Sail for Gold Roadshow

To celebrate Rio 2016 next month, the RYA is hitting the road and heading to Rutland Sailing Club where anyone can try sailing for FREE while cheering on Market Harborough-raised Olympic sailing medal hopeful, Dylan Fletcher, as part of the 2016 RYA Sail for Gold Roadshow.

During the Olympic sailing Medal Race week (14-18 August), the roadshow will visit six venues across the UK which have a special connection with the sailing team's potential medal contenders, and on Thursday 18 August the roadshow is scheduled to hit Rutland as Fletcher, with teammate Alain Sign, bids for glory in the 49er class.

In addition to getting out on the water and trying the sport yourself between 10am-4pm - what better way to spend a summer holiday day - from 5pm you can watch the Olympic sailing drama unfold in the clubhouse while you will also get to meet members of the British Sailing Team who will be on hand to provide inside knowledge on all the action in Rio as well as advice on how you can get into sailing. A BBQ, food and refreshments will be available too.

There will be no better place to get inspired!

Fletcher, 28, and Sign were one of the final sailing selection picks for TeamGB, after a nail-biting battle for the sole 49er class berth. Born in London, Dylan moved to the Midlands when he was 11 and, as an up-and-coming junior sailor, was named the Harborough Sports Personality of the Year in 2006. His family home is now in Desborough, just over the Leicestershire/Northants border.

In February this year Fletcher and Sign won 49er World Championship bronze in Florida, their first Worlds podium finish, to go with two European Championship titles in 2011 and 2013, plus bronze from the first Rio Test Event in 2014 too.

Fletcher said: "The RYA Sail for Gold Roadshow is a fantastic way to bring all the excitement of the Games into our home clubs and it will mean so much when we're out in Rio to know everyone will be at home supporting us. It will also be great to see the Games inspiring people to get on the water and have a go for themselves."

Duncan Truswell, RYA Sport Development Manager, added: "We're delighted to be able to support our athletes as they go for gold in Rio. Each of these events will be a fantastic opportunity for locals to come down and get afloat during what will be a fantastic summer of sailing and find out why sailing can be so much fun at all levels.

"We would like to thank each of the venues that have played significant roles during the sailors' journeys and helped make these events possible. We hope to see everybody turn out to cheer our sailors home."

The Olympic sailing regatta gets underway on Monday 8 August, with Fletcher and Sign set to start racing in the 49er class on Friday 12 August, with a scheduled 12 races plus the medal race scheduled for Thursday 18 August.

Launched at the London 2012 sailing venue of the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy (WPNSA) last month, the RYA Sail for Gold Roadshow will begin at WPNSA on Monday 14 August, the Medal Race day for the windsurfers including British stars Bryony Shaw and Nick Dempsey. There is no need to book, just come along and get involved!