Yngling campaign needs help

Cathy Foster's Olympic bid after more funds

The Team Cathy Foster-Olympic Yngling Campaign has now been afloat for six months. This UK/South coast- based team comprising Cathy Foster, Jane Norris and Annie Lush, has been training and competing extensively in preparation for the World Championships in Cadiz this September, their first chance of qualifying for the Olympics. The team has now competed in seven international regattas, travelling many miles to train and compete with the top competitors in the Yngling class.

Results have been mixed with individual and overall scores in the top, middle and lower sections of the fleet. As Cathy Foster commented, "this is to be expected of such a short campaign and such an unsettled fleet. Our team is now race-hardened, and we have fitted more learning into the last few months than most do in years. Good results in individual races show we have the potential to pull it all together as our experience grows. We rarely make the same mistake twice. We have withstood some stressful times with the Team intact. We are determined to prove ourselves."

With the imminent arrival of a new boat, kindly donated to them by a private individual, the team is ready to reap the rewards of the last six months hard work. Their main hurdle now however is a financial one as the campaign is running out of money and urgently needs a cash boost to make it through to the World Championships.

Team Cathy Foster is currently supported by 225 cash Donors who have contributed an impressive £20K to date as well as numerous ‘Donors in kind’. The team subsidiary sponsors - Colorcraft, Gossip Multimedia, Harken and the Royal Yachting Association - have also shown huge faith and support, doing everything they can to encourage the team within their financial rules. In return, Team Cathy Foster provides a professional campaign, keeping everyone up to date with current team news via their website as well as giving a personal insight into campaigning through their e-mailed campaign diaries, currently received by nearly 400 people.

As Cathy says, all this support is fantastic however, with the regatta season now underway, the team still needs a further £20,000 to get them to Cadiz. The campaign is therefore making a further appeal for funds through personal donation letters as well as sponsorship requests.

Anyone able to help Team Cathy Foster, or who wants to follow their progress, can email the team here or write to 9 Buldowne Walk, Sway, Lymington, Hampshire SO41 6DU.