'Ordinary sailors' urged to take on charity challenge !!!!

Ordinary sailors, who normally steer clear of a racing buoy, are being urged to sign up for this year's 26-mile sailing marathon in Plymouth. Billed as a 'chase' and very definitely not a 'race', the 12th Eddystone Charity Sailing Pursuit will be held on Saturday 13 July. The event will culminate in an evening of supper, entertainment and prize giving, hosted by The National Marine Aquarium for the first time. The reserve date, in case of postponement, is Sunday, 14 July. Since its inception in 2002, the Eddystone Charity Sailing Pursuit has raised more than £300,000 for 123 charitable causes. This year organisers are adopting a new formula for awarding prize money from the 'prize pot' which has been increased to £15,000. Organiser Julia Creeke, who created the charity challenge in memory of her mother, said: 'If you've got access to a boat and a charity close to your heart, then sign up for a fun, rewarding day out on the water which always adds a thrill to fundraising. 'The chase always captures the imagination of supporters and can boost a charity's coffers through sponsorship as well as prize money.' Last year, 73 cruising and racing yachts raised £41,569 for 40 different charities, which were crewed and skippered by individuals, entire families and charities with crew ages ranging from nine year olds to octogenarians. ‘King Magic' sailed in at the top of the prize ladder, scooping £1,000 for the RNLI. By raising £4,525, the highest amount of sponsorship the Pursuit has ever seen, The Island Trust also received a special prize of £500. This year Plymouth Yacht Haven, Yacht Haven Quay and Blaster Master have joined forces to raise the public profile of the event. Dr David Gibson, managing director at the National Marine Aquarium, said: 'We're delighted to be supporting the Eddystone Charity Sailing Pursuit, and to be welcoming the successful crews to the Aquarium in July. 'It's great to be able to support events such as this, which help raise money for charity and share our views on protecting the seas. 'Our visitors will have a perfect vantage point with all the sailing action taking place just outside the Aquarium, and we are greatly looking forward to the event.' This year yachts will start from a line off the Hoe, from approx 8am, at intervals depending on their handicap which is based on Portsmouth Yardstick. The course takes them out to round the Hand Deeps buoy, three miles west of the Eddystone, and back to finish at the same line off the Hoe. Early bird entries for the individual event and the three boat team event -where all three boats sail for the same charity- began on 1 April and will continue online at www.eddystonepursuit.org until 9 July. Entries cost £15 with a minimum sponsorship requirement of £50. As the main aim of the event is to fundraise for charities that 'benefit the human condition' the new points system aims to encourage participants to raise as much sponsorship as possible for their nominated charity. Now with points aggregated for sponsorship, sailed position and date of entry, boats will buy a proportion of the 'prize pot'. There is an opportunity for businesses, charitable trusts or individuals to help support the Pursuit by becoming a 'Friend' and donating prizes, goods in kind or services; or a sponsor of the three-boat Team event. For more details contact: sec@eddystonepursuit.org

A summer festival of sail in Weymouth and Portland

A festival style weekend offering coaching, racing, spectator interest and taster activities will be recapturing the Olympic spirit in Weymouth and Portland. This summer's August Bank Holiday weekend will see the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy (WPNSA), the 2012 Games sailing venue, hosting a brand new event, open to all. Action will begin on Friday 23 August with a coaching day. GJW Direct SailFest, the inaugural WPNSA annual handicap regatta, will run from Saturday 24 August to Monday 26 August. There will be racing on the Olympic waters, from Portland Harbour to Weymouth's Nothe peninsula, GPS tracking and live updates, commentary and analysis. Ashore at the academy, there will be an exhibition of dinghies with class association displays, trade stands, workshops and seminars, evening meals and guest speakers Accommodation packages are available at RYA Portland House - the Olympic Team GBR base - campervan pitches and a camping field. During all four days of the event, there will be a fleet of windsurfers available for fully instructed taster sessions by the Official Test Centre (OTC), based right on the slipway at WPNSA. Booking will be opened in June for 90 minute sessions, running at four time-slots each day, for just £17. Tris Best, of the OTC, said: 'SailFest is a great event to keep the momentum of the 2012 Olympics going and we're hoping to build on the 780 plus tasters we achieved last summer. 'Sail sports are more accessible than ever before - an excellent - and enjoyable - way to keep fit, socialise and make the most of some of the best conditions in Europe that Portland Harbour offers. Come and get involved.' Alongside the dinghy racing, the OTC will be running a mid-season slalom training camp in association with the British Slalom Association (BSA) - a chance to keep your slalom skills honed during the summer break in the series calendar. Read more at http://www.pbo.co.uk/news/534263/a-summer-festival-of-sail-in-weymouth-and-portland#MwKQ6cufWc007WyZ.99

Sailing Club Spotlight Royal Western Yacht Club

NEWS that Plymouth is to host the Class 40 World Championships yacht race is a "great coup" for the sailing community. ​ The Class 40 World Championships will be hosted by the City of Plymouth this summer, immediately following the Rolex Fastnet Race • • • The race will come to the city immediately after the Rolex Fastnet Race finishes in August. It is expected that 20 teams from nine nations will compete over the four day series of inshore and coastal races. John Lewis, commodore of Royal Western Yacht Club said it was excellent news for Plymouth and its sailing community. He said: "It's fantastic, we are delighted at the club because it's the first time for many years we've actually held a world championships here, I can't remember the last time. "It's a great coup because we have also the J Cup and Plymouth Race Week so it's a very vibrant sailing programme in Plymouth this summer organised by the RWYC. "We are also running a single handed transatlantic race before the local events start so it all makes for a nice mix." At the start of the summer the city will host a leg of the major new yacht race, Route des Princes. It will stop over in Plymouth on June 27 before departing for Baie de Morlaix the next day. The Class 40 race will take place from August 17 to August 20. The public will be able to visit the fleet and also watch the yachts parade in front of Plymouth Hoe on Sunday August 18. 20 Class 40 teams have already pre-registered for the Rolex Fastnet Race and are due to arrive in Plymouth from the August 15. The teams will have a couple of days break before starting an intense series of inshore and coastal races to decide the overall Class 40 World Champion. In the evenings there will be a series of event functions for the visiting teams to enjoy some of the local hospitality. François Angoulvant, Class 40 president, said: "We are delighted to be welcomed by Plymouth for this fifth edition of the Class 40 Worlds. "The timing is perfect and we hope we can build a partnership with the RWYC to come back regularly for the Worlds. "The Class 40 fleet knows the area quite well as it comes here every two years for the Rolex Fastnet Race and was also here in 2008 for the Transat."

Sailing toward expansion

SOMERSET — Residents are likely to see a lot more impressive-looking boats making their way up the Taunton River to Bristol Marine this summer and as the business is expanding, it is also planning to open up part of its waterfront property for the public to enjoy. "Somerset is a place that is a hidden gem," Bristol Marine Vice President Nick King said. "People don't know about the Somerset waterfront. We're trying to make something here that is good for us and good for Somerset." Bristol Marine President Andy Tyska said the business has been installing a new marina with dock slips for boats that he hopes will bring more traffic up the river. From a barge, steel pylons have been driven into the bottom of the river and floating docks have been installed. Mr. Tyska said the marina will be built in three phases. The first phase, which he said will be done in a week, will allow the business to dock 25 boats at the marina. Because of the deep water in the area, Mr. Tyska said Bristol Marine will be able to dock boats that are significantly larger than those that go to other marinas in the area. There are three phases to the dock project, which will eventually have 65 slips for boats. Bristol Marine will have slips for seasonal rental, transient slips for boaters who want to spend the night in the area and for boats that are being serviced at the business. Mr. Tyska said the marina will help to boost the economy of the area. He said when owners come to pick up boats that are being worked on at the business on Main Street, they will spend money at local restaurants and shops. Mr. Tyska said Bristol Marine has contracted with two manufacturers to service their boats and said he expects the first boat, which will be a 75-foot yacht built in Italy, to arrive in Somerset in about two weeks. He said the business will be working on mostly power boats, but there will be some larger sailboats, as well. Mr. Tyska noted that he has local craftsmen working on the boats at the Main Street site and as the business grows will be hiring more employees. He said Bristol Marine has hired some of the workers from the former J&J Marine that was on the site, has workers who live in Somerset and surrounding communities and will continue to hire local residents. There are currently 25 employees at Bristol Marine. "I anticipate that in the next three years, we will have doubled our current workforce," Mr. Tyska said. Mr. Tyska said that 16 months ago, there were no employees on the Somerset site. He said Bristol Marine has invested a significant amount of money not only into the facilities on the site, but also into the workers and their training. Mr. Tyska said local workers were also used to build the floating docks and lumber and hardware was purchased from local suppliers. Mr. Tyska said it has been nice to do business in Somerset. Mr. King said part of the plan for the business is to provide public access to the property. A 22-foot wide boardwalk where people will be able to walk and fish is being constructed and will hopefully be ready by this summer, he said. "We're hoping to have an event here for the public this summer so people can see what is going on down here," Mr. King said. With all of the rumblings about increased taxes going on in town recently, Mr. King said Bristol Marine is trying to take an upbeat approach to its business. He said the business wants to work with the town in a positive way. He said the two entities can benefit each other. Mr. King said he appreciates the efforts of Somerset Economic Development Committee members Steve Silverman, Roger Benevides and David Costa. He said people in town have asked what they can do to help the business. Mr. King said he hopes people see the investment that Bristol Marine is making and think it is valuable to the community. He said part of the business's mission is to get involved in the community in projects that involve volunteer work. He said the town can also help the business with things, like permitting and tax relief. "I really think that we're doing something unique here," Mr. King said. Mr. King said the Fall River Country Club can be seen across the river from the Bristol Marine site. He said there are many birds in the area. Pierce Beach Park is located right around the corner. He said Somerset should promote its waterfront more because a lot of communities do not have a waterfront. "That's something you can't buy," Mr. King said.

The Toughest Sailing Race in the World

'Sailing is awesome, for the LOVE of WATER'

Leigh McMillan wins Extreme Sailing Series regatta in Oman

An “exceptional day” and an exceptional final, double points scoring race gave British Olympian Leigh McMillan and his local The Wave team a last gasp win in the opening regatta of the 2013 Extreme Sailing Series in Oman. He beat by just six points, 232 to 226, the Red Bull Team, skippered by Austrian Olympic gold medallist Roman Hagara, which had led for most of the four days. In third place was America’s Cup winner Ernesto Bertarelli, racing under the Alinghi banner and who is also giving serious consideration to expanding his sailing horizons to the Volvo round the world race, which starts from Alicante late next year. In the West Indies, Simonas Steponavicius has also announced that he intends to enter a Lithuanian entry in the Volvo next year. Entries already announced are an all-woman crew for Swedish challenger SCA, a Brazilian team from Recife, and a repeat appearance of an Abu Dhabi crew skippered by British double Olympic silver medallist Ian Walker.

Extreme Sailing Series : The Wave, Muscat continues its winning streak

Having won the Extreme Sailing Series in 2012, the defending champion, The Wave, Muscat, laid down a marker today, winning the opening races of the 2013 series, held out of the Omani venue carrying their boat’s name. In seven races run, The Omani team won three, to take the overall lead after day one. However it was also a good day for double Olympic Tornado Gold medallist Roman Hagara on Red Bull Sailing Team, which now trails The Wave, Muscat’s skipper Leigh McMillan in second place by just one point. “It went pretty well - a solid opening day,” commented McMillan. “It was really fantastic sailing conditions on a more normal race course, upwind-downwind in 15 knots – it doesn’t get much better. It was pretty exciting and the racing was really close and we enjoyed it. It was a fantastic opening day in Muscat.” Conditions started out at 11 knots and built to 16 throughout the afternoon. “It gave everyone a chance to warm up in the breeze and get used to it,” said McMillan. “We had a bit of space so it wasn’t too close or too crash-bang. It was a good opener for everyone trying to get going.” The only change for 2013 on The Wave, Muscat is that there is now a second Omani sailor on board. Racing with McMillan and old hands Peter Greenhalgh and Ed Smyth is once again bowman Hashim Al Rashdi, but new in the ‘5th man’ slot is Musab Al Hadi, Oman’s leading F18 catamaran sailor, for whom today was nerve racking in his first ever day of Extreme Sailing Series racing. “It was my first day ever in the Extreme fleet, and what a day it was! The wind conditions were fantastic today and they helped intensify the competition. This is a great and exciting opportunity for me and every one in the team has been very supportive. I look forward to the next race and I will continue doing my level best to see a podium in our home waters.” Al Rashdi, having sailed on board for a season already, is showing Al Hadi the ropes and says the new boy is getting on just fine: “He is at home. He is the right man for the job. He is a really good sailor.” Personally Al Rashdi believes his own confidence on board has improved since the last Act of 2012 in Rio and he was pleased The Wave, Muscat had got off to such a good start here in Muscat. “We had a really good day. We won the day and we won the first race of the 2013 Extreme Sailing Series, so I am very happy. We had 14-15 knots and it was quite wavy but I think our boat handling is good. We had a great day today.” While The Wave, Muscat is the favourite going into the Extreme Sailing Series this year, the second Omani entry Team Duqm Oman making, racing as an invitational team, was much more of an unknown. Greenhalgh may be one of Britain’s most experienced all-round sailors but it has been some time since he won the first season of the Extreme Sailing Series and was runner-up in its second. “I think it has evolved quite a bit,” said Greenhalgh of how the circuit has evolved in the intervening five years. “The teams are quite a bit more competitive now, so it is just about getting used to it again. We had a good day. It wasn’t the easiest opening day. It was quite breezy - up to 18 knots and a very small course and quite choppy, testing conditions.” However hardest for Greenhalgh is competing alongside four crew he’s never sailed with before, although this includes both Will Howden and Oman’s Nasser Al Mashari, who competed on Oman Air, finishing second overall last season. Despite the excuses Team Duqm Oman performed well and ends the opening day fourth overall, but tied on points with Alinghi in third. “We are pretty happy with how we got on. We have got room to improve, but there’s plenty to come,” said Greenhalgh. “To be honest we had no expectations. I think we’d be upset if we were seventh or eighth, so we are happy with today - we have got some good results, including four thirds today. In the first two races we were sixth and seventh when we were finding our feet. But most of it is just me seeing how races unfold and how people get around the race course these days.” Tomorrow racing continues with stadium racing off The Wave, Muscat beach with the start of the public village where families and children will get an opportunity to experience a variety of fun activates while supporting the national teams.

Sailing Club Spotlight Teesdale Sailing Club

TEESDALE Sailing Club is hoping to encourage more people to take to the water when the new season starts. Recognised by the Royal Yachting Association (RYA), the club, based at Grassholme Reservoir, will host a programme of training days in the coming months. The club programme also allows space for cruising and infrequent sailors who do not wish to commit to the scheduled races. At the club's recent annual meeting the existing committee of Robert Johnson, commodore, Chris Barraclough, secretary and treasurer David Fowell was re-elected. The last two weekends in March are designated club work days to prepare for the season’s opening on Sunday, April 7. The first Sail Training Level 1 session will take place over the weekend of April 13 and 14.

Sailing Club Spotlight Foulridge Sailing Club

A SAILING club has been awarded £41,500 to build a gangway and pontoon to allow safe access into the water. Burwain Sailing Club, in Reedymoor Lane, Foulridge, has been awarded the money from Inspired Facilities, part of Sport England, for a 15-metre long gangway which will be connected to a 15-metre pontoon. The club, which has 120 members applied for the grant a year ago, say- ing the current access into the water when the level is low, by vertical iron ladders, is not safe enough for children, the elderly and disabled. Permission is expected to be granted from The Canals and Rivers Trust in the coming weeks and work is hoped to be completed by early June. Peter Norcliffe, training centre principal for the club, said the new access to the lake would be of huge benefit. He said: “It has been a long process getting the money but it’s fantastic that it has now been awarded. “We applied for the money because the current access to the water is not as safe as it could be, especially for children, the elderly and disabled. “At the moment we have vertical iron ladders. The problem that we have is that the reservoir is fed from the canal so during the summer months in particular the reservoir level drops, which means we need to use the vertical ladders to get into the boats. “All the money from the award will be put towards the gangway and pontoon as it is an expensive project. It will be quite a feat of engineering, weighing a couple of tonnes. “The new gangway and pontoon will hopefully make it a lot easier and safer for people using the sailing club.” The club meets on Wednesday evenings, Sat- urday afternoons and Sunday afternoons as well as holding a Sailfish club for seven to 15-year-olds on Friday eve- nings. The club currently has spaces for new members. Anyone wishing to join should call the club on 01282 863493.

Sailing: Patience a real virtue at Big Weekend in Largs

More than merely a trade show, it brought together some of the key players in sailing in Scotland. Along with the customary announcements, guest speakers and industry news, came the assurance that the future of sailing in Scotland is being taken very seriously by industry leaders. The big news – that Luke Patience, the Olympic silver medallist from Helensburgh, is to be an ambassador for this year's Scottish Series, and will also compete at the event in Tarbert from May 24-27 in a Bavaria B/one sports boat supplied by DDZ Marine – is great for the event in particular and Scottish sailing in general. Having someone of his calibre racing locally demonstrates to cadets just what can be achieved. Patience is more than a great role model, he is proof that hard work pays off. It is not easy sailing in West Coast summers but, as he said, it gives cadets the edge when it comes to competing in "windy and wavy conditions". It's good to have someone put a positive spin on what can often be a brutal summer. To underline the importance of young sailors, he handed out medals to Scottish National ranking awards winners. These youngsters have worked hard to achieve this success and, as the RYA Youth National Championships are being staged in Largs in April, the recognition was timely. It was announced by VisitScotland's David Adams-McGilp that MalinWaters is lending its support to the Active Marina Programme which is intended to increase participation and competence in boat owners within marinas, and to encourage and support berth-holder activity by establishing partnerships with marinas, RYA-recognised training centres, berth-holder groups and yacht clubs to develop a programme of training, cruising and social opportunities. More than 150 people joined RYA Scotland at their annual awards dinner on Saturday evening, an evening spent celebrating the successes and hard work of those clubs, instructors, coaches and volunteers without whom sailing would be dead in the water. Among the award winners was Oban's Matt Thomas, who won the coach of the year award for 2012. He returned to coaching just more than a year ago, having taken a 13-year break from the sport. His return has galvanised the Scottish 29er squad and resulted in them making a big leap up the British rankings. More than merely looking back on the past year, RYA Scotland's Big Weekend took the brave step of telling us what to expect in the year ahead. With new investment, both in terms of money and people in the sport, RYA Scotland, VisitScotland and MalinWaters showed their commitment to sailing.

Sailing and the Isle of Wight

The Isle of Wight is famed for its sailing pedigree and is home to many of Britain's best sailors. Surrounded by the famously challenging waters of the Solent, the Isle of Wight has historically hosted (and continues to host) many of the world's most popular sailing events including the ever-growing Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week and JP Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race, both starting from Cowes and both drawing participants of all levels, from keen amateurs to Olympic champions from all over the world. Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week is a tradition which stretches back to 1826 and still takes place around the beginning of August each year. Cowes Week lays claim to being the world's largest sailing regatta of its kind, regularly attracting around 8,500 competitors and over 100,000 spectators. As one of the UK's most successful and long-standing sporting events, Cowes Week is renowned for its unique atmosphere and great mix of competitive sailing, parties and live entertainment. The spectacular firework finale is traditionally held on the last Friday of the regatta and always attracts a big crowd of appreciative spectators. The JP Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race is a one-day event that takes place every June and attracts over 1,700 yachts and 16,000 sailors, all keen to challenge themselves and their equipment in a circumnavigation of the Isle of Wight, starting and finishing off Cowes. Every year, thousands of spectators take to the water and flock to the many Island and mainland vantage points along the route to watch the incredible sight as thousands of yachts jostle for position whilst passing some of the most spectacular coastal scenery in the world, including the iconic Needles rocks. Another favourite is the Yarmouth old Gaffers Festival which traditionally takes place in the Spring in the small, picturesque harbour town of Yarmouth. During the event, Yarmouth harbour fills with over 100 traditional sailing, steam and motor vessels, including the cream of the Old Gaffers fleet. The vessels compete in a series of races in the Solent before returning to Yarmouth harbour in a stunning display of colour and tradition; combined with the variety of entertainment and events on-shore, the Old Gaffers Festival is a firm favourite with the thousands of annual spectators and competitors.