Teen seeks world youth champ title

Fifteen-year-old Ryan Amlehn knows what he likes about sailing laser 4.7s.

"It's getting wet, it's hard work and it feels like you are going really fast."

It is going to be all of those things when Ryan heads to Thailand this week to compete in the World Laser 4.7 Youth Championships.

He has been sailing at the Nelson Yacht Club since he was eight and has already been overseas with his sport, travelling to the European Championships in Slovenia last year.

Though his result there was not what he wanted, his coach Charlie Strong is now tipping him to finish strongly at the world championships, if not win it.

"He should do well. He was the first under 18 at the New Zealand nationals in January in Timaru and he is streaks ahead of everyone here."

Ryan's ultimate goal is to sail lasers in the Olympics, which use the same boats but with a larger sail.

"That would be awesome."

He will be one of the oldest in his category and hopes his extra weight and extra hours in the gym will serve him well if Thailand's Pattaya coast serves up some strong winds. It will be almost seven days of straight sailing for Ryan.

"It's a tough class, it can take it out of you," Strong said. "It's the hardest class in the world before the Olympics. Everybody gets exactly the same boat. It's like running the 100 metres, you get given the shoes and shown the track and are told to go out and race. It really is man on man."

Strong, who is no stranger to competitive racing having been a part of the Great Britain Olympic squad himself, has been coaching in Nelson for the past year but is off to Auckland next weekend to head up the Royal Akarana Yacht Club. He hopes to get back into coaching the radial class with Yachting New Zealand and hopefully meet back up with Ryan once he is old enough.

But what makes a good laser sailor?

"Raw talent and good looks," Strong joked. "But you have to be really fit. It is a demanding sport, you have to fight the whole way."

Ryan said he is up to the challenge. "I like the racing, I like the competition of sailing. That is what I really enjoy about it. So hopefully we can win it as well."

- © Fairfax NZ News