A Glossop youngster is on track to achieve his goal of becoming a top class windsurfer thanks to a national scheme helping young talent progress in the sport.

Johan Kidger, 13, has just enjoyed his most successful ever season having benefitted from being awarded use of his own windsurf board and sail by the John Merricks Sailing Trust (JMST), in partnership with RYA OnBoard, two years ago.

The talented Glossop Sailing Club teen finished second in his class (Bic Techno 6.8) in the four-event 2017 UK Windsurfing Association (UKWA) Inland Series, and 10th overall in the combined Bic Techno 6.8 and 7.8 standings. Windsurf fleets comprise sailors using the same size sail and 6.8 is the size of the rig Johan now competes on.

Representing the Glossop Gladiators, Johan also won the 6.8 class at all four RYA Team15 Midlands Interclub Series events this summer. Team15 is a nationwide network of clubs where kids aged 16 and under can learn new windsurfing skills. The interclub series allows them to test themselves against other sailors in their region.

Before receiving his own board and a 5.8 race sail through JMST and OnBoard in 2015, Johan, who started windsurfing at Glossop aged eight, had to borrow one from his club. He admits he wouldn’t be making the progress he is without the award.

Johan said: “The JMST board has certainly met its intended goal with me. When I got the award two years ago I was just about to start on the RYA Zone Squad programme. I’d never competed at events larger than Team15, and on nothing bigger than a 4.5m sail using equipment borrowed from my club.

“With use of my own board I’ve sailed for all 12 months in each year, have entered the RYA/UKWA National Windsurfing Championships twice and represented the RYA Midlands Zone at the 2016 and 2017 RYA Eric Twiname Championships.”

RYA OnBoard is the nationwide grassroots programme, run by sailing’s national governing body, giving young people aged 8 to 18 the opportunity to learn to sail and windsurf at low cost. Meanwhile JMST, set up in memory of 1996 Olympic silver medallist John Merricks, supports young sailors and youth organisations.

Since 2012, JMST and RYA OnBoard have partnered to donate high-quality junior racing dinghies and windsurfing boards to promising young sailors who may not ordinarily have had the opportunity or financial backing to achieve their goals.

Recipients get two years’ exclusive use of their boat/board before it is goes to their club for other young sailors to continue benefitting from it in the future. Johan’s 5.8 race sail has now been handed to his Glossop club mate, Rebecca Hall, who is transitioning from the 4.5 sail and also training and racing 12 months of the year in the RYA Zone Squad, while Johan will continue to use the board with his 6.8 rig.

Johan added: “I feel really proud with what I’ve achieved this season. If the goal of the JMST/OnBoard award is to get youngsters without their own kit into competitive sailing you can’t argue with how much I’ve benefited and developed from it.”

RYA OnBoard offers young people the opportunity to try out sailing and windsurfing through their local club or centre in a safe, structured and fun environment. Since launching in 2005, OnBoard has seen well over half a million young people try out sailing and windsurfing and learn an activity that often stays with them for life.

To learn more about RYA OnBoard go to www.rya.org.uk/onboard or find out more about Glossop SC at www.sail-glossop.org.uk