Royal Cornwall Yacht Club
Est. 1871Patron: HRH Charles, Duke of Cornwall
MEDIA RELEASE
10 May 2012
Special Visitor calls in on Kennal Vale School in Ponsanooth
All of the pupils at KennalValeSchool in Ponsanooth near Falmouth were excited to receive a visit from Ben Ainslie, Britain’s most successful Olympic sailor.
Ben is in Falmouth competing in the Finn Nationals and Finn Gold Cup which starts on Sunday 12 May. The children have been learning about the J P Morgan Asset Management Finn Festival,the international sailing event taking place in Falmouth until 18th May, ahead of the 2012 Olympics where he will be representing Great Britain.
Ben inspired his audience with his passion for sailing and told of how he learnt to sail at Restronguet Sailing Club as a child. He has sailed competitively in the Olympics in the Laser dinghy and Finn Dinghy. The children told Ben what they had learnt about him and his sailing history. They were fascinated by Ben’s answers to their questions which included: Ben names all his boats RITA and he has had about 25 boats to date, the fact that he would be facing around 12 countries with really great sailors , who would be tough to beat at the London 2012 Olympics and his amazing experience of his first Olympic Games in Atlanta at the age of 19 in 1996 and winning his first ever Olympic medal.
“The visit to our school gave everyone the fantastic opportunity to meet Ben and to hear first hand about where he learned to sail and about his Olympic journey. By complete coincidence, pupils in year six had chosen Ben as their Olympian to study as part of the their Olympic topic this term, because of his local connections”commented Mrs Force, Head Teacher at KennalValeSchool. “We are extremely fortunate at the school to have the support of all parents, especially Robin Taylor, who donated a sail which was signed by Ben, which will be used as a shelter in the outdoor play area.”
The children showed their support for Ben by singing a rousing version of ‘he’s got the whole world in his hands.
Further information about Ben’s Olympic history can be seen at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall in the ‘Sail for Gold Exhibition’running until 24 June. The exhibition shows how Great Britain secured its place as the world’s most successful Olympic and Paralympic sailing nation, linking our heritage with the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic sailing regattas taking place on the waters of Weymouth and Portland. The museum is also hosting an interactive display, featuringthe Finn dinghy‘Rita’ that Ben will sail in the 2012 Olympics. People can show their support for Ben by tweeting #benandrita
Live racing in the Finn Gold Cup will be tracked electronically, and can be followed on the Finn website which includes full details of the J P Morgan Asset Management Finn Festival in Falmouth and the Official Programme for the Festival.
ENDS
Notes for editors
Image: Ben Ainslie with Rowen, Louis and Tom at KennalValeSchool
The Royal Cornwall Yacht Club was formed in 1871 and has HRH Prince Charles, Duke of Cornwall as patron. Prince Charles with, Camilla Duchess of Cornwall, visited the Club last year.
The Organising Authority for the sailing is RCYC Events Ltd.
The Fal estuary offers safe sheltered waters while FalmouthBay offers good stable winds with less tide than most other sailing waters making it a world class sailing venue.
VisitCornwall is a service of the Cornwall Development Company, a local authority company controlled by Cornwall Council. VisitCornwall undertakes the destination marketing function for Cornwall and promotes the areas distinctive qualities to the domestic market and key international markets through targeted marketing campaigns.
Contact details:
Dan Wilkinson, Into the Blue
Mob: 0044 7786223444
Sian Robbins
Festivals & Events Assistant
VisitCornwall
Mob: 07733 001416
About J.P. Morgan Asset Management
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About Midas Construction
Midas construction, part of Midas group, is one of the UK’s largest independent construction and property services providers with very strong links with Cornwall. Operating from offices in Indian Queens, Midas Construction has been involved in some of the county’s landmark buildings and projects over many years.
Most recently, Midas Construction completed Heartlands, the exciting new visitor centre and World Heritage site at Pool, near Camborne, Phase 11 of the £29 million Penwith College Project and the new Bodmin Police Station. Other recent projects include the new tea room and shop at the Duchy of Cornwall Nurseries near Lostwithiel, GyllyngduneGardens in Falmouth and a wide range of affordable housing projects.