This page has been written by one past his youth, but I hope that this section can be replaced and developed by a contribution from a squad sailor. (Challenge?)
Llandegfedd has always had a number of Junior Sailors. In the past some have gone on to greater things, and won Welsh and British competitions. (See the Club History). We also see these people returning with their own families some years later. We have always had family crews, normally with Dad helming and offspring as crew. Who knows, the skill level may often be higher at the front of the boat?
We have had Optimists since the early 1990s when we purchased a fleet of 6 Oppys for beginners' training. We currently (2002, 2003) host the WYA wooden Optimist fleet, and have recently bought three race specification Optimists with Grant Aid.
Optimists are great boats for our youngest sailors, from about 8 to 13 years of age. They are of a size that small children can handle by themselves safely in all weathers. Some of our fleet have travelled across South Wales and raced against children in other clubs, with some success.
Toppers are larger singlehanded boats that are suitable for young teenagers upwards. They can easily be reefed to cater for strong winds. We now have four club youths that are part of the Welsh Youth Squad and benefit from extra coaching from national experts. They have travelled all over Wales and the UK for training and Race competition, with significant success
The club owns five Toppers, and members have bought their own boats to benefit from better (individual) care and newer sails.
The club owns one International 420, bought with grant aid a few years ago. This boat allows us to provide advanced training in Trapezing and spinnaker handling. The 420 is a french designed boat, internationally recognized as a youth boat. It has lively performance but the loads are suitable for youth sailors in all winds.
The Club does not own any Lasers, but they are ubiquitous all over the world. With the Radial rig, the boat is suitable for the larger youths with higher skill levels. It is supported by the WYA squad training system, and we coach out youths in these boats.