Take to the waves with Pilkington Sailing Club

Pilkington Sailing Club will be holding sailing taster sessions on two successive Saturdays (April 9 and 16) for people of all ages who may be interested. The sailing club is an RYA recognised training centre and offers courses in sailing at all levels. This year's Beginners Course runs throughout the summer on Thursday evenings from April 21. For further information contact pilkstraing@gmail.com

Free sailing sessions in your area during RYA Push the Boat Out 2016

UK YOUTH NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE BECKONS FOR ATHERTON

Daniel Atherton, from Cowes, will be going for gold when he competes at the upcoming RYA Youth National Championships next week (2nd-8th April) with teammate Matt Viney. The 17-year old will take to the water in the 420 class, to race against the best in British Youth Sailing. Nearly 380 young sailors from across the United Kingdom are set to converge on the Llŷn Peninsula in North Wales for the premier competition in the youth sailing calendar which, for some, may yet provide a springboard into a future Olympic campaign. The new Welsh National Sailing Academy, Plas Heli will play host to the 2016 RYA Youth National Championships. Atherton has already made steps towards his Olympic sailing, competing at the EUROSAF Youth European Championships last summer. This year’s Youths are once again a selection event for summer internationals. Daniel said: “This event is very important to us, as it is the largest British Youth Sailing event of the year, and decides on teams for Worlds and Europeans, which will in turn select the Youth Worlds team later this year. “Our main competition in the fleet will most probably be James Clemetson and Will Birch-Tomlinson along with Robbie King and Marcus Tressler. In order to beat them, we must make sure we sail consistently, minimise our mistakes and make sure we are better prepared.” Atherton and Viney currently lead the 420 World and European Selection Series, with the Youth Nationals being the final stage in the three process selection series, this will give them a small boost on the opening day: Daniel concluded: “We just need to keep putting in consistent results, getting the processes right, controlling the controllables and remaining calm”. The Youth Nationals is regarded as one of the premier competitions in the youth sailing calendar and Britain’s brightest young sailing talents will be vying for medals and, alongside the accolade of being crowned Youth National Champion, they will also be battling for selection to compete for Great Britain on the international stage. The event plays an important role in the selection process for the 2016 EUROSAF Youth European Championships taking place in Austria in August and the Youth World Sailing Championships in December. The RYA Youth Nationals regatta has been a proven talent indicator for sailors who are likely to progress towards Olympic success. Previous winners of the competition include multiple Olympic gold medallists Ben Ainslie, Iain Percy and Sarah Ayton. RYA Youth Racing Manager Mark Nicholls said: “We’re looking forward to what I’m sure will be another great RYA Youth Nationals, and using the new facilities at the Welsh National Sailing Academy.” “The Youth Nationals sees not only high class competition from our top sailors vying for Championship honours and squad selections, but it’s also a great platform for young talents making their first steps into the youth boats to see what the competition is all about.” Great Britain’s top youth sailors will also have the chance to show off their talents in front of a Royal audience after confirmation that HRH The Princess Royal will be attending the 2016 RYA Youth National Championships on 8 April. Event registration and equipment inspection opens on Saturday 2 April and racing starts for all classes on Monday 4 April through to Friday 8 April at Welsh National Sailing Academy, Plas Heli.

Marine tourism 'worth £3.7bn to Scottish economy'

Marine recreation and tourism is worth £3.7bn a year to the Scottish economy, a report has estimated. The Scottish Marine Recreation and Tourism Survey found £1.3bn is spent on activities such as wildlife watching, sailing, kayaking, surfing and angling. A further £2.4bn is spent on general recreation and tourism such as coastal cycling, beach combing and short walks. The survey covered 23 activities undertaken at sea or around the Scottish coastline. General marine and coastal recreation, including beach activities, was found to be the most popular. The survey suggested that businesses in the sector were optimistic about the future, with most respondents anticipating growth in turnover over the next five years. The most positive outlook was reported by firms running excursions, training and hiring or chartering equipment including boats. Businesses serving bird and wildlife watching, general recreation, canoeing and kayaking and other boat-based activities also tended to have a positive view of the next five years. Image copyright VisitScotland Image caption Beach activities were found to be among the most popular in the survey Commenting on the findings, Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead said: "Our seas are the jewel in Scotland's natural crown. "They provide energy, food and are a massive draw for visitors from home and abroad." Sail Scotland chief executive Daniel Steel added: "This research confirms what we hear about our scenery, wildlife, and food and drink being a huge draw and underlines the contribution that marine recreation and tourism is playing in driving the Scottish economy. "The challenge through the Scottish Marine Tourism Strategy is for us to work collaboratively to grow this even further over the next few years." The Scottish government, the Firth of Clyde Forum, the Scottish Coastal Forum and the Crown Estate contributed to the survey, which was carried out between August and October last year. It was completed by a total of 2,170 individuals and the representatives of 137 organisations.

Highcliffe Sailing club offers free sessions for families

YOUNGSTERS will have the chance to get sailing as part of a national event in Mudeford this spring. Highcliffe Sailing Club, based at Mudeford Quay, is inviting families to try sailing for free. The opportunity is part of the RYA Push the Boat Out 2016, which is taking place in May. Between May 14-22 hundreds of sailing clubs and centres across the country will be opening their doors for people to try out sailing and windsurfing. And hundreds of people are expected to join in with club open days and taster sessions. Starting at 10am on May 21, 2016 at Highcliffe Sailing Club, there will be a whole host of activities taking place including free taster sailing sessions, RS demo boats Aero and Quest, a tour of our facilities and the chance to meet the members. Sailing dinghies will also be on display with the club gallery open and serving tea and cakes. Highcliffe Sailing Club commodore, Dominic Rogers, said: “We are delighted to be taking part in the RYA Push the Boat Out. We are inviting the local community to come down to Highcliffe Sailing Club, have a go at sailing, see what the club has to offer and get involved. "Who knows if you visit you might just get hooked.” RYA sport development manager, Duncan Truswell, said: “Push the Boat Out provides the perfect opportunity for you to discover your local sailing venue, like-minded people, have a go at the sport and find out how much fun it is.” Visitors will need to book a time slot for sailing by emailing, com@highcliffesailing.co.uk. All taster sessions are weather permitting. The club has buoyancy aids but visitors wishing to sail will need to wear shoes that they can get wet in and bring a spare change of clothes or wetsuit. Go to highcliffesailing.co.uk for more information.

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Bute sailing club unveils expansion plans

The Isle of Bute Sailing Club has unveiled a range of exciting events for 2016 as it aims to double its membership and widen interest in water-based sports among the island community. The club’s plans include new boats, increased social events, training, open days, taster sessions, and the installation of new pontoons. Central to the plans are RYA training programmes for adults and cadets, and the club is seeking RYA-qualified instructors to lead, or assist with, the cadet training sessions. Elaine McIntyre, the club’s vice-commodore, said: “The training of cadets is central the success of the club for years to come.” For Bute has provided funding for leaflets and banners to promote the club, but now the club needs RYA instructors to step forward to help. This can be simply advice, a single day or even an occasional hour. Elaine can be contacted at sandymcintyre1@btinternet.com or the club at isleofbutesailingclub.hotmail.com

UK Boating Participation Buoyed by a Budding Community

According to new research released today, 3.2m UK adults participated in one or more of 12 boating activities in 2015. This accounts for 6.5% of the total adult population in the UK. In light of the poor weather conditions and an overall downward trend experienced across recreational sports last year, boating outperformed many of its counterparts observing only a minimal decline of 0.6 percentage points in UK participation (compared to 7.1% in 2014). This is in contrast to the higher declines reported by other sports. In particular canoeing, which remained the most popular boating activity in 2015 (2.9% of UK adults), is only bettered by two other sports when it comes to the biggest increase in participation in recent years. The research also found that participation in any watersports activity, in addition to the 12 core boating activities, including hobbies such as sea angling, leisure subaqua diving and coasteering, stood at 12.4m (25.2% of UK adults) in 2015. This is a slight decline of 1.6 percentage points (compared to 26.8% and 13.1m in 2014), however still remains higher than the 2011 pre-Olympics figure. The Watersports Participation Survey is conducted annually by a consortium of leading marine bodies including British Marine, Royal Yachting Association (RYA), Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), British Canoeing (BC) and the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas). Key findings Popular activities: the most popular boating activities stayed much the same in 2015 with canoeing welcoming 1.4m UK participants and motor boating/cruising and small sail boat activities remaining the second most popular, both with 0.9% of the population (421,000 and 418,000 respectively). Other activities which fared well in 2015 included canal boating, the use of personal watercraft and yacht racing, which all maintained steady participation figures (379,000, 171,000 and 94,000 UK adults respectively). Surfing, bodyboarding and paddleboarding saw a combined 996,000 UK participants (2.0% of the UK population), a rise of 0.6 percentage points on the previous year (from 711,000 and 1.4% in 2014). Frequency: 2015 saw a continued steady rise in the frequency of boating participation since 2013. During this time, participation of the 12 boating activities in the UK has risen from just below five times, to close to six times. In addition, UK participation in any watersport activity has also seen an increase over the last four years from roughly eight times to 10. Boat ownership: boat ownership has stayed stable, with an average of 1.1m boats, including 530,642 canoes and kayaks and 178,433 small sailing boats, owned by households in the UK in 2013-15. Since 2010 there has been a rise in craft being kept in the UK rather than abroad and in 2015 this peaked with 95% of boats being kept in the UK. In addition, although a third of participants were the owner of the craft, the most popular way to take to the water in 2015 was on a friend or family member’s boat (41.4% of participants). Inland vs. coastal: in previous years the difference between inland and coastal participation of any boating activity has stood equal at 50% each, but 2015 saw a slight shift towards more people taking to the UK’s lakes, canals and rivers (53% inland, compared to 47% coastal participation). Importance of the weather: historically there has been a strong correlation between the temperature and activity rate. With 2014 recorded as the hottest year on average since 1910, whereas 2015 saw a drop in sunshine hours and average temperature, the slight decrease of participation in 2015 can be somewhat understood by this relationship. This correlation is particularly evident when studying activities outside of the 12 boating activities which reported some of the biggest decreases in participation. This included a decline of 1.8 percentage points in leisure time at the beach and a fall of 0.6 percentage points in participation of outdoor swimming in 2015. Howard Pridding, Chief Executive of British Marine, said: “Between 2013 and 2014, boating and watersports took place in the context of some of the UK’s best weather of the last decade. In light of this, it is encouraging that in 2015, despite milder conditions, levels of boating participation have remained steady. “The forthcoming months offer tremendous opportunities to encourage more people to get out on the water. By building on the exposure that the 2016 Olympics & Paralympics and the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series brings to our industry, more people will be able to take the chance to safely enjoy the rich experiences that being on the water can provide.” Hannah Mills, 2012 Olympic Silver Medallist sailor and returning competitor to the 2016 Olympics, advocates her support for increasing boating participation: “You don’t need to be rich and you don’t need to have the sea on your doorstop. There are little reservoirs and lakes and you don’t need your own boat. You can just go along, pay a small bit of money, jump in a boat and have a go. It’s a very accessible sport but I don’t think people really realise that.”

Rio 2016: GB finalise Paralympic sailing squad

London 2012 bronze medallists Alexandra Rickham and Niki Birrell have been named in Britain's Paralympic sailing squad for this summer's Rio Games. The five-time world champions will compete together in the Skud 18 class for a third time. The Sonar trio of Stephen Thomas, John Robertson and Hannah Stodel represent ParalympicsGB at their fourth Games. The five experienced sailors join reigning Paralympic champion Helena Lucas, who was selected in April 2015. It will be the last chance in the immediate future to win medals in the sport after sailing was removed from the programme for the 2020 Games in Tokyo. Rickham, 34, and Birrell, 29, won silver at the last Worlds in Australia in December. World champions Robertson, 44, Thomas, 39, and Stodel, 30 made their debut at Athens 2004, finishing sixth both there and in Beijing in 2008. "Representing your country at the Paralympics means the world to us," said Thomas, who also competed in sledge hockey for Britain at the 2006 Winter Paralympics. They were in bronze-medal position in London but were given a points penalty after team bosun Simon Hiscocks cleaned the port side of the keel after being authorised to lift the boat out of the water to inspect some damage. It dropped them down to fifth overall and an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport failed to overturn the decision. Problems with pollution Last December, World Sailing said that the water quality at the Guanabara Bay sailing venue needed major improvement with tests revealing high levels of bacteria and viruses coming from human sewage. But although Thomas said he and his crew have not found the conditions as bad as portrayed in the media, Rickham told BBC Sport that she is concerned with the debris in the water. "In our class, if something gets caught on the boat, you could end up on the back foot and people could potentially lose races because of it," she said. "We're not happy with the conditions but have done everything we can."

Former marine kitted out by charity to teach sailing

A FORMER Royal Marine turned sailing instructor has received a donation of equipment to help others. Dan Fielding was medically discharged from the Royal Marines in 2008 and now helps veterans affected by military operations by teaching them to sail. The Royal Marines Charity, which helps former Marines make the transition to civilian life, heard that Mr Fielding was using borrowed equipment in his work with the Falmouth-based Turn To Starboard charity and realised he needed the sailing kit to protect him against the elements. The donation has allowed him to purchase kit including a Musto waterproof jacket and trousers, mid-layer jacket, gloves, boots and a gilet. He said: "The sailing kit I was using to teach beneficiaries was borrowed and only designed for short-term use. "We sail all year round so having the right equipment is essential as it acts as your safety equipment and provides protection from the elements. The new kit is high-grade and much more comfortable and means I can sail for longer distances. "It helps to keep my back injury warm, which improves concentration as I'm not distracted by the wet and cold. "I can't thank the charity enough for everything they have done to support me and steer me in the right direction." The 35-year-old became involved with Turn to Starboard after deciding to use his sailing experience to help other injured veterans. He joined the organisation last year and helps participants gain internationally-recognised qualifications to help start new careers. The charity also offers sailing trips to service families who have been affected by military operations. Sailing instruction takes place aboard chartered yachts and the 92ft replica tall ship the Spirit of Falmouth, donated by The Prince's Trust last year. The Royal Marines Charity recently formed after a merger of The C Group and The Royal Marines Charitable Trust Fund. The organisation support Royal Marines whose careers have ended prematurely due to injury and helps them to find a new path in the commercial world. They also help individual families who are in need, hardship or distress. Katharine Callus, from The Royal Marines Charity, said: "We came across Dan after he had been searching for a new career for a while, but not really knowing what to look for. "When he talked about being able to use his passion for sailing and working with vulnerable teenagers, Turn to Starboard seemed an obvious choice as a way of putting this enthusiasm and skill to good use. "He is a different person since he has found a way to do what he loves and earn a living, and we are delighted to have been able to help." For more details visit www.turntostarboard.co.uk

Volunteer skippers wanted for 2016

Team ViSA GB (The Visually Impaired Sailing Association of Great Britain) is looking for experienced sailors, particularly off-shore Yacht Masters with a valid commercial endorsement to sail as volunteer skippers in 2016 and beyond.. The association is a not for profit voluntary organisation led and run by blind and partially-sighted sailing enthusiasts for visually impaired people. They rely on volunteer crew to empower and facilitate sailing for blind or partially sighted crew on five or ten-day cruises. Using Gosport as a home base for the start and finish of most of their cruises, Team ViSA GB are generously supported by UKSA in West Cowes who charter yachts to the association. Colin Fowler, Operations Director for the association, said: ‘We are always pleased to hear from commercially endorsed Yachmasters as well as people willing to volunteer their time to join us aboard as a member of crew. Anyone would be welcome who feels able to help empower visually-impaired crew to ‘get on’ with sailing the boat, maximising their sailing whilst calmly supporting and patiently sharing their sailing knowledge, and ultimately sailing as equals. This can be harder than it sounds, as the aim is to be a ‘non-active’ participant, supporting and stepping in to offer help only when needed.’ Team ViSA GB run familiarisation and awareness training sessions for anyone considering a voluntary role as a member of crew from Haslar marina in Gosport. The association has a full programme for 2016, as well as plans for 2017 including a Clyde sea lochs and islands flotilla week and possibly an entry for the Round the Island Race. Anyone who sails is welcome to give volunteering a go. For more information see www.visa-gb.org.uk or call Colin on 07901 573 570.