Sailing Club Spotlight Southampton Sailing Club

Extreme Laser Sailing

Buoyant sailing school launches new boats

A SAILING school that has taught thousands of youngsters the skills of getting afloat in Bristol has launched four new boats. The racing vessels were put onto the water at the headquarters of the West of England Schools Sailing Association (Wessa) during a ceremony at Baltic Wharf. Donations of more than £10,000 had allowed Wessa to increase its fleet of sailing and power craft. The school's spokeswoman, Gill Hannan, said: "We have formed a Bristol racing squad, which can take part in regional and national competitions. The new boats mean we can now develop the racing potential of our young people. "They will allow our promising young sailors to compete at regional regattas, as well as in national events organised by the National Schools Sailing Association, giving our club sailors something to which they can aspire." She said team racing involved two or three boats being raced against a similar number, with those sailing them working together to beat their opposition. It brought tactics, good communication and team work into play, as well as the sailors having to know the rules of sailing "inside out". The money needed for the boats came from health insurance firm Simply Health, which gave £5,000, and pound-for-pound match funding from Sport England. A further £750 was donated by a private trust fund. Wessa is a registered charity and voluntary organisation that promotes sailing among school children in Bristol and the surrounding area. It is run by a voluntary management committee and has been in operation for more than 30 years, in that time teaching 15,000 students aged seven to 19 to sail. In the 1980s it took over the Bristol Sailing School, which now operates as the trading arm of the organisation to help fund Wessa activities. In recent years it has also broadened its scope to incorporate Bristol Sailability, which was set up to help people with disabilities to learn sailing. Wessa is recognised by the Royal Yachting Association as a training and Sailability centre and aims to provide water-based coaching and recreation to the widest range of ages and abilities as possible.

Pinching - Be Your Own Tactics Coach

Sailing Club Spotlight West Lancashire Yacht Club

Sail championships could bring £1million to Dartmouth

A WORLD-class sailing event in Dartmouth this summer could bring as much as £1million into the town, it was claimed today. The J80 World Sailing Championships, to be hosted by the Britannia Royal Naval College Dartmouth, the Royal Dart Yacht Club and the J/80 UK Class Association, are being held between June 9 and 15. . Race headquarters for the predicted 80 race teams, which are likely to involve 500 people, will be on Coronation Park. Hilary Bastone, who represents Dartmouth as a South Hams District Councillor, has been involved in arrangements for the prestige event. He said: "This is proving a really good money maker for the town and is really underpinning the port as a great venue to stage exciting sailing events – particularly with Start Bay being both sheltered and challenging. “We estimate that this event could bring in between £500,000 to £1m for the town. "It is a real prestige event and will do nothing but enhance the reputation of Dartmouth as a sailing venue. Last year’s J/80 Worlds were held in Copenhagen, and in 2010 they were in Newport, Rhode Island, USA. “We have already had a lot of block bookings from the teams wanting to come down in advance to get used to local sailing conditions in advance of the championships."

Why not 'sail' the coast of Turkey in a gulet?

For those who love the idea of a sailing holiday in the Med but don't want to sweat and grind your own way through precious holiday time or navigate through unknown waters, a sailing holiday on a gulet off the coast of Turkey could be just the answer. What's a gulet? Read on... A gulet, pronounced just how it looks, is a traditional designed two-masted (usually a schooner) wooden sailing vessel. They vary in size from 14 to 35 metres, and are used for cruising holidays with a difference along the popular cruising coastline of Turkey. While they are traditional sailing boats, made in Turkey and with lots of lovely polished timber aboard, the need to keep to schedules means that often the gulets often sail only a few times during a holiday. Don't be alarmed at the word 'scheduled'. These comparatively inexpensive holidays combine all the relaxation you expect on a sailing holiday, with the difference that the meals are prepared for you and the sailing/motoring is done by someone else. There are also specific departures where sailing is the priority and the itinerary are suited for this mode of travel. Gulet - it doesn’t need to be sedentary - .. . It's the ideal way to relax, sunbathing on the decks and swimming in quiet pristine waters off the island-dotted coastal waters of the Adriatic. There are also great opportunities to spend day visits and sometimes even overnight stays in some of the many small picturesque communities located along the coastal route. Not that your sailing holiday has to be all sedentary. If you would like to enjoy a good physical workout while onshore there are opportunities to do some hill climbing or cycling included on specific itineraries. Consider yourself fortunate if you happen upon a local celebration such as a festival day or a wedding at one of your stops as you will be invited to join in the activities. Gulet dining - .. . The food does not compare with the opulence of a cruise ship - the menus are limited by the size of the kitchens. While there are many privately owned gulets in Turkey, the owners rarely sail themselves, keeping a crew on board most of the time - a less expensive proposition in Turkey than elsewhere. Gulet cruises range from small two-cabin crafts to larger 24-cabin vessels. Individual cabin sizes are generally on the small size but are still comfortable and ample enough for a one-week cruise. It is easy to begin by shopping online for a range of gulet options, but a good site to check for comparison of size and price is www.adriatica.net You'll also find a full selection of departure dates and itineraries where you can choose your route.

Advanced Wave Sailing tips by Paul Goodison

Northampton sailing club among UK’s best

A NORTHAMPTONSHIRE sailing club has been recognised as one of the top clubs in the UK after being shortlisted for a national award for the third time in four years. Hollowell Sailing Club, based at Hollowell Reservoir, off Welford Road, has been named as a finalist in the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) Club of the Year Award 2012. The winner will be announced at the RYA Volvo Dinghy Show in London, on March 3. Russell Brayshaw, Hollowell Sailing Club’s Commodore, said: “People know when they come to Hollowell they’ll be given a warm welcome and enjoy our activities in a safe environment, whether they’re beginners or experienced sailors. “We’re a close-knit group and everyone appreciates the value of working hard for the good of the club.” The RYA award recognises clubs which excel at promoting sailing, encouraging people onto the water and make their activities varied and accessible. Hollowell, which has about 550 members, was also a finalist for the award in 2009 and 2011.

Clipper Round-world Yachts Set Sail for Qingdao

Fleet of the 2011-2012 Clipper Round the World Yacht Race set sail for Qingdao on Saturday after a week-long stopover at Singapore. The fleet set sail on Saturday morning from the Marina at Keppel Bay for the 8th race of the round-the-world-trip. The route from Singapore to China's northern coastal city of Qingdao, which has been known as a city of sailing since the Summer Olympics in 2008, is 2,580 miles (4,128 kilometers). It is expected to take around 20 days. The race will be challenging as it started in the tropical heat and light headwinds and then, as it goes north, the weather turns colder, the winds come from directly ahead and the sea state kicks up to deliver a real challenge, organizers said. The fleet arrived in Singapore on Jan. 28. The yacht Gold Coast Australia won the 4,600-mile (7,360-kilometer) Race 7 from Australia to Singapore, which is the first part of the 5th leg of the trip around the globe. It was 79 minutes ahead of runner-up Derry-Londonderry. Geraldton Western Australia finished the race by arriving in Batam on Monday in the third position, followed by Qingdao and Singapore in the fourth and fifth places, respectively. The Singapore yacht, sponsored by the world's largest rig builder Keppel Corporation, sailed into the Keppel Bay on Saturday morning to the applause of Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean and a large crowd. It was a disappointing result for the Finnish boat Visit Finland, which finished in the eighth place out of ten. The team had appeared on the podium four times in the previous six races. Ian Conchie, the British skipper of the boat Qingdao, has said that his team got "every incentive" to do their best in the race towards its home port of Qingdao. "We've got the speed in the boat. We are just gonna work hard as a team, bring it all together, and try and pull it to Qingdao," he said. Qu Zhiguo, a Chinese sailor on the boat, has said that he was hoping for a good result on the race from Singapore to Qingdao, too. "We will be expecting headwinds most of the time. So the speed is going to be fast. It is going to be challenging," he said. The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race is known for the world's longest route at about 40,000 miles (64,000 kilometers), with 15 races on 8 legs. The fleet sailed from Southampton in the United Kingdom in late July last year and is expected to return to Britain in July this year.

Sailing Club Spotlight Tamesis Sailing Club 2

Sailing Club Spotlight Tamesis Sailing Club 1

Voyage of Recovery sailing for drug and alcohol addicts

Alcohol and drug addicts could be offered a rehabilitation programme sailing around the coast of Britain. During the 12-week "Voyage of Recovery" up to 160 addicts will work aboard the Tectona and be taught how to sail. The 1,800-mile (2,897km) trip, starting in Plymouth on 1 August, has been organised by two charities - Phoenix Futures and the Tectona Trust. The impact of the voyage on those taking part will be studied by Phoenix, Tectona and Plymouth University. The voyage will be split into will five-day legs for teams of 12 to allow as many people as possible to take part. 'Life changing' The Tectona will sail from Plymouth on 1 August to Portsmouth for the "official" start of the voyage around Britain. Duties on board will include navigation, manning the sails, hauling up anchor as well as preparing meals and keeping the ship clean. The idea for the sailing programme came from Stuart Plant and Darren Long as part of Phoenix Futures' Innovation Factor, which encourages people to think about new ways of overcoming addiction. Mr Plant, a residential manager for Phoenix, said while sailing was hard, physical work, it involved working as part of a team and helped to boost people's self-esteem and confidence. Mr Long, a former addict, who now volunteers for the Tectona Trust, said sailing had been "life changing in more ways than anyone could imagine". Karen Biggs, Phoenix Futures' chief executive, said: "The Voyage Of Recovery is the latest of a series of innovations that we have championed. "Our long history of delivering recovery services has shown us the importance of continuing to find new and imaginative ways to inspire people to take those important steps toward tackling their addiction."