Meet OAMPS Insurance Brokers Australian Youth Team
Australia won the Volvo Trophy at the 2007 Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship for being the top performing nation. Gabrielle King won the Laser Radial Class, Jason Waterhouse and Michael McCormick won bronze in the Hobie 16 Class and Hannah Nattress and Michelle Muller won bronze in the 29er Girls 
'OAMPS Insurance Brokers Australian Youth Team'
Yachting Australia
As the team departed Australia for the 2008 World Championship, Team Leader, Kristen Kosmala commented that 'we're taking the Trophy for a trip to Europe and back'.
Meet the team that is going to do their best to make that happen;
RS:X Boys: Tom England (18) from Victoria is a member of the Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron where he started sailing age 7. His first victory was the 420 State Championships. Tom's hero is Lance Armstrong and the most influential person in his career is his father.
This is Tom's second trip to Europe, the first being to race in the 420 World Championships at HISC in the UK in 2003 where he finished 35th. Besides winning the OAMPS Insurance Brokers Australian Championships this is his best sporting achievement.
Tom's personal motto is 'Never say never'.
Laser Radial: Gabrielle King (17) started sailing aged ten at Big River Sailing Club and her first victory was the Women's Laser 4.7 Australian National Title.
The 2008 Laser Radial Women's Youth World Champion and current Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Champion is heading to Denmark to defend her title at her third Youth Worlds.
The most influential person in this young stars campaign is her coach, Erik Stibbe. Gabrielle is studying Commerce at the New South Wales University but studies haven't been getting in the way of training with most days finishing by lunch time.
'My goal is now to defend my title at the Volvo Youth World Sailing Championships this July in Denmark and after that I will be training hard so that I can be a contender at senior level'.
Gabrielle's Personal Motto: 'Everything is possible; the impossible just takes a bit longer.'
Laser: Tom Burton (18) is studying at High School in Sydney and is a member of two clubs, Belmont 16ft Sailing Club and South Lake Macquarie Amateur Sailing Club. Tom started sailing aged 10 and racing aged 13. His first victory was the OK Dinghy Youth World Championship Title. This is Tom's first Volvo ISAF Youth Sailing ISAF Youth World Championships.
'This is my first year sailing Laser Full Rigs so I am ecstatic to have won selection to race in this World Championship. I reckon it will be like a mini Olympics with all the different countries.'
'Winning the trials has given me the confidence to pursue a campaign for London 2012 in the Laser Class and next year I plan to take a year off study to race in Europe full time.'
Tom's personal motto is '2nd is 1st of the losers'. To ensure that he wins he always sets goals before racing.
29er Boys: Byron White (16) & Rhys Mara (17) teamed up together recently following the tragic death of Nick Peate.
Rhys Mara, a member of Coffs Harbour Yacht Club, has been racing since he was 6 years old and won the Manly Junior National Title in 2002. Winner of North Coast Academy of Sport Athlete of the Year 2003, Rhys credits his father as being the most influential person in his successful career.
This is Rhys first trip overseas and first time racing this World Championship but with his personal motto being 'Nothing is impossible' there is every chance that he will return home a winner.
Helmsman, Byron White is the youngest member of the team having just turned 16, yet he is already a sailing star showing incredible talent by winning the Australian Manly Junior Championship aged 11 and this year winning the Australian 29er Championship and silver at the 29er World Championship.
29er Girls: Hannah Nattress (18) and Michelle Muller (18) won the Bronze Medal at the 2007 Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship in Kingston, Canada. This will be the girls second and last Youth Worlds as both being 18 years old they will have to move into senior sailing competition next year.
Hannah Nattress started sailing aged 7 and racing aged 9. She is a member of Woollahra Sailing Club in NSW. Her first victory was winning the Sabot State Title.
'Being nominated for the 2008 Australian Youth Sailor of the Year Award was a great honour and I have to credit my father and my coach, Larry Cargill as being the most influential people in my career. Without them I wouldn't have achieved any of this.'
Hannah's personal motto is, 'life is not a dress rehearsal'.
Michelle Muller was born in Cape Town, South Africa. Now a student in Sydney and member of Woollahra Sailing Club where she trains hard along with skipper, Hannah in the 29er with their coach Larry Cargill teaching them all the key skills they require to win. Michelle started sailing aged 10 and racing aged 12.
Multihull: The Multihull Event this year is taking part in a boat called an SL16. The team of Jason Waterhouse (16) and his cousin, Lisa Darmanin (16) have spent all of three days training on an SL16 with the rest of their preparation has taking place on Hobie 16's. The team flew over to France earlier this year to gain those three precious days sailing an SL16.
Jason Waterhouse will be competing in his third Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship having finished 4th in 2006 with Jeremy Roberts. Michael McCormick crewed last year and the pair won Bronze.
Jason is young but he has many years experience behind him, having started sailing at the tender age of 4 and racing aged 8. His first win was the Australian MJ National Championship and last year he won the Youth Hobie 16 World Championship title.
Jason's personal motto is, 'Live your dreams don't dream your lives'
Lisa Darmanin is also only 16 years old and studying at High School. A member of the Manly 16ft Skiff Club since her introduction to the sport aged 8 when she used to kick and scream and even jump off the boat and swim ashore in the beginning but she soon learned to love it. The most influential person in her career is Baz Atkins, who has helped her since she started sailing. Her first victory was winning the Manly Junior Nationals.
Lisa's personal motto is, 'In life everything happens for a reason'.
Accompanying the team to Debmark is team leader, Kristen Kosmala and coaches Larry Cargrill and David Mann.
* Racing kicks off on 12th July in Aarhus in Denmark and finishes on 18th July *
We will have detailed coverage of this event, spo stay tuned.
by Laura Baldwin 
Perth, WA
