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Find your sense of adventure with the RYA Dinghy Cruising Trails

Dinghy sailors can be inspired to explore the British Isles with a new ‘Dinghy Cruising Trails’ initiative, launched at the virtual RYA Dinghy Show today (28 February 2021). The initial six trails are at Ullswater, Largs, Rutland Water, Milford Haven, Brownsea Island and Hickling Broad with many more to come as the initiative progresses. All trails are under six miles and each trail has been selected because launching is free or available at nominal charge. “We know this is the summer of the staycation and this is a fantastic low-cost way of using your dinghy with family and friends and whilst exploring our beautiful coastline and inland waters. Dinghies aren’t just about racing, it’s about discovering the great outdoors!” explains RYA Programmes Manager Michelle Gent. Each trail comes with it’s own map and instructions including distance, safety, sailing times and launch sites. They are also packed with information, details of navigation or anchorage, who-knew- that facts, insider visits, wildlife spotting, and stellar views or best picnic spots and more! Some even link to the national curriculum. “I’m imagining grandparents with children, families or young adults. I hope these trails will give people confidence to do something a bit different and experience some adventure” Michelle continues. Just the beginning….RYA Dinghy Trails competition The six published trails are just the beginning. The RYA is inviting dinghy sailors to submit their own dinghy cruising trail suggestions with the winning trail designed, framed and available to download on the RYA website. “With so many miles of easily accessible water we know that people have their favourites spots and we’d love to hear them. We see this as a long-term project with the number and range of trails continuing to expand and we want you to be a part of it!” Michelle concludes. Submit your dinghy cruising trail here before 31 March 2021. Find more information about the RYA Dinghy Cruising Trails. For all enquiries contact dinghytrails@rya.org.uk

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RORC Confident Overnight UK Offshore Racing To Return in 2021

Following on from the UK Government's Roadmap out of lockdown’ on Monday 22nd February, the RORC Committee, working with the RYA and Government, is confident that overnight racing will return for the 2021 RORC Season’s Points Championship. Some changes will be necessary for the early part of the season, but unless the recovery from the pandemic changes, the world’s largest offshore championship will go ahead, including the 49th edition of the Rolex Fastnet Race. “Whilst the RORC would like to run our full programme of races, the reality as a consequence of the pandemic is that the RORC Easter Challenge, Cervantes Trophy and North Sea Race are cancelled. However, with COVID-19 protocols in place, the club intends to organise a RORC Spring Series during April and May. We are also considering an additional longer race for Two-Handed Teams,” commented RORC Racing Manager Chris Stone. Fastnet Race Likely to have COVID Protocols “The Rolex Fastnet Race is expected to be a fully crewed race, but more than likely to have some COVID-19 protocols for crews to follow. Our meetings with immigration authorities in both the UK and France have been positive and productive, and we continue our discussions with the RYA and health professionals on minimising risk to our competitors. Throughout this pandemic, our partners in France have never wavered in their commitment to give all competitors a fantastic welcome when they arrive in Cherbourg,” continued Stone. RORC Spring Series The 2021 RORC Spring Series will consist of three long day races, starting from the Royal Yacht Squadron Line. Designed to last between 6-8 hours, the permitted crew is expected to be up to 80% of the IRC certificate allowance, which is to be confirmed in March following further consultation with the relevant authorities:- RORC Spring Series 1: Saturday 03 April RORC Spring Series 2: Saturday 10 April RORC Spring Series 3: Saturday 01 May The 2021 RORC Season’s Point’s Championship is scheduled to continue with regular offshore races from late May through to September, including the 2021 Rolex Fastnet Race, starting from Cowes on Sunday 8th August.

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SailGP: Expanded season and opportunities for high-performance female sailors announced

Season 2 of SailGP will feature eight global events from April 2021 to March 2022 and the competition has boosted its focus on gender equity by creating opportunities for high-performance female sailors. The racing will start in Bermuda on April 24 and 25, before the teams meet will square off in events across three continents and the season concludes with a Grand Final in March 2022. The Grand Final will take place in San Francisco and the champion will be determined in a single $1 million winner-takes-all final. SailGP - Season 2 Grand Prix Events - Live on Sky Sports Bermuda Grand Prix April 24 and 25 Italy Grand Prix - Taranto June 5 and 6 Great Britain Grand Prix - Plymouth July 17 and 18 Denmark Grand Prix - Aarhus August 20 and 21 Spain Grand Prix - Cadiz October 9 and 10 New Zealand Grand Prix - Christchurch January 29 and 30, 2022 United States Grand Prix - San Francisco March 26 and 27, 2022 This season, after racing in 2020 was suspended, is much anticipated. New Zealand will be making their league debut and their team will be led by Peter Burling and Blair Tuke. Jimmy Spithill will be piloting a new-look US team for the first time, Nathan Outteridge leads Japan's challenge and Sir Ben Ainslie will race his first full season at the helm of the British charge. Tom Slingsby's Australian outfit are the reigning champions with crews from Denmark and Spain also set for their first full Sail GP seasons. Sir Russell Coutts - SailGP's CEO There’s rarely been a time in my lifelong sailing career when I’ve been as enthusiastic as I am about our upcoming season. We’ll have the world’s best sailors lining up in equally matched boats for what is shaping up to be some of the sport’s most competitive racing yet. I can’t think of a better way for SailGP to re-emerge, and I believe our fans will be taking notice not only of our thrilling racing, but of the new standards we’ll be setting in running our events in a sustainable and inclusive way. Ahead of the new season, the competition has also stated its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. SailGP's immediate focus is on the 'advancement of gender equity and racial diversity'. SailGP will be adding one female athlete to each team and the overarching aim of their gender equity initiative, is to 'fast-track the development of top female sailors to race on F50s and perform at the highest level'. The initiative is being driven by the SailGP Women's Committee. The committee includes the three-time Olympian and Ocean Race winner Carolijn Brouwer, Maria del Mar de Ros, the CEO of Spain's SailGP team and Emily Nage, an Ocean Race participant, data analyst and Great Britain SailGP team member. "This is a big step forward for women in professional sailing," Brouwer said. "SailGP is accelerating the inclusion and creating the opportunity for high-performance female sailors to compete alongside their male peers, in the world's most advanced sailing league. This type of initiative will allow us to achieve true gender equity in the future." In the recent announcement of New Zealand's SailGP team, Liv Mackay and Erica Dawson were named as their two athletes who will be immersed in their team for the opening event in Bermuda. After their pre-season training and development in Bermuda, at least one of Mackay and Dawson will be selected to join the team for the rest of SailGP Season 2. Programmes to select athletes for all of the teams are ongoing and already, they're showcasing the wealth of female talent in the sport. "This not only provides a career pathway to professional female sailors but it also will inspire the next generation of young athletes coming up the ranks, who get to see women competing on these F50s, and can work towards this," Lisa Darmanin, said after being part of the Australian team's invitational camp at Woollahra Sailing Club in Sydney.

Port Dinorwic Sailing Club/ Clwb Hwylio Y Felinheli crowned RYA and Yachts & Yachting Club of the Year 2021

Port Dinorwic Sailing Club / Clwb Hwylio Y Felinheli have been crowned RYA and Yachts & Yachting Club of the Year 2021 supported by Gallagher, at the virtual RYA Dinghy Show (27th February 2021). The annual award recognises the outstanding achievement of clubs across the UK. The North Wales club were one of 10 regional finalists selected by the RYA Awards panel and were ultimately crowned overall winner by the public vote. The coveted trophy was presented by Dinghy Show host, professional sailor Hannah Diamond and RYA CEO Sarah Treseder. Port Dinorwic SC / Clwb Hwylio Y Felinheli were recognised for being at the ‘heart of the community’ for their innovation and efforts to ensure their activities could continue to run safely once lockdown restrictions eased. When many of their members were unable to get out on the water, the club’s ingenious online activities including training and eSailing continued to keep them entertained and engaged. Their social media campaign attracted new members from the local area and boosted their membership and they also invested in a beach winch, allowing sailors to pull their boats up the beach while remaining socially distanced. Commodore Noel Bristow said: “Wow! I’m blown away! On behalf of all our members who I know will be delighted, I’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has voted. We were really proud to be recognised in the ‘Heart of the Community’ category and now to be named RYA and Yachts & Yachting Club of the Year is fantastic! Thank you to RYA Cymru Wales for all your support”. During the virtual awards ceremony British Sailing Team athlete Kirsty Urwin congratulated all the finalists: “This year more than any other has provided clubs with challenges but has also proven what can be achieved under these testing circumstances. It has been a pleasure to hear everything that has been achieved”. RYA Director of Sport Development Rob Clark said: “A huge congratulations to Port Dinorwic Sailing Club and all their volunteers. Whilst this year has been extremely challenging for all sports organisations, Port Dinorwic SC’s hard work, commitment to their members and innovation is what made them stand out to the judges. Congratulations to all our inspirational finalists". The 2021 finalists are: Bolton Sailing Club Chelmarsh Sailing Club Debdale Outdoor Activity Club Emsworth Sailing Club Guernsey Yacht Club Island Barn Reservoir Sailing Club Port Dinorwic Sailing Club / Clwb Hwylio Y Felinheli Prestwick Sailing Club Ripon Sailing Club Strangford Sailing Club Special commendations were also awarded to Cowes Sailability for their work connecting with isolated members and Llandudno Sailing Club for becoming an integral part of the one of the North Wales field hospitals whilst enabling members to return to boating as quickly as possible. Thank you to Gallagher for once again supporting the award, Moores Brothers for donating the trophy and to RS for donating a fantastic range of prizes for the winning club to choose. For more information about the award, how to get involved and this year’s finalists visit www.rya.org.uk/cluboftheyear

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