The East Region’s Young Sailors on their Aspirations for the Future

We met some of the sailors around the Region who have been enjoying their sailing. First up are Will Harrison and Isabella Ferneyhough, who have been sailing together in a Nacra 15, and both hail from Marconi Sailing Club on the East Coast of Essex. Will Harrison – Marconi Sailing Club Will’s family are very active within Marconi Sailing Club, with lots of social sailing and sail training throughout the year, and Will got involved aged four or five. He has always tried hard to progress his sailing as quickly as possible, and has moved from the RYA East Zone Squad, to the Topper Intermediate National Squad, and has since been in the RYA Youth Squad for three years. Naturally very sporty, he enjoys the competitive nature of sailing and the challenge of sailing in different conditions and venues. His accolades include 4th overall Junior and 1st Junior in the Silver Fleet at the Nacra 15 Worlds (along with Isabella), Marconi “Helm of the year Cup” and for the last two years “1st Youth in the Marconi East Coast Piers Race” – a long distance catamaran event attracting over 100 entries internationally. As well as sailing at his home Club, which is a big catamaran club, he enjoys sailing at the Barcelona International Sailing Centre – a venue where the Nacra 15 Worlds have been held - and training takes place in February each year to escape the cold weather and often strong winds in the UK. He encourages everyone to get out on the water and in whatever boat you can get a ride on. “Try as many different types of boat as possible, time on the water is key to improving and every time you hit the water you learn something new”. Isabella Ferneyhough – Marconi Sailing Club Isabella began sailing around eight years ago, when she and her family were introduced to Marconi Sailing Club’s summer cadet camp and sail week by her lifelong sailor grandparents. Last year she transitioned from two years of sailing on the Topper national circuit to the Nacra 15 at competition level, and also enjoys sailing an RS Aero at club level, and really enjoys the excitement of competitive racing, sailing as a team – as well as travelling to lots of new and interesting places, along with the friendships made along the way. Last year she took part in her first ever international event, travelling to Marseille in the South of France as one of the official GBR team boats for the Nacra 15 World Championships. At 13 years old she was the youngest Nacra sailor in the UK and together with Will, won the title of Youth National Champions – a great achievement in their first year sailing together! She’s also taken part in training in Barcelona, and prior to the COVID-19 pandemic she had planned many European and UK events, including the RYA Youth Nationals, UK National Championships, Nacra 15 World Championships in Holland, the European Championships in Switzerland, plus more. Whilst these are on hold for the time being, in 2021 she is looking forward to taking part in similar events, plus a very special trip to the Nacra 15 World championships in Long Beach, California. To anyone thinking about taking part in sailing, Isabella would encourage you to get involved, saying: “Once you have taken the step of joining the sailing world it becomes a new way of life. You can join at any age and the whole family can get involved in some way. We now have three generations and 17 members of our family that have joined our sailing club in the past few years. Combining a healthy sporting hobby with social, fun and interesting activities for all ages is pretty unique to sailing.” Her Father Adam said “Well what an amazing first year in Nacra class sailing, given Isabella’s very young age. Winning a place in the national team squad was a real achievement in my opinion. I think they saw the very good potential for her and Will, as they are both still young and quite capable at competition level, demonstrated by their winning of the Youth National Champion title. We have been pushing Isabella’s school to help support her through her sailing campaign. It was hard at first, but now they are fully behind her which has made a big difference to her confidence. Isabella fought hard to win the position of school sports captain last year, which proved successful. In February this year, we saw her school propose Isabella’s sailing at the world championships in Marseille as their candidate for the ”Jack Petchey” award, which she managed to go on to win. At the close of last year, Isabella and Will won our home club’s prestigious “Cadet Ambassadors of the Year” 2019 Trophy, although it’s only small in comparison, I know it meant a lot to them personally. It’s hard to believe that this has all happened in only the past nine months.” Sara Goujon – Ely Sailing Club Of course, sometimes attitude can be the most inspirational thing. Sara Goujon, of Ely Sailing Club, first got into a dinghy aged 18 months, coming from a sailing family, but due to family circumstances did not take up sailing properly until she was almost 10 and her family moved to the area and joined the Club. She currently sails a Laser Pico, often single-handed – managing both the jib and main. Her best sailing experience was when she took part in the Cambridge Youth league when it was hosted in Ely, and came 6th overall, taking 2nd in the Under 15 category. It was her first competition so it was a great feeling to do so well against older sailors. This year she had planned to take part in the Cambridgeshire Youth League to explore different places and sail against others. Her long-term dream is to own a yacht and earn a living sailing. She particularly loves it when it is very windy and she can hike out on her boat. She also enjoys racing (especially when she beats her parents!) – and the sense of freedom you have through sailing as you are in control of your boat. She said “It’s a great sport to be involved in. Ely Sailing Club is full of experienced people who are always so friendly and happy to help me and pass on their knowledge. So many people have helped and encouraged me. I would suggest going to a taster day at a local club to have a go. Even if you don’t want to race, it’s fun to just mess around on the water with your friends.” Her Mother Kate said: “Since Sara started sailing, her confidence has grown massively. Last season she plunged into racing at club level and competed with very experienced adults at Ely sailing club. She won the Thursday junior evening sailing series and came 3rd in the Autumn adults’ series. She also sails our GP14 and helmed it at the Ladies’ Plate Competition into joint 3rd position. She completed her Stage 03 & 04 course in Spring 2019 and now regularly helps out with the club training centre and is currently training to become an assistant instructor. She was also nominated and won the most improved junior helm last year. Sara is so enthusiastic and will sail at any opportunity. She talks about sailing to anyone who will listen!” For more information about how to get out on the water in the East Region, once the current Coronavirus prevention restrictions are lifted, visit www.rya.org.uk/go/startboating.

Back on home waters | Britannia takes flight once again

Blaze Sailing | Champagne Conditions | Drone Edit

THE MARKS - PART 2 – Racing Rules Episode 6 - Marks Masterclass

America's Cup: INEOS Team UK sails Britannia again on Solent

Ineos Team UK, skippered by Sir Ben Ainslie, is gearing up to take part in the 2021 America's Cup being and has restarted their sailing program on the Solent. Although many of this year’s events have been cancelled due to coronavirus, preparations are well and truly under way – and today, the team will be entering Solent waters in their new racing yacht for the first time. To get back into training, the team has implemented a number of social distancing measures, such as new cleaning protocols and reducing the number of crew members on board the vessel. Prior to lockdown, the team was in Sardinia for a shakedown of the new AC75 – a 75ft sailboat to fit new regulations for the 36th America’s Cup. Sir Ben said: ‘It’s been a difficult period for all of us. ‘We were in Sardinia at the end of February and were meant to have a race there in early April; that was obviously cancelled and we had to get home as quickly as possible. ‘Ineos were amazing in getting everyone back home, it was a huge weight off our shoulders.’ Once they got back to England, the sailors started training from home, with engineers and designers also working from their homes. On the construction side, a second boat was still being built in Hythe, Scotland, and the Portsmouth base became a manufacturing hub for personal protective equipment (PPE). Due to the halt in testing caused by coronavirus, Sir Ben says the team has a ‘backlog’ of testing to complete – but is determined to plough through it in their bid to bring the America’s Cup to Portsmouth.

British Sailing team prepare to move to next stage of training

Britain's sailors are preparing to move to the next stage of training from Monday (June 1) in line with Government guidance issued regarding the return of elite sport. Recreational sailing alone or with members of one's own households has been permitted in England since May 13, allowing some members of the squad to return to the water for the first time in two months. From May 20 the British Sailing Team moved to stage one of training, which allowed single-handed sailors and double-handed crews from the same household to take part in individual organised training. As of June 1, the British team will move to the second stage, allowing double-handed sailors from different households to train together. Sailors will also be able to train in squads under the guidance of their coaches. British Sailing says that as a precautionary measure, crews will only be allowed to sail within their normal pairing, while extra processes for ensuring health and safety while handling boats and other equipment will also be implemented. Screening will take place each day before training gets underway, and each athlete will work with their coach to carry out a risk assessment of their training plans. Social distancing measures have been implemented in the boat park at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy, Britain's training venue. Extra hand-washing stations have been introduced and training times have been staggered to avoid congestion in the boat park and on slipways. The main academy building and indoor training facilities remain closed.

OUR SECOND SAIL IN DAPHI

Poole Yacht Club

We're back... British Sailing Team sailors hit the water after lockdown

Dinghy cruising cruising a Welsford 'navigator': cleaning a Tohatsu 4 st...

Initial Easing of Restrictions for Sailing in Scotland Announced.

The announcement by the First Minister today that confirms the extension to the daily exercise guidelines, has been welcomed by RYA Scotland. Speaking after listening to the announcement, James Allan CEO said; “Today’s announcement is good news and I am pleased to be able to confirm that the extension to exercise specifically includes sailing and motor boating and cements the opportunity to begin to return to the water from tomorrow." "We have been working hard with other Governing Bodies, colleagues across the RYA and both sportscotland and the Scottish Government to present the health and well being benefits of the family of boating activities and to develop guidance to the boating community in Scotland that ensures our return boating activity is safe and responsible. Our guidance recognises the importance of the new exercise guidelines and that Phase 1 is an important first step in what will be a process that takes time." "We do accept that the opportunity to get back afloat will not be available to everyone in Phase 1 but for some this is a most welcome return to the water and our passion for all things boats." "The boating community now has a responsibility to be considerate and conservative when we go afloat. We have the opportunity to go boating from tomorrow as part of daily exercise activities but there are still important restrictions that apply in line with the latest public health guidance that we must stick to. The Scottish Government have been clear, this is still a public health crisis and we are looking at an extension to exercise options, not a carte blanche return to boating." "We will continue to work with both sportscotland and the Scottish Government and our partners in the marine and tourism industries to ensure boating in Scotland becomes more accessible within the coming Phases of the Scottish Governments Routemap. The lessons we have learned from the experiences of our RYA colleagues in the other home countries across the UK has been a great benefit to our preparations in Scotland and will enable us to be well prepared for the further Phases of Scotland’s Routemap.” RYA Scotland guidance on boating activity in Phase 1 will be sent directly to Affiliated Clubs and Recognised Training Centres and will be available online from Friday morning.

Hollingworth Lake Sailing Club reopens for members

Hollingworth Lake Sailing Club has approved recreational sailing for members. It was announced on Wednesday 13 May that all forms of water-sports including sailing, windsurfing and motor-boating are now permitted. There will be no organised racing yet but due to the gradual easing of restrictions, and the opportunity to be sporting active, members may get out on the water to sail within the guidelines. Mainly this will be single-handed, as any two-handed boats must be sailed by members of the same household. Social distancing guidelines must be followed by members at all times.

Newport Uskmouth Sailing Club looking for new members

If you're interested in messing about in sailing boats, then the Newport Uskmouth Sailing Club (NUSC) is for you. The small, friendly club is situated near the mouth of the Usk river opposite Newport Docks. Members come from all backgrounds and age groups, predominantly hands-on folk happy to share their skills, knowledge, experience and love of sailing. It's a very laid back affair - there’s not a blazer in sight. Plenty of overalls and sailing jackets, though. What’s there? The river, obviously. It’s the gateway to anywhere you want to go. There are a couple of slipways and pontoons, and moorings for the boats; the club can usually find a mooring for new members if they have a boat. There is a large boatyard for shore storage during the winter, with a collection of equipment for moving boats around. Among the NUSC's facilities are moorings for boats, large boatyard, workshop, and comfortable clubhouse with a bar (Image: NUSC) On-site, there is also a fitted-out workshop and plenty of members with engineering and electrical backgrounds to offer advice. Additionally, there is a comfortable clubhouse with a bar, function room and showers, run by the NUSC itself, helping with bar duty, boat launching and maintenance. What does the club do? There’s no typical member. Some enjoy the company and companionship, and you’ll always find them drinking tea and keeping an eye on the river from the warmth of the clubhouse. Others are keen on racing, for which there are regular weekend and evening races for the bigger boats in the warmer months. A few take it seriously - some not so much - but there’s always a lot of laughter. A few also go dinghy racing through the depths of winter. The NUSC host a cruiser rally and regatta in spring and autumn, when visiting boats from other clubs turn up for a weekend of racing and social events. Some members instead enjoy cruising in the Bristol Channel and beyond, working the wind and tides down to Cardiff Bay for the weekend, or further afield. The club runs several cruises through the year, where experienced sailors lead the way exploring Bristol, the North Devon coast or Swansea and the Gower. Bristol channel sailing clubs always welcome visitors. The club holds regular weekend and evening races, as well as cruiser rallies and regattas in spring and autumn (Image: NUSC) There’s another group who just like to tinker about in the boatyard, working to restore a project boat – there’s plenty of time. You don’t need a boat to join the club – boat owners are always looking for willing volunteers to join in the racing and cruising, with previous experience not necessary. The NUSC runs courses in navigation, first aid and marine radio during the winter. The club has a vibrant social program through the year, with a club night every Tuesday and various events, quizzes and entertainment. There’s also a Christmas party for member’s children, carol singing, and sit-down or buffet meals to mark the start and end of the sailing season. How much does it cost? Though perhaps not the most glamourous setting, with the docks, power station and plenty of mud, the NUSC is affordable! The joining fee is around £125, then £110 a year for non-boat owning members, going up to £220 for those wanting to keep and moor a boat. At this price, you'll get to use all the facilities. If you think you’d be interested in joining the NUSC, get in touch via the website or Facebook page.