#YouthSailing - The Laser Transition Year programme – better known as the Bcademy – is now underway for 2015.

For its sixth year, the programme will comprise a mix of sailing and cycling for the seven youth sailors involved: Patrick Coyle from the National YC, Jack Carroll and Scott O'Sullivan from Kinsale YC, Brian Fox from Tralee Bay SC, and Eoghan O’Regan, Jamie Tingle and Criofan Guilfoyle from the Royal Cork YC.

The journey started at the Royal Cork with loading the trailer and the minibus: eight Lasers, one small RIB, eight bikes and too many bags!

First stop is Brittany, where they will train with a local squad in St Quay and be hosted in local sailors families.

After a week, the group with have a short drive to Crozon for a three-day clinic with the Brittany squad before competing in an Atlantic two-day event.

Next, the group will have a day's drive up to Nieuwpoort in Belgium where they will train a few days before competing at the Belgium Europa Cup event. 

Having completed the event, the programme will bring them to Hyeres to compete at the French Spring Nationals.

This final week in Hyeres will be dedicated to fitness to ready the team for the final challenge: a 24-hour cycling relay race in teams of four.

ISA coach Thomas Chaix, who has been running the Bcademy since its inception, says it's "all about developing life skills and independence, improving fitness awareness and of course sailing skills.

"It has been a good feeder for the [ISA] Academy in the past and falls perfectly in the ethos of sailing for life."