St Edmundsbury Sailing & Canoeing Association celebrated its 40th anniversary

 What began as the brainchild of the sailing section of the Greene King Sports & Social Club in the late 1970s has been built up into the thriving St Edmundsbury Sailing & Canoeing Association (SESCA), based at Lackford Lake, near Bury St Edmunds.

Established at a flooded gravel pit, the club was officially founded in 1981 with financial assistance from Bury St Edmunds Rotary, the St Edmundsbury Yachting Association and Bury St Edmunds Council.

Mike Steele, from the club, said: "Since then, the club has been built up through the vision, perseverance and efforts of its members and the assistance of St Edmundsbury Borough Council (now West Suffolk Council) and other benefactors to become the flourishing water sports centre that it is today."

It now has more than 240 active members and provides the water sports facilities for the Bury St Edmunds, Newmarket and Mildenhall Sea Cadets, Suffolk Scouts, WASH disabled sailing, Young People Afloat (a sailing youth club), RAF Honington Kayak Club, Priory School and Culford School.

Members celebrated the club’s 40th anniversary at the lake on Sunday, August 8, with the running of its 8th Antigua Sailing Day Regatta, which was sponsored by Greene King and the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority.

Members and the current Commodore, Norman Savigar, welcomed back several of the founder members and past Commodores, including Barry Southwold, Alan Turvey, Guy Forkes, Margaret Gardiner, Ian Ferguson and Carl Day, who have contributed so much to the success of the club, Mr Steele said.

A steel pan band gave a Caribbean flavour to the celebrations.

It is hoped that Antigua Sailing Week, which was cancelled this year due to the Covid pandemic will be held from April 30 to May 6, 2022. 

Wayfarer UK National Championships at Medway Yacht Club

 After two years without a championship, the Wayfarers held their Nationals 2021 at Medway YC, 5-8 August.

There was some new and young blood in the fleet. Neil Collingridge, who is an old hand in the class, brought with him a fit young crew, Hamish, who hikes like a badger. Martyn Hare & Steve Perkins rocked up with a new boat buoyed by encouraging performances at Shoreham and Waldringfield. Sean & Helen Murray travelled up from Parkstone to try and wrest the Pert Platter from other married couples. There were also two wooden boats crewed by teenagers. This was great to see.

Michael & Simon were crowned UKWA National Champions 2021, retaining their title from 2019. The Wilsons were runners up while the Neil & Hamish Collingridge finished in third place.

There was time, of course, to thank the helpers and organisers: Tom Rusbridge and Jamie Blair and their team on the committee boat; support boat and mark laying teams; the beach master and his team; galley staff and the club steward; the event sponsors, Hartley Boats, Craftinsure, McNamara Sails, Shepherd Neame Brewery, Wayfarer Wines and the daily sponsors of tea and cakes; and the organising committee led by MYC Rear Commodore, Catherine Gore.

Martyn Hare & Steve Perkins were best placed in the silver fleet, while the bronze fleet was topped by Brian & Charlotte White.

The next event in the Craftinsure UKWA National Circuit and Travellers Series will be the open meeting at Swarkestone at the beginning of October. There is much going on before then, however, with Race Weeks and Regattas with Wayfarer racing at Chichester, Aldeburgh and Poole. For more information visit the class website at wayfarer.org.uk/ukwa-racing-calendar-2021

2021 UK Hansa Nationals at Rutland Sailing Club

 The HCUK Hansa UK Nationals returned to Rutland for the two-day regatta with a 30-strong fleet and 38 sailors getting back together for the first time since 2019. Rutland Sailability chairperson Pauline Harrison summed it up perfectly when she said: "This is a fantastic opportunity to remind ourselves of what we are all about." Which was everyone mucking in together to get sailors winched in and boats launched at the start of each day, and off the water promptly on Saturday to enjoy the tasty BBQ.

There was close racing across most of the classes as the weather conditions played their part with good breeze on Saturday, replaced by light winds, postponements and large wind shifts on Sunday.

Frensham's 2.3 supremo Lindsay Burns continued her winning ways ahead of John Coombes and Lara Sturgis and was full of praise for the well-organised event: "It was a great National with a mixed fleet and a true test of sailing on big courses. Credit to the Race Officers for setting excellent courses. Setting the beat is no easy task, especially with a 150 degrees wind shift, but they nailed it."

And of course, not forgetting the excellent 'shore crew', the supporting cast from home and away, who worked with the sailors throughout the weekend to enable a very successful event. Thank you.

William Benyon Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust sailing trip

 William Beynon, was among four young people, aged between 14 and 17, who took part in the sailing trip on Tuesday August 3.

They were joined by a Trust crew of volunteers and a skipper who taught them to raise the sails and helm the 44 foot yacht.

William Beynon was 13 when he was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma.

Now 15, he initially felt nervous about going sailing but reveals having something to look forward to got him through lockdown.

William said: "The trip definitely helped, you need something to get you back out after being inside for so long and it was just so different to what we’re used to in lockdown because it was quiet, and you can’t see everyone.

"It was really good because meeting new people and everything is really nice and spending time with new friends is always good fun."

The sailing day was part of the Trust’s ‘Taste of the Trust’ programme in response to the ongoing pandemic for 2021.

Chichester Harbour Race Week

 Another fine day on the water at Chichester Harbour Race Week, with the RS Elite keelboat class joining in the fun.

Halfway through the week and the podium event leaders are settling in place, but still time for some upsets.

The event is organised by Chichester Harbour Federation sailing clubs and hosted by Hayling Island SC.

Larks at the Salcombe Gin Regatta

 

The annual Salcombe Gin Regatta is fast becoming one of the must do fixtures of the Lark calendar. A fantastic holiday town, beach fun at Mill Bay, navigating the beautiful Kingsbridge Estuary, not to mention the hot competition, it's easy to see the appeal.

UK holiday accommodation in 2021 has been hard to come by, but the Larks are a resourceful bunch and a raft of cruising yachts on the visitors moorings proved to be an ideal solution that looks to be repeated next year. Chris Allen had sailed from Hayling Island and tagged the regatta on the end of his family yachting holiday in the South West. Dan Watson and Flora Winter travelled the furthest, having sailed their yacht all the way from the East Coast.

This year's event featured a number of former Lark National champions drawn back to the fleet by a boat suited to all comers.

It was a week of two halves. The first four races were sailed in force 2 to 3, before the windier conditions kicked in for the final 2 days. Salcombe did not disappoint with ample opportunities for place changing and big leads diminished in the blink of an eye.

Overall Results:

Pos Boat Sail No Helm Crew Club R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 Pts

1st Rollergirl 2520 Harry Pynn Gemma Cook Waldringfield Sailing Club 1 1 1 ‑3 2 2 7

2nd Mowgli 2528 John Brickwood Vicky Brickwood Frensham Pond SC Netley SC ‑4 2 3 1 1 1 8

3rd Floozie 2527 Tim Fells Ben Meek Salcombe YC 3 3 2 2 4 (DNC) 14

4th Florence 2492 Chris Allen Ann Ashworth Hayling Island SC 2 5 4 6 3 (DNC) 20

5th The Great Spud 252 Megan Brickwood Connor Dickson Netley sailing Club 6 4 5 4 5 (DNC) 24

6th Dylan 2472 Daniel Watson To Obtained Waldringfield Sailing Club 5 6 6 5 (DNC) DNC 29

44Cup Cowes Practice Day: Sunshine, sea breeze and a Royal Yacht Squadron start

 Sunshine, a solid sea breeze and a start from the Royal Yacht Squadron line in Cowes was the perfect way to open the third event in the 44Cup calendar as the fleet took to the Solent.

Hot foot from the class' previous event in Marstrand, Sweden eight teams will compete in the UK event that runs from 11-15 August. And while today was officially listed as a practice day, you'd barely know it from the level of racing. This is a collection of highly experienced crews that only know one gear, winning, leaving few surprised that the showcase start and first beat to the west along Cowes' famous Green turned into a competitive affair.

So, while it might have been practice day today where no points were placed on the board, everyone sailed as if there would be. The result? A perfect taster for what's in store for the rest of the week.

First warning signal for fleet racing tomorrow will be at 12.00 BST. To follow the racing live visit www.44cup.org

#DiscoverSailing taster sessions

 This summer more than 100 venues are running covid safe #DiscoverSailing sessions inviting you to come and ‘have a go’ for very little cost or free.

You don’t need any previous experience to enjoy a taster session and many venues will welcome all ages.

It’s also a great opportunity to check out what your local venue has to offer including membership deals and offers on courses.

You can look for a Discover Sailing taster session near you and find more information at rya.org.uk/discoversailing

Regatta to set sail from Southampton to mark Mayflower 401

 A REGATTA is set to sale from Southampton this month to mark the 401st anniversary of the sailing of the Mayflower.

The Association of Sail Training Organisations (ASTO) has announced that the Mayflower 401 Anniversary Small Ships race will begin on August 15 at Ocean Village Marina.

The race will run until August 20 and is due to finish at the Royal Dart Yacht Club in Dartmouth.

Thirteen UK Sail Training vessels will take part in the event which was delayed a year after originally being planned to mark the 440th anniversary of the sailing of the Mayflower on her way to transport Pilgrims from the city to the new world in 1620.

Over 100 young people will take part in the three-day passage race which, like the Mayflower, will leave from Southampton and call into Dartmouth.

Many of the young people competing in this race have never had the opportunity to go sailing before and will work as a team to steer, set sail, and navigate.

Lucy Grodie from ASTO said: "I’m so pleased we are finally able to host the Mayflower 401 Small Ships Race. Sail Training is a brilliant way for young people to gain confidence, learn new skills and enjoy the outdoors.

"The benefits Sail Training can bring to so many young people are especially important after such a tough 18 months. While the event is billed as a race, it’s really the taking part and making the effort that counts.

"The young crews will come away with a renewed sense of what they can do, new friends and memories for life."

For many of the youth charities taking part, this will be their first major event in two years due to the impact and restrictions of the pandemic.

Most vessels were only able to restart residential Sail Training in the last two months and so the race is expected to provide an opportunity to celebrate the reopening of the sector.

The event is being supported by Ocean Village Marina, the Royal Southampton Yacht Club, Dart Harbour, and the Royal Dart Yacht Club.

Sailability

 RYA Sailability offers a level playing field for disabled sailors with activities for young people, adults and groups – all at your pace and adapted to your abilities.

There are more than 200 RYA Sailability sites across the UK and further afield welcoming people with disabilities to enjoy the outdoors, feel freedom on the water, learn new skills and build confidence. 

Visit rya.org.uk/sailability to find out more about boating and to find a Sailability group near you.

Get started in sailing

 If you’ve been inspired by the Team GB sailors and windsurfers at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and want to know more about getting started in sailing, you’ve come to the right place.

If you want to give sailing and windsurfing a go, the best place to get started is your local sailing club or training centre.

With more than 2,000 RYA affiliated clubs and recognised training centres in the UK alone, and even more overseas, there’s bound to be one near you.

Located around the coast and on inland waters, you only need to look at the home sailing venues of our Olympic medallists to see just how widely spread our clubs and centres are.

Use our ‘Where’s my nearest’ search to find your local sailing venue at rya.org.uk/wheres-my-nearest

Something for everyone

 From windsurfing and dinghy sailing, to larger keelboats and yachts – there are so many ways to learn to sail and enjoy time afloat.

Whether you want to potter about exploring your local stretch of water, join a sailing club full of like-minded people or get competitive on the racecourse, there really is something for everyone.

Learning in a dinghy is a great way to start sailing. Single-handers (boats sailed by one person) are a popular choice and can be the quickest way to learn due to being lightweight and easy to rig and launch.

If you don’t fancy being in a boat alone, double-handers or keelboats are larger boats designed to be sailed by two or more people, making it an enjoyable way to learn with others aboard.

Once you’ve mastered the basics, there are plenty of opportunities to continue to develop your skills and have fun on the water. Maybe getting involved in club racing, venturing further afield dinghy cruising, or feeling the thrill of flying across the water sail or wind foiling.

Unicorn Nationals at Stone Week 2021

The  influence of the current climate resulted in a smaller than usual fleet of Unicorns to attend Stone Week for their National Championship held during the first week of August. However, a welcome bonus saw the Unicorns being invited to join the 34 strong fast handicap division, as well as racing for their own class trophy.

Unicorn Nationals Results:

1st Dan Jarman, GBR 1088, 9pts

2nd Gary Piper, GBR 1094, 16pts

3rd Will Stefanou, GBR 1098, 19pts

4th David Taylor, GBR 1067, 37pts

5th Iain Rogers, GBR 1092, 42pts

Open Multihull Division:

1st Dan Jarman, Unicorn GBR 1088, 32pts

Stone Week Fast Handicap Division:

1st Terry Crook, Phantom GBR 1464, 31pts

2nd Dan Jarman, Unicorn GBR 1088, 32pts

3rd Trevor Bawden, Blaze GBR 804, 37pts