. These boats are no joke. So those complaining about a lack of gender diversity need to take a second and actually think about what goes into sailing these boats.
Hey folks, this is simply an announcement of the advancement of 40 athletes so far. It’s not the final team. There is another tryout in December. The requirements aren’t only physical and mental, there is specific paperwork required. If you weren’t born here and don’t have a Bermudian passport, that’s grounds for ineligibilty. That age group also happens to be prime time for college. Do we know what the ratio of males to females trying out actually is before we make assumptions? Let’s hope that if there are females that haven’t tried out as yet, they do so in December. Only a handful make it on the boat. If we don’t see them there, we may see them in other crucial roles on shore. In the end, it’s all the same team representing our island.
Are there any administrative jobs that the females could do? Isn’t that an important aspect of any sport? That would have given some of the ladies valuable experience. Perhaps the selectors need to think about this aspect as well.
Don’t be a sore loser !By taking part and attempting to qualify you already did more than a large % of the eligible population. Be proud that you gave it a shot and use the experience to make you stronger and more determined in the future.