All systems go for the Fireball World Championship in Ireland this August 2022

This will be the first Fireball World Championship since Montreal in 2019 so there is significant interest around the globe with international teams already booking their accommodation and making travel arrangements. At the time of writing teams are expected from Australia, Canada, the US, France, Switzerland, Italy, the Czech Republic and South Africa, along with a large contingent from the UK and a rapidly growing local fleet.

With special Irish Ferries rates for competitors the 'Trip to Tipp', is an attractive option for sailors from mainland Europe and the UK. Another great attraction at LDYC is the amount of space available for camping and for camper vans so much of the Worlds fleet is expected to live on-site for the event helping to keep the event both affordable and extremely social. With Carrickcraft cruiser hire as one of the sponsors discounted cruiser hire is available to competitors and their families, providing an attractive accommodation alternative which would allow families to view the racing from their floating holiday homes based on the marina beside the sailing club. The booking system for campsite space is also live from today.

The stunning lakelands area, a lesser-known gem of the Irish tourism offering, is likely to surprise domestic and international sailors alike with its beauty. The event will include an activity programme for families and non-sailors with many and diverse regional attractions. The lead-up to the event, with the delay caused by the pandemic, has given the domestic Fireball fleet a great boost and the last couple of years have seen a big increase in local numbers.

More than 25 Irish boats have committed to the event, the first on local waters in 11 years and this number is expected to grow as the date nears. Sailors are asked to register now via the club website at www.ldyc.ie and for those who register early and pay the remainder of the entry fee by the due date a raffle is being held for free entry. Youth sailors are welcome and can enter at a discount of 20% and the class is encouraging sailors from other classes to get hold of a Fireball and to join the fray. The last couple of years has seen an increase in interest in Fireballs in Ireland and sailors have joined from the 420s and from the 49er amongst other classes.

Notice of Race, online registration and registration for event camping are now live and can be found at www.ldyc.ie/Fireball-Worlds-2022

 

The RWYC 'Original Lonely Rock' race - discounted entry fees available

 The RWYC 'Original Lonely Rock Race' (OLR2022) in association with the Royal Victoria Yacht Club, starting at 1400hrs on Sunday 17th July 2022.

The OLR2022 course starts in the area of Ryde Bank, within the gaze of the Royal Victoria Yacht Club, the fleet then exits the Western Solent, on to the Fastnet Rock which they will round to port. Then, passing the Isles of Scilly to port, the fleet will once again enjoy an historical finish experience at the Plymouth Breakwater Light house.

Sound familiar? Why not join us in celebrating this historic, iconic course and keep the FASTNET legacy alive. The OLR2022 will also count towards the Southwest Offshore Group Series season.

Discounted early entry fees are available up to May 4th.

The race village will be within MDL's QAB Marina, which is on the city side of Plymouth Sound and with easy access to hotels, restaurants and the infamous nightlife. Returning to this location will mean a short walk to the very best the City of Plymouth has to offer along with added visibility for sponsors and spectators alike.

The return to a great atmosphere for all coupled with easy logistics for the teams.

For further information, please refer to rwyc.org/lrr or email lrr@rwyc.org

New Website for Grafham Water Sailing Club

 In time for the 2022 racing season, Grafham Water SC has launched a new website featuring new photography and simplified navigation. It replaces a previous site dating back to 2013 which was no longer able to cater for the growing needs of the club.

"The new site is designed to have a different navigation path for new members, members, open meeting visitors and training centre students," said Hilary Talbot, webmaster for the club. "The old site did not clearly separate the information that different users required."

Other features of the new website include live webcam and weather information, and a member's dashboard with quick links to items such as race entry and race results. It also has a dedicated new members page with answers to the common questions raised by newcomers to the club. The website was built entirely in-house over a period of 7 months.

The new website can be viewed at www.grafham.org

Grafham Water SC is based in Cambridgeshire and offers some of the best inland sailing in the country. The club is open to all classes of boat with strong fleets of catamarans, Lasers/ILCAs, Solos, RSs and Flying Fifteens. For more information about the club please visit the website or call the club on 01480 810478.

Follow the club on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pg/grafhamwatersc

Seldén SailJuice Winter Series continues with King George Gallop

 After three events and eleven races completed, the Seldén SailJuice Winter Series is at the halfway point, with the next event being the King George Gallop in North London on 22 January. This is a one day dinghy event comprising of three races based on the Great Lakes Handicap system.

King George Sailing Club (KGSC) will be adhering strictly to the UK Government's current Covid guidelines. To make this event as safe as possible, KGSC will take the following steps:

An online briefing be delivered via zoom at 7pm on Friday 20th January. This will be recorded and remain available on Youtube over the weekend.

All entry and registration changes can be performed online. There will be no physical registration - simply collect your tracker to confirm participation.

There will be a maximum entry of just 70 boats.

Results will be made available online. There will be no formal prize-giving. This will instead be held via a Zoom call on Monday evening (24th Jan) at 7pm.

KGSC will not be making food available for this event - please bring your own packed lunch.

All non-exempt volunteers will wear masks wherever practicable - and KGSC asks competitors to do the same.

Hand sanitiser will be available around the site.

Competitors are encouraged to change and keep their kit bags in their cars. However, changing rooms and toilets will be available to those competitors who choose to use them.

Enter here: www.sailjuiceseries.com

Sponsors announced for 2022 RYA Dinghy & Watersports Show

 The RYA are delighted to confirm Suzuki Marine as the title sponsor for the 2022 RYA Dinghy & Watersports Show. Suzuki have been supporters since 2007 as long-term exhibitors and providers of club safety boat packages.

Taking place over the weekend of 26-27 February at Farnborough International, the show offers a weekend of dinghy cruising, racing, windsurfing, wingsurfing & foiling, paddleboarding with everything you need to get afloat.

Mark Beeley, Head of Marine & ATV for Suzuki GB said, "We're delighted to be continuing our support for the show and we're really excited by the expansion of the event to include more watersports. We're committed to working with our partner boat builders to provide the ultimate safety boat packages for sailing clubs and training centres to help them get even more people out on the water. The RYA Dinghy & Watersports Show is a great opportunity for us to kick start the new season and we are looking forward to seeing everyone there."

With hands-on experiences, demos from the legends and world class talks, the RYA Dinghy & Watersports Show is one you won't want to miss. The show will host over 100 exhibitors including class associations, boat builders, holiday companies and some of the biggest names in marine retail. Exhibitors signed up so far include RS Sailing, Rooster, Musto, Harken and the RNLI.

Historic Shoreham boat that won the Fastnet Race saved from destruction

 The gaff cutter called Tally Ho was built by Stow & Son in 1909 and launched in 1910. It went on to win the Fastnet Race for Lord Stalbridge, Hugh Grosvenor, in 1927.

The boat was designed by Albert Strange and some years ago, it was saved by the Albert Strange Association but after a decade of trying and failing to find someone to take on the project, Tally Ho was destined to be destroyed.

Leo Goolden, a boatbuilder and sailor from Bristol, stepped in at the 11th hour and bought the boat for £1 in May 2017. He said it was a beautiful boat, a well-known and important historic vessel, but it was overwhelming to see the amount of work to do.

He has been charting the story of the boat and its restoration for the past four years on the Sampson Boat Co channel on YouTube, helping to fund parts and the work needed.

Leo said: “Although Tally Ho spent a lot of her life on the Hamble and on the Solent, she was originally built in Shoreham.

“She was originally built and launched with the name Betty for a guy called Charles Hellyer, who was the owner of a fishing fleet in Brixham. She was originally drawn with a length of 47ft 6in, a beam of 12ft 6in and a draught of 7in.

Vote for Brading Haven Yacht Club to win sustainability award

 FLYING the flag for the Isle of Wight and hoping for your votes in a prestigious awards shortlist is Brading Haven Yacht Club. The club has been shortlisted for the 2022 RYA and Yachts & Yachting Club of the Year Award, in the sustainability category.

Celebrating the achievements of sailing clubs, Brading Haven Yacht Club joins nine other clubs on the shortlist of finalists.

The club is asking the public to vote for them ahead of the winner being announced in February at the RYA Dinghy and Water Sports Show, Farnborough International.

The club has recently added a number of innovative ideas to its programme, with groups such as after school sailing, Sailability, paddleboarding and kayaks.

Continual membership growth, despite Covid, together with year round activity has helped the club really step up its game.

A focus on family memberships has seen the club open up its youth coaching sessions to local clubs and take the lead in developing the Isle of Wight Youth and Junior Championships, as well as utilising a grant from the Eric Twiname Trust to purchase a new Tera fleet for grassroots sailing.

A strong volunteering ethos runs throughout the club.

Sail and powerboat training, OnBoard sessions, parent groups, and other water activities such as SUP and kayak have all experienced growth, which the club is managing carefully in line with available resource.

There is a comprehensive range of green initiatives, including a family-focused Eco Club education programme, wildlife walks and surveys, beach cleans, and a climate change impact project.

Support the club by voting at awards.yachtsandyachting.co.uk/rya/

The closing date is January 24.

Lyme Regis youth sailors impress as they compete against the more experienced

 LYME Regis Sailing Club’s youth race training group merged with club racers on Sunday for the first of the Brass Monkeys series.

They crewed seven of the 12-dinghy total, six as helms, and gave the adults close competition.

An ad hoc series of short races followed, allowing further practice for those new to a larger fleet.

Brass Monkeys 1 and 2.

Even without any reaches, Tim O’Toole and Simon Law (Albacore, 3, 1) made a close second to Graham Cook (ILCA 1, 2) in the Brass Monkeys. They were chased by young Ferdy (ILCA 5, 3) who only let Graham through at a wide rounding of the leeward mark in Race 2, while Tom (ILCA 2, 6.5) came close in Race 1.

Not far behind were Josh, (ILCA 6, 6.5), Ben (7, 10) and Ed (8, 9) and newcomer to racing Elliot (11, 11).

The short races followed with Tim and Simon gained firsts in both, with Graham second in Race 1 and Tom (5, 2) and Ferdy (7, 3) next.

All the youth sailors came in ahead of the remaining adults, though Mike Pridham and Dave Guthrie missed the final race.

The club has a strong youth race team, helped by coaching from top sailors Jerry and Graham, building on their previous progression through the club’s youth section.

A boost from the loan of two International Laser Class Association boats from Lyme Regis resident Chris Turner, of Ovington’s, attendance at Royal Yachting Association courses and youth nationals gives a strong base for the coming season.

Entry Opens for RYA/BUSA Women’s Team Racing Championships

 Entries have opened for the RYA and BUSA Women’s Team Racing Championships, which will take place at Budworth Sailing Club over the weekend of 19/20 February 2022.

Budworth SC in the heart of Cheshire is looking forward to welcoming teams from across the UK for what is expected to be one of the biggest team racing events of the year.

The RYA Women’s Team Racing National Championship, incorporating the BUSA Women’s Team Racing Championship, is for teams of six sailors who identify as female, with racing in Firefly dinghies which will be provided for the event.

Teams are invited to represent their club, locale or sailing organisation in the RYA Women’s Team Racing National Championship. University or higher education teams may also compete for the BUSA Women’s Team Racing Championship.

Competitors will be battling it out to see if anyone can take either or both trophies, which last year saw Rutland HYDRA youth team crowned national champions and Cambridge University winning the BUSA title, after Oxford University claimed the double at the previous event in 2019.

Online entry is now open and limited to 18 teams allocated on a first-come-first-served basis, with would-be competitors urged to enter as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

Racing will comprise a series of round-robin races, followed if possible by a knockout stage. The team entry fee is £360 until the deadline for entering, midday on Friday 21st January. Late entries, if accepted, will be £450 from the entry deadline until midday on Friday 4th February.

Pembrokeshire yachtswoman wants to be youngest skipper at Round Britain and Ireland Race 2022

 A WOMAN from Pembrokeshire is aiming to be the youngest person to skipper a yacht in the prestigious Royal Western Yacht Club Round Britain and Ireland Race 2022.

However it’s more than that for 19-year-old Lowri Boorman, of Tiers Cross, who is not only looking to be the youngest skipper to ever enter the race, but also help encourage more girls to sailing in what she described as a sport dominated by rich white males.

Lowri’s dreams are currently in the balance, with her and first-mate Elin Jones, of Wrexham, having to raise almost £9,000 which will include a £1,700 entry fee as well as around £7,000 to charter a yacht for the event.

Lowri said that while it is exciting and inspirational, her ambition to be the youngest skipper to compete in the race since records on the event began, her youth has deterred some people from supporting her.

“It has put some people off letting us have a boat to charter because we are so young,” said Lowri, “but I have always done sailing since I was really little.

She was in the British National Squad at the age of 15 and in 2018 she was crowned Female British National Topper Champion at the National Championships.

She worked at Valero Oil Refinery and at Withybush Hospital to pay for her yachtmaster qualification which qualifies her to captain yachts up to 24m and 150 miles offshore.

Lowri currently delivers newly-purchased yachts to clients across Europe and is an instructor at Pembrokeshire Performance Sailing Academy, Pembroke Dock.

The race starts and ends in Plymouth and has three mandatory stop-overs at Galway, Lerwick and Blyth.

Travelling around 2,000 nautical miles, the race only takes place every four years.

Lowri is also doing the race to raise money for Alzheimer’s Society after her grandmother died due to the disease at the start of 2022. But for Lowri one of the most important aims of this campaign is to encourage more diversity in a very hard to access sport.

“Doing this race would show that women and young girls can do it,” said Lowri. “Young girls will be able to look at us and say, they have done that, I can do it too.”

Shirley and Dee team up for double-handed offshore campaign

 Two of Britain’s most successful female sailors, Shirley Robertson and Dee Caffari, have teamed up for a 2022 double-handed offshore campaign, building up to this year’s 1,800-mile Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race.

Dee Caffari and Shirley Robertson will be racing together on a new Jeanneau Sun Fast 3300, supplied by SeaVentures UK, having competed separately on boats of the same design last season.

The pair need little introduction. Caffari has achieved no fewer than six circumnavigations, three of them solo, two of them the ‘wrong’ way around, eastabouts.

She skippered a Volvo Ocean Race team and a Global Challenge entry, completed a solo Vendée Globe, and a double-handed Barcelona World Race. Last season she was racing with 22-year-old James Harayda, winning the RORC Double Handed National Championship.

Shirley Robertson is one of sailing’s most successful Olympic female athletes, having scored double Olympic Golds in Sydney and Athens. She later skippered an entry in the Extreme Sailing Series, and regularly competes on the superyacht circuit.

Robertson recently discovered a new love of offshore racing with the burgeoning double-handed offshore scene, which was bolstered by the hope that a new Mixed Two Person Keelboat Offshore event might be selected for the Paris 2024 Olympics. Last season she campaigned with Volvo Ocean Race and Figaro sailor Henry Bomby, the pair coming 2nd in the hugely competitive Rolex Fastnet Race double-handed division.

Prior to teaming up for this campaign, Caffari and Robertson had not previously sailed together, although they regularly raced against each other last season. They will be entering seven offshore races on the new Jeanneau Sun Fast 3300, building up to the Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race, which starts on 7 August, 2022.

The gruelling race will be, as Robertson notes, “a big challenge” in a 33-footer. The course is three times longer than the Rolex Fastnet Race and sends competitors to the very northernmost tip of the British Isles, rounding Muckle Flugga.

Dee Caffari added: “With our collective experience, we have a complimentary skill set so really hope to have an edge out on the water. I know, from competing against her last season, that Shirley knows how to sail a boat fast, so I’m delighted that we’ll be joining forces for the season ahead.”

Update on Seldén SailJuice Winter Series

 After three events and 11 races completed, the Seldén SailJuice Winter Series rankings are taking shape. With three different event winners representing a diverse range of classes (505, Merlin and Enterprise), this Series is proving very close.

Update

Winners of the last round, the Burghfield Breezer, Nigel and Andy Bird (Enterprise) jump two places to take the overall lead. Last year's runner-up, Luke Fisher (RS Vareo - Emberton Park SC) hangs onto second place for the second event in a row, with Ben Flower (Laser (ILCA 7) - Paignton SC) third.

Youth

Christopher Marsh (Laser Radial - ILCA 6) was top youth at Burghfield, with young Freddie Sunderland (Laser 4.7 - ILCA 4), second. Overall, Maddie Childs Laser Radial (ILCA 6), leads from Freddie Sunderland.

19-30

This age category is proving very competitive, Sam Whaley (RS Aero 7) was top at Burghfield, with series regular Ben Flower (Laser ILCA 7) leading overall from Ellie Craig (RS Aero 7).

31-60

This sector forms the largest group and nearly half the entry at Burghfield, where Tom Gillard and Rachael Gray (Merlin) dominated. Overall Roger Gilbert and Ben McGrane (505) top the leaderboard, based on extracted results across every race.

Masters

Nigel and Andy Bird won the Burghfield Breezer, and not surprisingly are leaders in the Masters category.

The Events

The following events are in the Seldén SailJuice Winter Series 2022:

King George Gallop, King George Sailing Club

22 January 2022

John Merricks Tiger Trophy, Rutland Sailing Club

5 & 6 February 2022

Oxford Blue, Oxford Sailing Club

19 February 2022

You can find out more about the Series at www.SailJuiceSeries.com

The Wembley Wassail Cup 2022

 Whilst much of London was regretting over indulgence during the Christmas and the New Year celebrations, the keen sailors from Wembley Sailing Club were getting the 2022 season under way with the annual Wembley Wassail Pursuit Race on Sunday 2nd January.

A strong contingent of GP14 entrants from our neighbours at the Welsh Harp Sailing Club joined the Merlin Rockets, MRX's and Laser Standards/ILCA7's from Wembley for a pursuit race on the Welsh Harp. The fleet of twenty boats was split into roughly three groups according to the 2021 PY.

The GP14 fleet were the first starters, second to go were the Lasers with the Merlins and MRX's starting 13 minutes behind the GP14's.

Several teams were caught out by sudden 25 knot gusts which caught the unwary at the leeward mark. Duncan Salmon and Ruth Hanstater in their Merlin 3702 together with Colin Brockbank and Suzy Brough in Merlin 3790 quickly gave chase and cut through the fleet.

Body language showed just how intense the racing became as the end of the 90 minute race drew near, intense concentration in the chasing boats but none more so than in the lead boat of Mark Wolf and Charlotte Cotter from WHSC in their GP14 who had led the race from the start. However snapping at their heels right up to the finish was Paul Beard in his Laser 174486. Mark and Charlotte kept their cool and held him off to take line honours and win the coveted Wassail Cup for the second year running.

Overall Results:

Pos Helm Crew Club Class Sail No

1 Mark Wolf Carlotte Cotter Welsh Harp SC GP14 14113

2 Paul Beard Wembley SC Laser Standard 172286

3 Duncan Salmon Ruth Hanstater Wembley SC Merlin Rocket 3702

4 Colin Brockbank Suzy Brough Wembley SC Merlin Rocket 3790

5 John Curren Wembley SC Laser Standard 215933

6 Steve Cooper Quentin Drain Welsh Harp SC GP14 14151

7 Roger Wilson Welsh Harp SC Laser Standard 166571

8 William MacDonald Wembley SC Laser Standard 143513

9 Kieth Street Hannah Liptrot Welsh Harp SC GP14 13787

10 Jamie Isles Michal Szady Welsh Harp SC GP14 13299