UK Europe Class Nationals & Training 2019

The countdown is on for the RYA Sailability Multiclass Regatta 2019

There’s just a week to go until the UK’s biggest disability sailing event comes to the south west coast. More than 100 sailors are set to descend on the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy (WPNSA), home of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, next weekend (05-07 July). First staged in 2007, the regatta is now the UK’s biggest disability sailing event of its kind, and will see sailors of varying abilities take to the water for a memorable weekend of sailing and socialising. Competitors range from those who have competed at an international level to beginners just getting started, as they come together in a celebration of everything that is possible on the water. Alongside the fleet racing and the annual Ken Ellis Pursuit Race, there will be a whole host of opportunities for participants to try sailing, racing and to get out on the water. RYA Sailability Manager, Joff McGill said: “This year’s RYA Sailability Multiclass Regatta is set to be bigger than ever before, with more opportunities to take part and in excess of 100 sailors set to get afloat at the WPNSA. “We’d like to thank our partners and the team of more than 100 volunteers that will be offering their support over the weekend. It simply wouldn’t be possible without them. “The event is always a highlight in the RYA Sailability calendar, it’s evolved over the years and is now a real festival for disabled sailing and a celebration of the impact sailing can have. It really is #MoreThanSailing and can change lives.” For more information about all the different activities on offer at this year’s RYA Sailability Multiclass Regatta, the notice of race and to enter visit www.rya.org.uk/go/multiclass. To find out more about sailing opportunities for disabled people or those that need specific support to get on-the-water visit www.rya.org.uk/sailability.

Plans for £3m coastal activity centre given go-ahead

Plans for a £3m coastal activity centre in Whitehaven have been given the green light today. Members of Copeland’s planning panel voted 8-1 in favour of the ambitious scheme following a site visit this morning. The three-story activity centre will be built on the current Wellington car park, at West Strand, next to the harbour. It will include multi-use spaces, changing and toilet facilities, a classroom and accommodation. Under the plans, an equipment storage compound will be built with storage spaces for canoes, kayaks and sailing dinghies. The project will also see the creation of a cycle workshop and a new slipway into Whitehaven’s outer harbour. A car park with 17 spaces will also be included, which the public will be able to use. The building will be characterised by an innovative and distinctive design inspired by local sandstone blocks.

Nipegegi round Britain

GC32 Racing Tour 2019 - TV Episode #1

Defending champions return for next week's GC32 World Championship

The 2019 World Championship for the GC32 flying catamaran class sets sail from the historic port of Lagos close to the southwesternmost tip of Europe on Portugal's Algarve coast next week over 26-30th June. Taking place with the support of the City of Lagos, Marina de Lagos and Sopromar, this year's GC32 World Championship is the second event of the 2019 GC32 Racing Tour, following on from last month's GC32 Villasimius Cup. Ten teams are set to contest this second official GC32 World Championship. Returning to defend their World Championship title is Switzerland's Team Tilt, skippered by Olympic 49er sailor Sébastien Schneiter. Due to his Olympic commitments, Schneiter admits they are under-practiced. To rectify this they are already in Lagos, aiming to get in 10 days training: "This is crucial for us. If we can put some good hours in the boat then we will have a good chance to win again. In fact it is exactly the same as we did last year and that worked pretty well!" Schneiter adds: "We definitely know the boat and how to sail it. We know each other super well. It is just about getting back into it to see what we can do." Significantly, returning to the team will be Emirates Team New Zealand skipper and multiple A-Class Catamaran World Champion, Glenn Ashby. As to the line-up Team Tilt will face, Schneiter says: "Generally the level is higher with some new teams like INEOS and the Chinese, more and more professional with some America's Cup sailors, etc. It is motivating to race against them." With the demise of the Extreme Sailing Series, so the GC32 Racing Tour has inherited its teams and it was one, Oman Air, that claimed last month's GC32 Villasimius Cup. The Omani team's new skipper, Adam Minoprio is looking forward to Lagos: "Oman Air has a new crew this year, so we were very pleased to win the first event. We definitely have a lot of areas where we can improve and we have to keep improving if we want to beat the fleet again in Lagos." Last year Minoprio helmed SAP Extreme Sailing Team at the GC32 Worlds in Riva del Garda. At one point they were leading, but finished second. "Being runner-up last year was very disappointing for me, but this year I have a very good team, so if we can take the title, we'd be very happy." Also certain to be strong is Switzerland's most famous sailing team - Ernesto Bertarelli's Alinghi. In Villasimius the two time America's Cup winners finished second and were strongly on the ascent on the final day. Then there are the leading teams from last year's GC32 Racing Tour, overall winner NORAUTO helmed by Volvo Ocean Race winning skipper Franck Cammas and INEOS Rebels UK of the world's most successful Olympic sailor Sir Ben Ainslie, now leading his second America's Cup challenge, INEOS Team UK. NORAUTO returns to the Algarve as winner last year in Lagos, while for INEOS it will enable then to gauge how they have improved - they made their GC32 Racing Tour debut here a year ago. "Lagos will be a great venue. We had very tight racing here last year and it being a World Championship, the racing can only be more competitive," says INEOS Rebels UK tactician Giles Scott. In addition to their haul of Olympic medals, Ainslie and Scott also understand the importance of World Championships: Between them they have won ten World titles in the Finn class alone. Hoping to improve on their performance from Villasimius will be Red Bull Sailing Team, run by Austrian two time Olympic Tornado gold medallist Roman Hagara and Hans-Peter Steinacher and CHINAone NINGBO, skippered by Phil Robertson with three Chinese crew on board. Jockeying for the owner-driver prize will be Erik Maris' Zoulou and American Jason Carroll's Argo, plus another new team to the GC32 Racing Tour this season, Christian Zuerrer's Black Star Sailing Team. With racing over four days starting on 27th June, the GC32 World Championship will follow a similar format to other GC32 Racing Tour events, with up to five races per day and a mix of reaching and upwind starts. However the Worlds will also include a new feature: The Cascade Sopromar Speed Challenge will be sailed over a course comprising two reaches with a gybe in between. The team recording the highest average speed for this will win the prize, generously donated by Cascade and Sopromar, of five double rooms for three nights at the 5 Star Cascade Wellness & Lifestyle Resort in Lagos. Martinho Fortunato, Commodore of the Club de Vela de Lagos welcomed the eleven GC32 teams: "It is with great enthusiasm that we in Lagos are preparing ourselves for the biggest sailing event happening in Portugal this year. We will have with us some of the world's best sailors, many of them involved with America's Cup, the biggest sailing event in the world. It is, with no doubt, an event that elevates Lagos and our region in the world of sailing." Teams competing at 2019 GC32 World Championship Alinghi (SUI) Arnaud Psarofaghis Argo (USA) Jason Carroll Black Star Sailing Team (SUI) Christian Zuerrer CHINAone NINGBO (CHN) Phil Robertson INEOS Rebels UK (GBR) Ben Ainslie NORAUTO (FRA) Franck Cammas Team Oman Air (OMA) Adam Minoprio Team Tilt (SUI) Sebastien Schneiter Red Bull Sailing Team (AUT) Roman Hagara Zoulou (FRA) Erik Maris

NW OnBoard Race 2019 Bigger & Better

This year’s RYA North West OnBoard 6 Hour Race proved bigger and better than ever, with a record entry of 95 young sailors making up 17 teams from clubs across the North of England. The race which has now been running for over 10 years at Hollingworth Lake is proving to be a big success. The format is simple with two fleets: an Advanced fleet for sailors under 18 of any ability, and an OnBoard fleet for sailors under 16 with less than three years of sailing experience and at RYA Stage 2 level. Both fleets race together with teams spending six hours on the water with as many crew changeovers as they like in that time. On the day sailors were greeted by a gusty 12 to 15 knots of breeze which made for some challenging racing and a few capsizes. However all the young sailors dealt with the conditions in fantastic style, impressing the parents and instructors watching on. Conditions in the last couple of hours of the race dropped right off as the rain arrived. That meant the leading teams had to be fast in all conditions to win! In the advanced fleet the home team from Hollingworth initially took the lead but Bolton Sailing Club sailing a RS Feva loved the windy conditions and raced into a good lead, showing some great technique with the spinnaker. They were, however, being chased hard by the two Hollingworth teams. Just outside the top three, teams from Green Withens and West Lancashire Yacht Club were having a good battle, never too far behind the top pair. With an hour to go Bolton. who had held the lead for 31 laps, looked on course for the win but as the wind died off the RS Feva team from Hollingworth used their local knowledge well and just edged ahead to take the lead. The Bolton team pushed the home team all the way to the line but after 3,600 minutes of racing just two minutes separated them. The Hollingworth Lake Pico team just managed to edge out a quick finishing Green Withens team to claim the final podium spot. In the OnBoard fleet three teams battled neck and neck at the front throughout the race. With the lead changing all the time, it was hard to predict who was going to come out on top. However it was the team from Burwain Sailing Club sailing a Pico who eventually broke clear to take the win. Hollingworth Lake's Topper team came home second and Bolton’s Pico team third. These three teams also managed to finish ahead of three advanced fleet boats - an amazing achievement. The OnBoard fleet had great mini contests throughout the fleet, especially the teams from Debdale Outdoor Centre and Scotmans Flash Activities Centre who had a ding-dong battle during the whole race, earning a merit award for their fantastic efforts. Congratulations must also go to Debdale Outdoor Centre who entered four teams for the event, amazing work! Overall after a great day on the water. Teams managed to sail a total of 494 laps, covering a total distance of 326 miles: the same as the distance from Hollingworth in Rochdale to Cornwall or Fort William! We are looking forward to the 2020 race already!

MIX A DINGHY WITH A KEELBOAT? You get this! The FLYING FIFTEEN on WINDER...

SAM GOES TO THE 2019 WASZP NATIONALS - FOILING ACTION on the water in Ru...

Day 3 of the UK Hobie 16 Nationals 2019

Setting sail on the trip of a lifetime

LIFELONG friends and keen adventurers will be taking on the challenge of sailing around the whole of Great Britain in a 60-year-old wooden dinghy to raise money for charity. Will Hodshon from Westwood, near Bradford on Avon, and Richard Mitchell from Fort William in Scotland are casting off tomorrow (Saturday) to raise funds for the RNLI and Surfers Against Sewage. They will setting sail in Nipegegi, the beloved Hodshon family wooden Wayfarer dinghy which they have owned since it was built, with their aim of completing the first non-stop and unassisted circumnavigation of mainland Britain in an open sailing vessel. Where they start their journey all depends on the wind direction: on Saturday morning they will launch from either Sennen Cove in Cornwall, Salcombe in Devon or Swanage in Dorset, depending on the weather report tomorrow. Mr Hodshon said: “It’s been a real family affair preparing Nipegegi over the last 18 months and we’re feeling a healthy mix of excitement and trepidation, before we set sail on the biggest adventure of Nipegegi’s and our lives. “The charities do invaluable work, and Surfers Against Sewage drive change for the protection of the marine environment, a subject close to the hearts of both Rich and his wife Suzanne who have studied and worked in marine conservation for some years. “The success of this attempt is highly dependent on favourable weather and sailing conditions. Fingers crossed that we will be smiled upon and able to achieve our record attempt.” The two friends are also hoping to beat the Round Britain speed record of 32 days set in 2014. Nipegegi, known fondly as Nipe, is registered as Wayfarer number W198 and was bought at the 1959 London Boat Show by Mr Hodshon’s grandfather, Bill Hodshon. Her name is made up of the first two letters of each of his children, Mr Hodshon’s uncle, father and aunties’, names: Nick, Penny, Geoff and Gill. The Wayfarer is regarded as the fastest, most seaworthy dinghy for long distance voyages and has set the last two records. If all goes to plan, the trip will add to the achievements of the boat, which during her life has won numerous national championships helmed by Mr Hodshon’s Grandpa Bill, father Geoff and uncle Nick. During the winter Mr Hodshon gave Nipe a major refit with help from his dad, wife, and children as well as current Round Britain record holder Jeremy Warren. To donate visit https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/NipegegiRoundBritain

Watersports fun for youngsters at Southampton OnBoard Festival in July

Dozens of young boating enthusiasts from sailing clubs around Southampton and the New Forest areas are expected to come and take part in next month’s RYA OnBoard Festival 2019 at Southampton Water Activities Centre (SWAC). The event takes place on Saturday 13th July between 10am and 4pm. SWAC’s OnBoard festival is a day which celebrates kids who are part of the OnBoard Programme in the local area. The aim of this year’s OnBoard festival is to invite participants from neighbouring clubs and centres who have sailed in the clubs’ OnBoard programmes to come along to the Festival and take part a fun packed day on the water in a social environment with other like-minded people. The Festival will give children a great opportunity to sail at a different place to their usual home club, and to take part in some fun games and challenges. The day is for children aged 8-14 years old. Activities through the day include sailing challenges and games, Stand Up Paddle Board taster sessions, multihull rides and raft building. There will also be a barbecue. The Festival is set to be an amazing day and your children will come away from the event having had a brilliant day on the water. For booking information visit our web page. Have a look at our video.

Exciting opportunity for Norfolk and Suffolk young sailors with the Tom Crisp Sailing Scholarships

The Lowestoft sailing charity Excelsior Trust, last week launched four sailing scholarships for young people aged between 16 and 24, living in Norfolk or Suffolk. The project is named after Thomas Crisp VC, DSC, RNR, the heroic and distinguished skipper of the (armed) Lowestoft Smack ‘Nelson’, who lost his life in World War One whilst engaged with German U Boats in The North Sea. The scholarships, launched last Friday, are worth over £2,000 to each successful applicant, and will give young people the chance to sail as part of the crew aboard the 1921 Lowestoft smack and sail training vessel “ Excelsior” whilst visiting the South Coast, Channel Islands and Brittany this summer. No previous sailing experience is required, but applications are encouraged from individuals who have an enthusiasm for the opportunity, and an ability to take individual responsibility as part of a crew. The Excelsior Trust is a charitable organisation that provides life changing sailing experiences for young and disadvantaged people, schools and corporate groups, as well as unique sailing opportunities for individuals, all whilst preserving and maintaining one of the UK’s most historic ships. The Mayor of Lowestoft, Cllr Alice Taylor said: “Lowestoft Town Council is thrilled to support the Excelsior Trust in this wonderful educational opportunity to learn about Lowestoft’s rich maritime history in a practical, hands-on experience.” Excelsior Trustee, Laurence Vulliamy said: “The experience gained at sea will be life changing for each participant”. The Trust hopes to be able to offer these scholarships each year up to Excelsiors centenary in 2021. Applicants should send an email to sailing@excelsiortrust.co.uk with details of their name, home address, age, and a description why they would make an excellent member of the Excelsior crew. All applications must be received by midday on Monday 17 June. More information can be found here.