IT'S an award-winning scheme that put Olympic athlete Pippa Wilson on the path to international glory.

Pippa, pictured, named yesterday in Britain's team for the 2008 Games in Beijing, is among thousands of people who have benefited from the yachting project since it was launched 23 years ago.

Children joining the scheme can learn to sail for just £1 a week.

However, instructors claim the classes could be sunk by plans to introduce a new generation of cross-Solent ferries next summer.

The proposed new Wightlink vessels will displace almost twice as much water as the existing vessels on the busy Lymington to Yarmouth route.

The ferries could be forced to cut their speed, increasing the amount of time they take to pass through a training area used by the Royal Lymington Yacht Club.

Pippa's father, Roger, who has run the sailing scheme for 14 years, said any additional disruption would make it impossible to carry on.

"If we end up losing two-thirds of our sailing time, there'll be no point doing it," he said.

Known as Wednes-day Junior Sailing (WJS), the project is said to be the biggest and longest-running scheme of its type in the country, with classes open to children aged between eight and 18.

Pippa Wilson said: "If I hadn't gone sailing then I wouldn't be sailing now. It would be an absolute tragedy if it folded."

Lymington harbourmaster Ryan Willegers said: "We don't know how much we will need to slow them down and what impact that might have on the junior sailing."

A Wightlink spokesman said: "We will continue to work with all interested parties to ensure there is minimal interference."