Osprey Inland Championship at Blithfield Sailing Club

 After an excellent Friday evening of Peter Slaters curry and extensive assessment of Holden's beer, the Osprey fleet of 16 were greeted on Saturday by light winds, 180 degree shifts and very challenging sailing conditions. The huge experience of OD Bill Watson supported by Margaret Boyson allowed two races to be run.

Race 1 saw a trend being set,with Richard and Mark Hartley winning. Cooney and Frith enjoyed their return to Blithfield in 2nd with Justin Jones and Chris Anderson getting the fleet demo boat into third.

Race 2 was won by Kevin Francis and Peter Greig with Richard Marshall and Alex Willis 2nd. Mick Greenland and Will Govid were denied a win when a re- rig during racing was required- but they held third.

The Saturday evening was the "normal" excellent deluxe Hog Roast and many extras. I am not sure how to explain the Holden's beer supply being doubled, and it being all drunk an hour earlier than last year's event. Certainly Team Hartley's distribution of wine made the calculation easier! We look forward to measuring this trend in next year's event.

Sunday morning and proper cooked breakfast and then out into much nicer winds. The Hartleys were back at the front in race 3 chased by Alistair Reynard and Rob Burdekin. Jon Batt and Jonathan Gibbons were third. The last race saw Team Hartley settle into the lead with Cooney and Frith chasing. Third were Alistair and Rob, last year's Wilkinson Sword travellers' trophy winners.

Overall Results: (top six)

1st Richard and Mark Hartley (Blithfield) 1381

2nd Kevin Francis, Peter Greig (Castle Cove) 1296

3rd Martin Cooney Peter Frith (Poole YC) 1290

4th Alistair Reynard Rob Burdekin (Carsington) 1363

5th Justin Jones Chris Anderson (Chase) 1360

6th Jon Batt Jonathan Gibbons (Blithfield) 1331

Warm weather welcomes fleet at Girton Sailing Club’s Spring Series

 The sailing racing calendar at Girton has resumed, but it was a different story to usual as competitors were met with spring-like weather, rather than the usual blustery conditions.

Ed Johnson continued to press on in his campaign for a series’ win in the second round session of Girton Sailing Club’s Spring Series.

He had to concede first place to his fellow Supernova sailor Nick Whiles who took the first race putting Johnson second, followed by Jonty Mason (third) Jo Daubney (fourth) and Paul Burton (fifth).

Johnson came back to win the other two races of the day extending his overall lead after two sessions.

CoastWaterSports Phantom SW Traveller Series 2022

 This year's Phantom SW Travellers' Series is generously sponsored by local watersport retailer CoastWaterSports, and we're now just over one week away from the opening event of the season at Bowmoor Sailing Club on Saturday 9th April.

The Bowmoor event has historically seen some of the biggest turnouts of the calendar and we're hopeful this will prove to be the case again as we finally get to run a whole season following the previous two years.

The water is blue (it really is), the welcome is warm, and the wind is free.

Come and join us for the 2022 season opener!

Albacore 2022 Racing Season starts this Sunday

 The Albacore racing season kicks off this weekend with Sunday's Maidenhead Open. Whilst the class demo boat is already booked for this event, it is available throughout the season for those wanting to experience Albacore sailing.

In May the two-day Inland Championship will be held at Bartley SC near Birmingham where the fleet has been growing steadily over the past few years. This is followed in early June with the Albacore Sprint Nationals at Leigh & Lowton SC over the Platinum Jubilee Weekend. In July the Albacore tradition of attending the iconic Lord Birkett race at Ullswater will be upheld and it is also hoped to get Albacores racing at the 50th Anniversary Abersoch Dinghy week. Our three day Nationals is being held in August at Royal Lymington YC on the Solent this year with a packed event planned alongside the club's 50th anniversary celebrations.

Later in August the Albacore fleet will be crossing the Solent to attend the Uffa Fox celebration regatta.

In early September the two-day Southern Championships will again be held at WPNSA either in the harbour or outside! Not to be outdone the two-day Northern Championships will be held later that month at Bala SC and this year will also see the event incorporate the European Championship.

In October the traditional Nottingham Open on the River Trent will be held followed by the Whiterfriars SC event later that month.

All the specific dates and details can be found below or on the class website or Facebook group.

For further info contact Mike Banner on events@albacore.org.uk

Month Dates Venue/Event

April Sun 3rd Maidenhead SC Open

May Sun 1st /Mon 2nd (BH) Bartley SC / Inlands

June Fri 3rd and Sat 4th June

NB Friday is Bank Hol Albacore Sprint Nationals

Leigh and Lowton SC

July 3RD Ullswater YC/ Lord Birkett

Sun 23rd to Fri 29th Abersoch Dinghy Week/SCYC

August Fri 5th Sat 6th and Sun 7th Royal Lymington YC/ Nationals

18th - 21st Uffa Fox Regatta / Cowes

September Sat 3rd Sun 4th Southerns WPNSA

Sat 24th Sun 25th Northern and European Championship/ Bala SC

October Sun 9th River Trent / Nottingham SC Open

Sat 29th Whitefriars SC Open

RYA YOUTH LEARN TO SAIL COURSE at Royal Lymington Yacht Club

 RYA Youth Sailing Scheme - Stage 1 - Learn to Sail

Sailing courses at the Royal Lymington Yacht Club

This RYA sailing course for beginners takes 2 days (9 am - 4.30 pm each day) and provides an introduction to the sport of sailing.

A prominent RYA Training Centre, Royal Lymington Yacht Club provides RYA training courses throughout the year for both members and non-members.

The RYA Youth Sailing Scheme Stage 1 course provides a basic understanding of how boats sail and provides some experience of steering and handling the boat. You’ll learn about launching and recovery, steering, parts of the boat and basic sailing techniques.

Minimum age: 8 years.

RYA Youth Sailing Scheme certificates are a significant achievement and can be used in other areas of your study or activities such as PE at school, or the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme.

Stage 1 courses are taking place on the following dates at RLymYC:

- 12th & 13th April

- 14th & 15th April

- 19th & 20th April

Stage 2, 3 and 4 courses are also available. More details at rlymyc.org.uk/training

Sign up now for this two-day course

Look out for information about sailing on the Club’s Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages @rlymyc.

For more information, contact the club office on 01590 672677 

Ladies Only Sailing Courses at the Royal Lymington Yacht Club

 Ladies only sailing is available at the Royal Lymington Yacht Club for complete beginners through to racers; build your confidence and brush up on your skills. Sessions are 2.5 hours. Non-members are welcome!

26th April, 3rd, 10th, 17th and 24th May - 5 weeks

Session 1: 09:30 - 12:00

Session 2: 12:15 - 14:45

7th, 14th, 21st, 28th June, 5th and 12th July - 6 weeks

Session 1: 09:30 - 12:00

Session 2: 12:15 - 14:45

13th, 20th, 27th Sept, 4th, 11th and 18th October - 6 weeks

Session 1: 09:30 - 12:00

Session 2: 12:15 - 14:45

More details at rlymyc.org.uk/training

Sign up now for a Ladies' Only Sailing course

Look out for information about sailing on the Club’s Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages @rlymyc.

For more information, contact the club office on 01590 672677 

British Marine is launching a new boat show in the capital this month called London Luxury Afloat.

 While much smaller than the London boat shows of old, London Luxury Afloat will be a good opportunity to see a number of both power and sailing boats in the heart of the UK’s biggest city just in time for the start of the summer season.

The venue is St Katharine Docks Marina, right next door to the Tower of London and only minutes from the city centre, allowing visitors to view the boats afloat in their natural environment. The show will run from 21-24 April with MBY as its official media partner.

Confirmed exhibitors include many of the biggest names in British boat building as well as a number of overseas brands. In all there should be more than 30 large boats on display at London Luxury Afloat.

Sunseeker London will be exhibiting a Sunseeker 65 Sport Yacht, a Sunseeker 76 Yacht and a Sunseeker Predator 74 XPS, while Bates Wharf plans to display three new Fairlines – a Squadron 50, Targa 45GT and an F//Line 33.

Global Yacht Sales will be showing off the latest Azimut 53 and Azimut S6 models, while Pearl Yachts will be exhibiting a Pearl 62 and Thames Boat Sales are bringing along a Ryck 280 sportsboat. British sailing yacht builder Oyster will be displaying four of its classy offshore cruisers from 50-88ft.

Shoreside stands will showcase smaller vessels, as well as marine equipment and related services such as insurance, finance and charter. There is just one price of £45 for an adult. Children under 15 are free providing they are accompanied by an adult ticket holder.

Tickets are available at londonluxuryafloat.com. The show opens at 10am each day and will be open until 9pm on the Thursday, 6pm on the Friday and Saturday, but closes slightly earlier at 4pm on the final Sunday.

National 12 - Development of Results for 2022

 The National 12 class has been at the forefront of dinghy development within the United Kingdom since 1936, with radical developments such as the jib stick, t-foil rudders and moving hull shapes. It only seems right that the class have now explored an area often overlooked - results.

Inspired by the Winter Olympics and other sporting events, the N12 Class have revised how results are to be calculated. The plan, detailed below, will be tested at Burton Week 2022 with the expectation to roll out this revision to all N12 open meetings by 2023.

The results will now be split into two categories, overall position points and style points. There is nothing new with overall position points, however that figure will now be divided by 'style points'.

Michael Brockman will be judging the sailing at Burton Week this year and will score each individual boat based on their sailing style - on the water.

An example judging card:

Overall Results:

Sail No:  

Sailing Flat Up‑Wind 5 4 3 2 1

Jib Tell Tales Lined Up 5 4 3 2 1

Mark Rounding 5 4 3 2 1

'Near Miss' - Port/Starboard 5 4 3 2 1

Start Line Position 5 4 3 2 1

Spectacular Event (e.g. Capsize Helm/Crew falling overboard) 5 4 3 2 1

Grand Total  

We believe this will make a fairer national championship for all, taking into account a lot more than just the final position in a race. We hope other classes will follow us with this idea too.

The N12 class are now looking for volunteers to learn the judging skills from Michael Brockman, so this can be expanded to all open meetings in 2023. Please contact chair@national12.org before 12:00 on Friday 1st April 2022 if you are interested in volunteering.

New Fireball class 60th anniversary sail insignia

 To celebrate the Fireball class 60th anniversary it has been decided to change the sail insignia from the familiar red ball to a red diamond. Those teams planning to sail in events this year will need to change their sail to comply with the new rule.

The new insignia is available and comes with fitting instructions. To order please contact april@1fireball.con

David Hall, Chairman FI Technical Committee

Your chance to sail on Morecambe Bay

 Morecambe Sailing Club is offering free taster days for people who would like to sail on the Bay.

The first of these will be held on Saturday April 16, followed by further taster days on April 30 and May 28.

These will be your opportunities to get on the water whether it is your first time or a return to sailing.

There will be tea and coffee afterwards and a chance to look around the club and speak to members.

Sessions will take place at the clubhouse on Back Calton Street, Morecambe, LA4 5AS.

Pre-booking is essential. Contact the club via email on info@msc-sail.uk

Royal Lymington Yacht Club to host 2022 Sessan Cup and UK Nordic Folkboat Nationals

 In September the Royal Lymington Yacht Club (RLymYC) will host two prestigious events for Nordic Folkboats: the 2022 Sessan Cup and the UK National Championships.

The 2022 UK Folkboat Association International Regatta will include the UK Nordic Nationals and Walcon Cup from Saturday 17th to Sunday 18th September and the Sessan Cup from Tuesday 20th to Thursday 22nd September. Five days of racing are planned in Christchurch Bay during the regatta week. The area provides a fantastic variety of sailing conditions against the backdrop of a picturesque coastline.

2022 is a special year for both boat and club: the Nordic Folkboat will be 80 years old, whilst Royal Lymington Yacht Club is celebrating its centenary. Plans are afoot for a sensational week of celebrations and social events to accompany the daily racing.

Entry is now open for this fantastic International Regatta, sponsored by Spencers of the New Forest and supported by Yacht Havens, Walcon Marine, SoResource Management, Folkboats UK and the UK Folkboat Association. Enter online at rlymyc.org.uk/folkboat-nationals-sessan

Commodore of RLymYC, Phil Lawrence, said: "We are delighted to be the hosting the 2022 Sessan Cup and Nordic Folkboat National Championships. Our location at the gateway of the Lymington River enables easy access in all tides out into the Solent and Christchurch Bay, which combined with our first-class race management makes racing out of Royal Lymington a true delight.

For more information about the 2022 UK Folkboat Association International Regatta, contact Sailing Manager, Vicky Leen, at Royal Lymington Yacht Club on 01590 672677 or sail@rlymyc.org.uk.

Barcelona confirmed as venue for the 2024 America's Cup

 Emirates Team New Zealand and the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron have confirmed that Barcelona, in the region of Catalonia as the Host Venue for the 37th America's Cup to be held in September and October of 2024.

A mixture of history and modernity, Barcelona is one of the most iconic and attractive cities in the world and will become the first venue in the world to host both an Olympic Games and an America's Cup event.

America's Cup Defender Emirates Team New Zealand CEO Grant Dalton is delighted to announce Barcelona as the Host Venue after a long and competitive venue selection process. "Barcelona really is one of the most recognised cities in the world so to have the ability to host the most recognised sailing event in the world is hugely exciting. As Defender of the America's Cup, we have always felt the responsibility to grow the event, the audience, and the sport of sailing on a global scale and certainly having the event hosted in a significant city such as Barcelona will allow us to propel the growth trajectory on the global sporting stage.

When thinking ahead to the 37th America's Cup and the AC75's racing within a few hundred metres of the Barcelona beach, waterfront, and race village fan engagement zones it will be nothing less than spectacular."

JOG partners with Clean Sailors to help push the sustainability agenda in UK yacht racing community

 With up to 40% of ocean litter coming from maritime pursuits and the latest IPCC report underlining the importance for every single organisation on this planet to get on board with fighting climate change, the pressure is building within the marine industry to do their bit by taking responsibility for their actions. JOG Yacht Racing want to play their part by using their club platform to educate and drive sustainability within the UK's south coast yacht racing community.

As the first step in this journey, they have partnered with Clean Sailors, a not-for-profit driven by Holly Manvell. Clean Sailors will be working with JOG on an engagement programme that will be rolled out over the coming year. The programme is focussed on helping engage JOG members through putting a sustainability lens on different aspects of yacht racing such as the effects of antifoul on the marine environment and how to keep your sails in top shape for as long as possible whilst constantly offering solutions to help drive change.

Stuart Lawrence, Race Captain of JOG Yacht Racing says "clubs can play such an important part in this transition. When we are out racing offshore, we see the effects climate change is having on the weather systems and the ghost nets and plastic bottles that float past us. We need to protect our playground, the ocean, and it is for this reason that we are really excited to start our journey through partnering with Clean Sailors."

Holly Manvell, Founder of Clean Sailors says "As a team of sailors ourselves, it's very special to join with those who directly share our passion and enthusiasm for our waters. We are delighted that JOG is joining us for this journey and look forward to all we can achieve together. We sailors have used our waters for thousands of years, so let us be firm leaders in helping to protect them."