Superb Sailing Conditions for Return of X-Yachts Solent Cup

Superb Sailing Conditions for Return of X-Yachts Solent Cup: Family and sports classes at the Royal Southern Yacht Club enjoyed blue skies on the Solent over the spring bank holiday

Toby sails into UK team for irish challenge

 A YOUNG sailor from Teesdale has been invited to be a part of a team representing the UK at the Irish National Championships in August.

Last weekend, Toby Waggett, of Eggleston, took part in the Optimist Early Summer Regatta, at Grafham Water, in Cambridgeshire.

This was his first national level event and he finished a very creditable 14th in the junior category.

The invitation to join the national team arrived the following day.

Whilst being very diminutive in size, the Optimist is the largest single class of racing dinghy in the world. It is the type of boat in which four time Olympic champion Ben Ainslie learnt to sail and race, so Toby is following in very distinguished footsteps.

Naturally he is very excited at the prospect of representing the UK in an international competition.

At Teesdale Sailing and Watersports Club Teesdale SWC), where Toby learnt to sail, everyone is very pleased that he is progressing so well and keeping their fingers crossed that he will be able to travel to Lough Derg in August.

After the setbacks of Covid his selection is a great fillip for both Toby and the club.

Despite his busy schedule of regional and national events and training, Toby is often to be seen on the water at Grassholme Reservoir, and enjoys helping those new to the sport in the club’s OnBoard Club.

Indeed it was through the juniors club that Toby first tasted the water just two years ago.

Imogen Gibb, the training centre principal at Teesdale SWC, said: “Toby has done really well, and he is a great example to our current crop of young sailors.

“Anyone interested in learning to sail whether young or old should email training@tdswc.org.uk as we have a few opportunities available over the next few months,” she said.

Ashford sailing club is encouraging more women to take up the sport

 Ashford's Conningbrook Lakes Sailing Club is encouraging more women and girls to get into sailing by supporting the 'Steering the Course' Women's Sailing Festival this summer. This has been initiated by World Sailing and promoted by the Royal Yachting Association.

The club encourages girls to progress from novice sailors to Assistant Instructors as a stepping stone to becoming qualified RYA Dinghy Instructors, with the work opportunities this brings for young people.

Helen Hofmann, Sailing Development Officer at Conningbrook, said: "We actively encourage all our participants to consider progressing with their sailing, and eventually becoming part of the Conningbrook Team, whether that is instructing or being part of the safety boat team. It's good to see so many girls actively considering gaining their instructor qualifications, with sailing being a sport for all."

Three Rivers Race returns for its 60th anniversary

 A sailing club has hailed the return of a 24-hour inland race that was cancelled for the first time in its history by the coronavirus pandemic.

For 60 years, sailors have gathered at Horning Sailing Club in Norfolk for a 50-mile (80km) race along three rivers; the Bure, Thurne and Ant.

The race was established in 1961, with about 40 boats on the water.

It's so great to get it under way, after the year that everyone's had. It means a lot to us as a club this year, it's brilliant that we can do it. 

Royal Cork Yacht Club Cancels Topper World Championships

 weeks of waiting for Covid 19 travel restrictions to be relaxed, extensive research of all options and agonising over the decision, the Royal Cork Yacht Club says it has been left with no option but to cancel its staging of the 2021 Topper World Championships in Cork Harbour.

Due to the ongoing uncertainty of when overseas travel restrictions on non-EU countries in Ireland may be lifted, the club said it 'sadly had no option but to cancel' the July event.

The club came to the decision jointly with the International Topper class.

Up to 200 young sailors from around the world planned to come to the event that was scheduled to dovetail with the UK National Championships, following on two days later at Ballyholme YC in Northern Ireland, from the 2nd to 6th August – providing sailors with a fortnight of top-quality racing. 

Falmouth Classics 2021 will begin the same weekend as G7 in Cornwall

 One of the largest heritage and classic sailing events in the UK, the Falmouth Classics is set to take place next weekend. Between Friday June 11 and Sunday June 13 over 120 vessels the oldest dating from 1881, will be racing and parading in the Carrick Roads.

Falmouth harbour will gradually fill with boats on Thursday, June 10 from 11:00 as the 70 or more visiting craft arrive to moor alongside in Falmouth Haven, on swinging moorings or anchor. By late afternoon the scene will be reminiscent of Falmouth’s maritime past.

The headline sponsors this year are the Falmouth Harbour Commissioners, established in 1870 by Falmouth Town Council to manage the port. The event this year is well supported by local and national sponsors and advertisers most of whom committed to supporting the cancelled 2020 event and generously transferred their support to 2021, for which the volunteer organising team are hugely grateful.

The parade of sail and power on Sunday 13 June is rather special this year as it will include a flotilla to mark the 150th anniversary of the Falmouth Harbour Commissioners (FHC). The flotilla will include current FHC craft and one of the pilot boats (either Arrow or LK Mitchell) and eight sailing boats and a gig.

The latter group will seek to reflect Falmouth’s maritime history and illustrate some of the boats that would have been afloat in the early days of the Harbour Commissioners. This group will include three pilot cutters, two Falmouth Working boats, a Falmouth Quay Punt, a gig, a fishing lugger and a gentleman’s yacht built in Falmouth in 1910.

Changes have had to be made to the format owing to the pandemic, however, it has encouraged some creativity around the shore side receptions. Every effort is being made to keep volunteers and crews safe and healthy. So, no large gathering ashore this year!

The briefing will be virtual and the Sunday prizegiving will be outdoors and restricted to trophy winners only. Owing to the G7, a team representative has been working with the Devon and Cornwall Police and others to ensure the Classics programme is not limited by the increased level of security in and around the Harbour.

82-year-old Scot prepares to sail solo around the UK for charity

 AN INTREPID 82-year-old is gearing up to sail around the UK for charity, casting off from Alloa this weekend.

Murdoch McGregor, who for many years was the voice of Alloa Half Marathon, is beginning an epic 1900 nautical mile voyage this Saturday at 3pm to raise funds for Mental Health UK.

A late developer, Murdoch only started sailing some 10 years ago, but proved it is never too late to go on the adventure of a lifetime when he sailed in his small Hunter 23 boat, named Artemis, to Berlin all on his own five years ago.

Murdoch has completed some parts of the journey before, including when he visited London via the North Sea and Oxford. 

Since then, he has made annual voyages, including twice to Orkney and Shetland, the abandoned island of St Kilda and much more.

Murdoch has been planning to take on a charity voyage for some time and he has been spurred on by the coronavirus pandemic and its effect on everybody.

However, Mental Health UK is also close to his heart as his younger brother Jim “struggled valiantly” with problems all his life, until he sadly passed away two years ago at the age of 75.

The stigma around mental health has reduced since 60 years ago when Jim first started experiencing issues and Murdoch is hoping to support the good cause so it can help others.

“He will be with me on my voyage”, he said.

“I spent some months with him in hospital and I have nothing but total admiration now for the mental health system, hence my choice for proceeds from my journey.”

Normally, Murdoch casts off from Forth Cruising Club at Limekilns in Fife, however, he will begin the journey from his home town of Alloa where he first got a taste for seafaring adventures as a youngster.

He added: “It's a special voyage, it must start at my birthplace.”

Hollingworth Lake Sailing Club

 Martin Brennan won all three races on Sunday (30 May) in his Solo, mastering the tricky easterly wind. It was good to have sunshine and breeze. At this time of year the wind can fill in around the lake shoreline and have flat spots that are difficult to judge.

Although Brennan won all three races, there was close competition. Steve Crook and Sally Townend, in a Merlin Rocket set a high standard, always out in front and finding the right way to tack for the windward mark. Alas, the handicap penalty meant that they finished third an all races.

Mike Smith was showing the way in the second race, also in a Solo and lead for quite a while. He secured two runner-up spots. Dave Smith in a Phantom was consistent with a couple of fourth places.

Chris Massey took his RS300 single-hander to Pennine Sailing Club, near Holmfirth, for an Inland Championship where he sailed consistently in third place.

Portsmouth Regatta returns to the sporting calendar this weekend

 After becoming a casualty of the pandemic in 2020, the Regatta is back with a series of races taking place in the eastern Solent region on Saturday and Sunday.

The event has a long history - as far back as the 1830s it was already well established with competitors including yachtsmen, the Navy and even local fishermen.

There was always a strong link with the Portsmouth-based Royal Albert Yacht Club following the latter’s formation in 1864.

Two years later, the spinnaker sail was used for the first time, winning the Royal Albert Cup for the 47-ton cutter yacht Sphinx - after which the sail is said to have been named.

The regatta survived the Russian Flu pandemic of the 1880s and the Spanish Flu of the early 20th century, but fell victim to World War II with the Royal Albert Cup last held in 1950.

In 2014 the Regatta was revived jointly by the Royal Albert Yacht Club - celebrating its 150th anniversary - the Victory Class club, who were celebrating their 80th anniversary, and the Portsmouth Sailing Club.

The 2021 Regatta will be the first in the SIRCOA 2021 series and the Tempest Class will use it for their Southern Championship and Euro Cup.

A full programme of IRC and Club Class racing will be divided into Black and White fleets with prize giving at the Gosport-based Hornet Sailing Club on Sunday afternoon.

Regatta chairman Miles Linington said: ‘I am grateful to the many people who have worked to make this event happen.

‘The news that we are going ahead has been very warmly received.

‘We expect numbers to be down because people just have not had access to their boats to prepare them.

‘The quality of entrants is outstanding, however, and we will enjoy some extremely exciting racing. 

‘Above all, we are back in business and look forward to continuing growth in the years to come, building on past and present traditions.’

Royal Ulster's John Minnis & Crew Take Scottish Series Class Win

 The passage across the North Channel from Belfast Lough to the Clyde for the 2021 Scottish Series was undoubtedly a worthwhile one for John Minnis in the Beneteau First 31.7 Final Call from Royal Ulster Yacht Club.

Racing at Inverkip in frustratingly light conditions and despite having to forgo the last race, two firsts and two seconds were enough by a comfortable four-point margin to take the first slot ahead of the Extrovert 22 Lady Ex.

In the same class, John Harrington's IMX 38 from the same club skippered by Ruan O' Tiarnaigh came fourth on equal points - 13 - with the quarter tonner Phoenix.

In Class 2, Shaun Douglas's First 40 .7 Game Changer, from Ballyholme Yacht Club, also on Belfast Lough, finished 5th in the nine boat Class 2 fleet racing in the Largs sector. His best result was a second place.

In the same fleet, Stuart Cranston's Ker 32 Hijacker tumbled to the bottom with a retiral resulting in three DNCs, in sharp contrast to its 2019 performance when the Strangford Lough entry from Down Cruising Club put in an enviable performance.

Commenting after the event John Minnis said, "It was fabulous that the Clyde Cruising Club was able to run the racing. Despite the trials Covid restrictions presented, it was run amazingly well."

Sir Boyd Tunnock leads hundreds of boats down River Clyde in charity fundraiser

 Scotland’s top baker Sir Boyd Tunnock has led a charity fundraiser that really

takes the biscuit.

Boyd, 88, sailed down the Clyde on Monday, on a yacht named after his world-famous caramel wafers.

He skippered his 38-ft boat Lemarac (caramel spelled backwards) at the head of a spectacular flotilla of more than 200 vessels in aid of lifeboat charity the RNLI.

Sailors out in force for Optimist Early Summer Championships at Grafham Water

 Optimist sailors were out in full force at Grafham Water Sailing Club last weekend.

In the first major event for the class since 2019, the Optimist – which is a small, single-handed sailing dinghy for children up to the age of 15 – Early Summer Championships saw 140 competitors head to the venue, with a Main Fleet of 110 boats and a Regatta Fleet for newcomers featuring 37 contestants.

It was the last event before the Optimist National Championships in Weymouth in July, and the wind conditions varied from very light to a brisk force five.

Parkstone Yacht Club’s Lila Edwards was first in the Main Fleet, ahead of BEWL’s Charlie Gatehouse and WKSC’s Patrick Bromilow.

Jonny Rogers from Royal London Yacht Club was first in the Regatta Fleet, ahead of Royal Lymington Yacht Club’s Leo Gosling. Third place went to Ben McEwen, also of Royal Lymington.

There were four sailors from Cam Sailing Club in action in the Main Fleet, and Jason Kistruck was 51st, Keah Edwards was 88th, Freddie Reeves was 106th and Sophie Kistruck was 107th.

Richard Breese, chair of the International Optimist Class Association (UK), said: “The Optimist class was delighted to be welcomed back to Grafham Water for our first major event since 2019.

“We had all seasons in one weekend with some fantastic racing.

“Our thanks go out to Grafham Water Sailing Club for hosting the Main Fleet and Grafham Water Sailing Centre for hosting a very enthusiastic Regatta Fleet with many sailors competing in their first major event. It was great to see all those new sailors joining the class.”

Rolex Fastnet Race adapts in line with border restrictions

The next edition of the Rolex Fastnet Race will start on Sunday 8 August, and for the first time in its history, the race will finish in Cherbourg, France.

In the current health context, the organisers are taking all the necessary steps to welcome the competitors in the best conditions.

The French Government this week have restricted travel between the UK and France, imposing a seven-day isolation period on travellers from the UK.

Although there has been no mention of how long these restrictions may be imposed, the RORC remain hopeful that the August 8th start date is unaffected. During this period of change the race management team are considering all scenarios and how it could affect the running of the race.

“We don’t know how long these restrictions will last, but we remain hopeful that they will have little impact on the race and how we are able to welcome the fleet in Cherbourg. As with most of the pandemic, things are changing daily, and we are working with our partners in Cherbourg-en-Cotentin and government authorities to create the safest race we can, on and off the water.

“The team will continue to monitor the situation and advise on issues and alternative arrangements, if necessary,” Race Director, Chris Stone, commented.

Jean-Louis Valentin, president of the Arrival Fastnet Cherbourg association said: “We will continue to adapt in order to accommodate the finish of the Rolex Fastnet Race, as we have done since the beginning of the pandemic.

“We had already anticipated the reception of boats before the start of the race in Cherbourg, notably for the French, before reaching the start line in Cowes. As far as the finish is concerned, we will be able to respond to several scenarios, in conjunction with the race management, while hoping for a rapid evolution.”

Competitors sailing to the UK for any RORC races, including the Rolex Fastnet Race, can now do so without the need for quarantine and paying for tests on arrival in the UK, as per the UK Border Force recent advice and on the assumption that no crew touch land in the UK.

“This is great news for our European sailors and should provide plenty of reassurance for the Rolex Fastnet Race competitors in their preparations.

“We have also decentralised our race offices, offering competitors the opportunity to finalise their registrations in either the traditional Cowes office, the Hamble office on the mainland, or for the first time, a race office in Cherbourg from August 4th.

“It’s a great initiative for our European competitors who can benefit from free berthing in Cherbourg throughout that period and carry out all the registration procedures before taking the start on the 8th of August – all without having to stop over in the UK,” Stone noted.

RORC has also updated the fleet with its other races in the lead up to the Fastnet Race. The Morgan Cup Race was originally heading to Guernsey on Friday 11 June, with a finish in St Peters Port.

However with the uncertainty around entry in the Channel Islands, the RORC Committee, in consultation with local authorities, have moved the finish to Dartmouth, UK. With the support of The Royal Dart Yacht Club and harbour officials in Dartmouth, the RORC are expecting a big turnout for the race.

The Cowes Dinard St Malo Race on Friday 9 July has also seen some subtle changes to accommodate fleets on both sides of the Channel. With the uncertainty around entry into France, the RORC Race team are currently formulating a plan to run a continuation race.

After the finish mark for the traditional finish line outside St Malo, crew will be able to continue on for a race back to the UK. It is anticipated that many crews will take up this option and continuing to prepare and notch up valuable qualification mileage.”

Further queries: racing@rorc.org

More information: http://www.rorc.org and www.rolexfastnetrace.com