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Amazing Sailing Videos of When It's "Fresh to Frightening"

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Sailing Club Spotlight Carrickfergus Sailing Club

MEMBERS of Carrickfergus Sailing Club have vowed to continue normal activities “as far as possible” after a fire destroyed the clubhouse at the weekend. Fire and Rescue crews were called to the scene at 11.40pm on Friday after being alerted by staff departing for the night. The blaze was attended by crews from Carrickfergus, Whitehead, Glengormley, Belfast and Lisburn fire stations, as well as an aerial ladder platform from Knock fire station. A spokesperson from the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service confirmed that while the cause of the blaze is still under investigation, it is thought an electrical fault was to blame. “We will be using offices that a few local organisations have offered us for a few days, and then hope to arrange a temporary premises,” said Roger Woodward, Commodore at Carrickfergus Sailing Club. “However, we are keen to emphasize that all the club’s sailing, racing and cruising activities will continue in the meantime. We have a sailing course for children that will continue as planned next week as we have very kindly been offered the use of the facilities at the Sea Cadets building. “As I understand it, when the building was being locked up on Friday night, staff heard the smoke alarm going off and returned to see that a fire had started. The barman Karl Brannigan was absolutely excellent in following the proper procedures to get staff evacuated and the fire crews contacted,” Roger added. “I arrived at the club myself at about five past midnight, and at that stage the flames had already spread considerably, so the main focus of the crew had to be preventing them from spreading further and igniting other buildings such as the boat shed. However it was clear to see that the club was lost at that stage. “We’re very grateful for the support we’ve received from the local community; the Mayor and Mayoress came to club at about 1:30am on Saturday morning which was much appreciated. We hope to continue with our activities as far as possible and focus on supporting the efforts our member Ryan Seaton in the Olympics this summer.”

Sailing: Foxall in need of trouble-free finish with his Ocean dream on the horizon

The six boats competing in the Volvo Ocean Race are sailing their final day at sea today as the 39,000-mile contest reaches its final destination on Galway Bay, eight months after departing Alicante. The overall lead is held by French entry Groupama 4, skippered by Franck Cammas, with a 10-man crew that includes Ireland's Damian Foxall, but success hinges on avoiding incidents. "We've seen it all during this race -- masts coming down, rudders breaking, we don't want any of that in the last 36 hours of the offshore section of the race," Foxall said. "It's going to be harder for the other guys to take it away from us." The fleet is expected to reach Galway sometime between midnight and 6.0 tomorrow, depending on wind conditions on the 540-mile leg from Lorient in Brittany. Groupama's overall win is widely expected, though it relies heavily on a strong performance in this final leg in which they must place fourth or better. American entry Puma, skippered by Ken Read, is the principal challenger and needs to win this leg plus have the French boat finish worse than fourth. Thousands In that scenario, the outright victory of the 39,000-mile race would depend on next Saturday's short In-Port race to be held off Salthill where tens of thousands of spectators gathered in 2009 when the previous race stopped off after crossing the Atlantic from Boston. However, if Cammas and his crew do win tomorrow, next Saturday will still decide the In-Port series that has been sailed in each of the other nine ports around the world since last October. A win for Groupama would be the first Volvo Ocean Race victory for Foxall, who comes from Derrynane and had a childhood dream of competing in the then Whitbread Round the World Race. He will join Cork sailor Justin Slattery, bowman on Ian Walker's Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing team, as a winner of this race from 2006. Slattery and Walker haven't fared as well this time after their boat had to miss two stages of the race due to damage. "It's going to be quick trip to Galway, we're really looking forward to it," said Slattery shortly before departing Lorient yesterday. "It can't come soon enough." Live position reports on www.volvooceanrace.com will update the estimated time of arrival into Galway in the course of today.

Sailing is really boring ??

Prince Charles drops in to sailing academy

PRINCE Charles cracked open a bottle of Dorset beer on a visit to the Olympic Sailing venue – and poured it all over a boat. He raised cheers with his impromptu royal seal of approval of the new Team GB 49er Skiff, while enjoying a ‘whistle-stop tour’ of the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy yesterday. The sun shone as the prince toured at the invitation of triple Olympic gold-medallist Ben Ainslie, who is an ambassador for The Prince’s Trust. He was also met by the Lord Lieutenant for Dorset Valerie Pitt-Rivers, the High Sheriff Jeremy Pope, Portland mayor Sylvia Bradley, Councillor Jenny Collinge, sailing academy chairman Edward Leask and chief executive John Tweed, and RYA Olympic manager Stephen Park. Ainslie said: “It’s great for Prince Charles to see what’s taking place down here and the activities, not just for the Olympic sailors but for the youngsters coming down to use these facilities more and more. “It’s really getting exciting, there are so many international teams training and preparing, as there have been for a long time. “You can feel the excitement and tension building up.” Britain’s 49er sailor Stevie Morrison said it was a ‘real honour’ that Prince Charles had toasted their new vessel, which will be sailed in the Games. Ads by Google Custom flags made in UK Custom flags printed to your design Fast delivery. Free art assistance. www.MrFlag.com Yacht Charter London 2012 Support Team GB In August From Your Own Chartered Yacht In Weymouth Bay www.leopard3.com/Olympics2012 Stevie’s crewmate Ben Rhodes, of Exmouth, said: “He used a bottle of Palmer’s Dorset Gold ale. “We’ve called her Lovely Rita after the Beatles song, we thought it was about as British a name as it could be. Also, Ben calls his boats Rita so we thought we’d get in with that action too.” He added: “Prince Charles was really nice, he told us about when he was here in the Navy.” Portland Paralympian John Robertson said: “This was the first time I’d met Prince Charles, he’s a nice chap.” Weymouth’s Olympic windsurfer Bryony Shaw said: “He told me about all the times he used to do windsurfing back in the ’80s. “He seemed really interesting.” Charles also met a line-up of athletes from Australia, New Zealand, Canada and America. Australia’s 470 sailor Amanda Clark described the Royal visit as ‘pretty incredible’, which highlighted how the Olympics brought about ‘good will’ and the chance to meet very influential people. She added: “I’m so happy he came down to support sailing and to christen the boat for the British, that’s just so cool.” PRINCE Charles helped students leave a lasting flavour of 2012 under the new Dorchester Sports Centre. After attending a Prince’s Foundation reception in Poundbury, Charles was met by cheering children at the sports facility. The prince helped pupils from the Thomas Hardye School to bury a time capsule under the new £8million centre. The school’s history department ran a competition of ideas and chose six Year 9 pupils to put together the final product. Hannah Roberts-Baker said: “It was really exciting getting to meet Prince Charles, I thought he would be really prim and proper but he was really funny and friendly.” History teacher Gemma Cambell said: “They all got into it and some of the ideas they came up with were really interesting. The capsule includes a student film depicting a day in the life of a young person in 2012, photos of animals that could become extinct or landmarks that might be eroded, music lyrics, favourite recipes, a TV guide and a plaque from West Dorset Warriors swimming club. The new centre on Coburg Road is being developed by West Dorset District Council in partnership with the county council and Thomas Hardye School. District leader Robert Gould said: “The time capsule will not only provide future generations with a snapshot of life in 2012, but is a fantastic way to show the excitement surrounding this development.” The Prince then hitched a ride back to Poundbury on an electric bus. His final engagement of the day was a visit to the anaerobic digester at Rainbarrow Farm near Martinstown, which is supplying 750 Poundbury homes with electricity and will soon be providing gas for around 4,000 homes. PRIME Minister David Cameron hopes to get to Weymouth and Portland to catch some of the action during the Olympic Sailing events, the Dorset Echo can exclusively reveal.

Young adults off on sailing adventures

Sixteen young adults from throughout Shetland are all set to experience life at sea for an exciting adventure as they join the tall ships Swan, Europa and Alexander von Humboldt II as sail trainees. Ten trainees left Lerwick onboard the Swan on Sunday to sail across the North Sea to join other traditional sailing vessels from Scandinavia taking part in “Nordic Sail”, with the Swan being the only visiting boat. Forming in Hals, Denmark, the 29-strong fleet will race to Uddevalla, Sweden, with the event ending with a second race to Risør, Norway, before the Swan heads back to Shetland, returning on 9th July. The trainees on the Swan are Vaila Henderson, 15, Robbie Jamieson, 15, Lauren Johnson, 16, Ryan Leask, 16, Thomas Meadows, 18, Callum Mustard, 18, Ailish Parham, 16, Michaela Peterson, 15, Ellie Simpson, 15, and Erin Simpson, 17. Nordic Sail is renowned for its friendly atmosphere and is organised by the Sail Training associations of Norway, Sweden and Denmark. Over 400 crew will be taking part in the event between 28th June and 7th July 2012, with activities organised in each port for the visiting crews, similar to a Tall Ships event. The other six trainees are due to take part in the the Tall Ships Races, presented by Szczecin and organised by Sail Training International. Jack Jamieson, 20, Daniel Lawson, 19, and Scott Sandison, 18, will be setting sail on the Europa from the Netherlands as part of a European Youth-in-Action programme on the race between St Malo and Lisbon from 7th to 21st July. Kristen Jeromson, 21, Michelle Robertson, 23, and Emma Rochester, 18, will be joining the newly built Class A German tall ship Alexander von Humboldt II on the leg between Lisbon and Cadiz before returning to Lisbon as part of the Cruise-in-Company from 21st July to 2nd August. All of the Shetland trainees will work closely with the crew of their allocated ships, undertaking tasks such as watch-keeping, setting sails and other domestic duties which they will share with other trainees. Sail Training Shetland chairman Peter Campbell said: “This year will see the total number of young people participating in our annual sail training schemes reaching eighty since the charity’s formation in 2009. “We are delighted that we have again been able to recruit a spirited group of young people from around Shetland. I am confident that all of our trainees will take away something positive from their experiences and will be great ambassadors for our community. “We would also like to take this opportunity to thank all our grant funders, sponsors and supporters for their generous and valued support.”

Wild Camping by Sail Boat.

Liveaboard life: self-sufficient w/ solar, sails & VHF radio

Sailing in the Surf

Discovery 50 Cat

Sailing Club Spotlight Sunderland sailing Club

DOZENS of sailors took to the waves to mark the centenary of a Wearside yacht club. Members of Sunderland Yacht Club, in Roker, marked its 100th anniversary with an “impressive spectacle” involving 25 boats. Teenager Luke McGill, an instructor at the club and RNLI crewmember, also carried the Olympic torch on board the lead craft as the procession made its way up the River Wear. Alan Dixon, commodore of the club, said: “The day went really well. The weather could have been better for the public, although it was cracking for sailing, but we were given a great reception. “Everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves and we were really proud of Luke.” Mr Dixon said the River Wear was one of the earliest sailing centres. In 1837, it featured the first of the borough races, which included all water-based craft and preceded the formation of the first yacht club on the river in 1856. After a decline in membership, a new club was formed in 1905, the Sunderland Motor Boat and Yacht Club, which changed its name to the Sunderland Yacht Club in 1912. Sailing stopped at the club during the First World War, but was formally started again in 1935. It then opened its first clubhouse at the North Dock. After relocations and redevelopment, the club settled at its current site at Old North Pier. Luke, 18, from Fuwell, said he was “proud and privileged” to carry the torch. “While it is me, physically, carrying the torch in the relay, I was there to represent all of the volunteers who do such great work for the RNLI, yacht club, and the Royal Yachting Association,” said the St Aidan’s School sixth-form student.

Sailing Club Spotlight Herne Bay Sailing Club

FOR the third year running Herne Bay Sailing Club hosted a group of deaf and hearing impaired youngsters for an open day in aid of the National Deaf Children's Society. Also involved were Me2, an organisation that encourages hearing impaired kids to participate in sport. . Although the wind was too strong for sailing, organisers Claire and Nathan Hudson insured a fun-packed day was had by the 30-strong group of youngsters. Bay club members volunteered to help out and there was food, hospitality and a wonderful day of thrills with some of the children venturing out in kayaks and, later when the wind had increased, in the club's safety boats. As the wind dropped off a little in the afternoon Clive Woodward took parties of children and staff out sailing in his 16 foot Devon Dabber to cruise the surf. THERE were classic sailing conditions for Whitstable Yacht Club's annual championships. Scheduled to run over three days and six races, and with a forecast of brisk Easterlies, it was always going to be the fittest and fastest that would triumph. The weather lived up to the forecast with a strong breeze and big waves on both Saturday and Sunday, but unfortunately too much wind on Monday prevented a grandstand finish. That meant the championship was decided over four races which gave Dick Ledger and Tom Bruton (F18 catamaran)a clear win with two first places and a fourth. In rough conditions which led to a number of capsizes, their performance in the fastest boat on the water was outstanding. Throughout the fleet there was some amazing sailing, especially from the cadets in their Toppers, a class won by Dryston Harnett. Also battling through the wind and waves, offering a gutsy performance in tough conditions, was first lady Donna Hender in her Wanderer. The sailing was followed by a Diamond Jubilee street party. Result: 1 Dick Ledger & Tom Bruton (F18), 2 Phil & Karen Emery (Merlin Rocket), 3 Tudor Owen & crews (505), 4 Charles Campion (Laser), 5 Matt French (Laser Radial), 6 Sergei Samis (Musto Skiff). Whitstable Yacht Club have reduced membership fees by 40 per cent to encourage newcomers to the sport. Details from www.wyc.org.uk or the club office on 01227 636921. FOLLOWING a successful open day, it was back to racing at Hampton Pier Yacht Club as race four of the summer series took place. In light and fluctuating winds the race officer set two courses to accommodate the three fleets that were sailing. The fast fleet was led from start to finish by Mark Whetton and crew in the Fireball, but with Richard Gower and Howard Barker (Trio) and Peter Bell (Laser) never far behind it was down to handicap adjustments to determine the winner. First were Gower and Barker, with Bell in second and Whetton in third. The medium fleet was won by Frank and Glynis Oliver (Versa) with Dave Farmer (Comet) in second and Ken Smith (Xtra) in third. In the slow fleet it was another victory for Simon Govier (Mino) with Andrew McGregor and Lee Gannon (Mirror) racing home a comfortable second. Next Saturday sees a day of general sailing followed on Sunday by race five in the Summer series.

Giant sailing yachts return to Falmouth

For the first time since the world was last at war, Falmouth will see the return of a class of vast sailing yachts this month. The “J Class” was established in 1929 and serves as a rating for large sailing yachts designed between 1930 and 1937. Measuring as much as 140 feet in length and weighing up to 200 tons, there were only ever ten of these elegant giants built during the design’s heyday – mostly because of the immense expense involved in their construction and maintenance. Now, after years of the original yachts laying largely forgotten - rotting away in mud berths or being broken up for scrap - four of the J Class will make a triumphant return at a specially designed five day regatta in Falmouth from June 26-30. Commodore Peter Collet from the Royal Cornwall Yacht Club (RCYC), which is hosting the event, said: “We feel particularly privileged and we are very excited about it. “The history of the J-Class is all around us here and there will be, in this club, an exhibition of memorabilia that will explain it all to the public during the event.” David Pitman is secretary of the J Class Association, which was formed in 2000 to oversee the revival of the class and organise races. He said: “The ‘J’ is probably one of the biggest sailing boats that you will see in the world. They need 30 crew and have more than 10,000 feet of sail. “The last race we had they sailed for four hours and finished within 15 seconds of each other, so it’s very, very close racing and this is a wonderful opportunity to see them in UK waters. “Once you see the boats close up, you will realise just how special they are,” he added. The four yachts to feature in the Falmouth regatta will be “Velsheda”, which was originally built in 1933, “Ranger”, which is a replica of the last J Class to successfully defend the America’s Cup, “Lionheart”, based on an original design from 1937 and the recently launched “Rainbow”, which is a replica of a 1934 yacht of the same name. Races are billed to start at 11am and will last for approximately three to four hours. Although the starting point is dependent upon wind direction, the finish line is envisaged as taking the four sailing yachts between Pendennis Point and the Black Rock marker at the mouth of the Carrick Roads. John Pickup, principal race officer for the RCYC, said: “That means if you are stood on Castle Drive around about four o’clock in the afternoon you will see these boats coming in at speed and quite close together. It will be quite a sight.” Spectators are encouraged to go out on the water and see the “J’s” up close, but must not manoeuvre in front of the boats and should try to avoid the starting “box,” that will be marked out by boats flying “J” flags at each corner. Mr Pickup said: “People who go out there have to understand that this is a great sport to watch, but these are massive lumps of material that can’t turn easily and certainly can’t stop. “We are really desperately keen that spectators should get out there and see what’s going on, but while all four boats are managed be professional skippers, who are very experienced and know the rules, they will find it completely impossible to deal with two boats converging on their bow.” Race commentary will be available on Channel 69 UHF. For more information, contact the RCYC on 312126.

Virtual sailing gives competitors the edge

Simulating weather and water conditions before a race could give sailors the advantage they need to win, new research reveals. The study, carried out by the Yacht and Superyacht Research Group (YSRG) at Newcastle University, UK, with the Yacht Research Unit of the University of Auckland and the Italian super-computer centre CILEA, looked at how accurately we can predict the way a yacht will behave during a particular race using parameters such as sea conditions and currents. Modelling the way each factor impacts on the yacht at every stage of the race, the team - led by Newcastle University's Dr Ignazio Maria Viola - has shown that it is possible to use a virtual simulation to steal an advantage over your competitors. Dr Viola, who over the last ten years has worked with several Olympic Sailing teams and America's Cup teams, explains: "Until now, competition-level sailors would have to carry out physical tests to accurately choose the best boat for that particular race. "What we have shown is that by simulating the conditions we can predict with the same degree of accuracy as the most reliable of these tests how each boat will behave across the course. "At the highest competitive level every second counts and using this information, competitors can choose the boat that can potentially win them the race and give them an edge over the rest of the field. Ultimately, however, whether they win or not is down to the sailor and how he or she performs on the day." The team modelled the resistance on the hull in a range of scenarios, racing virtual crews in state-of-the-art yacht designs, comparing the results with data from model-scale towing tank tests. The research, published this month in the leading academic journal for yacht engineering, the International Journal of Small Craft Technology (Transactions of the Royal Institution of Naval Architects), shows for the first time that simulation can be used to precisely measure water resistance against a boat's hull. The new method, developed by Dr Viola, can now be employed by any sailor, yacht designer or researcher to test the performance of a boat under different weather conditions. Newcastle University Yacht and Superyacht Research Group is the most published and largest research-focussed group in Europe. Currently working with America's Cup sail and yacht designers, the team are world-leaders in the numerical modelling of sailing yachts. "Virtual races could be the key to helping Britain finally clinch the America's Cup," explains Dr Viola, who has also just completed tests on a new candidate for the 2016 Olympics. "The America's Cup is the oldest trophy in the world and the most expensive to win with each challenger spending tens of millions of dollars in designing, building, and sailing its boat, which represents the state-of-the-art of the worldwide marine industry. "First held in 1851 at Cowes, on the Isle of Wight, America held the title for 132 years. Since 1983, however, the Cup has been successively won by Australia, USA, New Zealand and Switzerland, before finally being brought back to the USA in 2010 with the San Francisco Yacht Club's victory of the 33rd America's Cup. "The race will be won by the team with the most skill but our research shows that we can use virtual sailing to remove other unknowns."

Sailing Club Spotlight Snettisham Beach Sailing Club

SCORES of people took to the water to have a go at sailing during an open day. Snettisham Beach Sailing Club welcomed more than 65 people to its site in May. The club was hoping to attract more members during the event and to generate a greater interest in the sport. During the day, visitors were able to chat to members. They were also taken out to sea during the early sessions and later sailed on a water filled former gravel pit. Training centre principal Katie Daniels was pleased with the response to the open day. She said: “We were really happy with the turnout. “We had a barbecue running all day and there were lots of interested smiling faces. “We think we have now got eight to ten new members with more people following it up. It was very successful.” The club has also recently been awarded a £10,000 Sports England grant for a training boat. Members are also running a six-week course to help children lean to sail. Sessions cost £60 for six weeks and all of the equipment is provided.

Loch Awe sailing in a Heron Dinghy

Start Boating - I love Sailing

Blind sailors ready for yacht race

Three visually impaired sailors are to race a small yacht from London to the Olympic sailing site of Portland, in Dorset. The trio are crewing the James Cook on behalf of Action For Blind People (Action) in the Small Yacht Race 2012, set up by the Ocean Youth Trust which aims to get more people out on the water. Stephen Ball, 23, from Southport; Brett Johnson, 22, from Oldham; and Danny Grant, 25, from Wakefield; are working with five other crewmates, many of whom are also blind or partially sighted on the challenge. Stephen has virtually no sight, being only able to see the outline of objects. Action is helping him to find assistive technology to allow him to live more independently. He said: "This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I'm really excited about the challenge, learning new skills and teaming up with the crew, hopefully sailing to a famous victory." John Turnbull, from Action, said: "We've got a team of eight enthusiastic young people, ready for a challenge and determined to win. At Action, we aim to help young people with sight loss develop socially, learn news skills and increase their confidence. Team building, fun and a competitive environment are perfect ingredients to make this happen and in an Olympic year, the event allows them to prove that sight loss isn't a barrier to living your dreams." The five-day race, celebrating the jubilee and Olympics, involves three stages; team initiation, preparation of the yacht, and the race itself. Away from the yachting challenge, Action is working with teammates Brett and Danny to help them gain greater independence. Brett is partially sighted, suffering from a condition called nystagmus, which makes reading and walking a great challenge. Danny has had practically no sight since birth and is only able to recognise bright light, but no specific shapes or outlines. The race starts on June 11. To support the charity visit www.actionforblindpeople.org.uk/donate.

Ten Heavy Weather Sailing Tips You Need to Know

1. Make Up "Zero-Prep" Energy Bags Use small Ziplock type bags to hold high energy snacks. Combine nuts, dried fruits, tasty seeds like sesame or pumpkin, banana chips, and dried coconut for a super snack. Press the bag tight before you seal to keep air out and your energy snack will last longer when stored aboard your sailboat. 2. Top Off Your Trusty Thermos Purchase two large thermoses. Before the rough stuff arrives, fill one thermos with a hearty soup or stew. Fill the other with coffee, tea, or hot chocolate. That way, you won't need to worry about boiling water in choppy seas for a nutritious meal or drink. Secret Tip - Purchase a thermos with a spigot-top conversion kit and mounting brackets. Install the brackets in a spot near your boat galley. Fill the thermos, screw on the top and close the spigot. Mount the thermos "bottoms-up" in the brackets. Now you have a safe, fast, easy way to pour soup or your favorite beverage in any sailing weather! 3. Eat Before the Weather Arrives at Your Boat Fix a light meal with pasta if you expect rough seas when sailing. Stay clear of greasy, fried foods. Concentrate on foods that you boil, broil, or bake. Pasta has a good reputation as a "tummy tamer" when it comes to sea sickness. It's economical, easy to digest, nutritious, and provides good energy for sailing in rough weather. 4. Lash and Stow Below Check the galley for loose pots, plates, and silverware. Wrap silverware in towels to avoid clanging. Store pots in cabinets. Stuff towels or pieces of foam between stacks of dishes, glasses, or pots and pans to keep things in place and noise to a minimum. 5. Keep a Clothes Change Handy Pull out a full change of clothes. Fold and stow in an oversized Ziplock or waterproof bag outside of your sailing duffel bag. You want this change of clothes ready in an instant so you won't need to hunt around for it. Include underwear and socks. If you get soaked when sailing, you will want to slide into a set of dry clothes right away. Do this now to save you time and effort later. 6. Clear the Decks for Clean Decks Studies of past heavy weather sailing races show that those racing sailboats with clean, uncluttered decks had an easier time. Take a tip from the racing crowd. Check the outside decks from bow to stern. Neaten up sheets and lines. Turn cowl vents around to face astern to prevent water intrusion below; in extreme conditions, remove the cowl vents, stow them below, and screw covers in their place. Keep decks clean for safer sailing in any weather. 7. Add extra Lashings Check all lashings on deck-stowed Jerry jugs (cans), propane bottles, life raft canister, dinghy, and anchors. Double or triple lashings with small diameter line. Seas that break aboard can break weak lashings like a knife going through butter. Make lashings strong and robust to keep deck-stowed gear in place. 8. Seal Ports and Hatches No matter what the manufactures tell you, expect ports and hatches to leak. Heavy weather or squalls can bring high winds, seas, and horizontal driving rain that will find any nook and cranny. Use strong, waterproof duct tape to seal around ports and hatches on the inside your cabin. This will keep water out and dryness in for greater crew comfort in heavy weather sailing. 9. Set Up Sails Now Hank on your storm jib or trysail now with sheets run, halyards cleared, and all ready to hoist. If you decide to delay on the hoist, stop off the sail along the deck with sail ties or next to the mast (in the case of a trysail). This way, your storm sails will be ready to set in a matter of seconds when you need them. 10. Rest and Hydrate Often Heavy weather sailing saps energy like few other activities. Get as much rest as possible between watches. Remember to keep hydrated with water or non-sugar energy drinks like Gatorade or Emergen-C. These beverages replace critical electrolytes and minerals that you will use to keep your balance, hang on when heeling, or move about when changing sails or standing watch. Remind your sailing crew to rest and hydrate for greater comfort. Follow these ten heavy weather sailing tips to get ready before the tough stuff arrives aboard your boat. These tips will help keep your sailing crew safe and sound and provide them with more comfort--wherever in the world you choose to cruise! Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7046795

49er Sailing Perth

Moth Sailing

ISAF Sailing World Cup heads to Weymouth

Skandia Sail for Gold, the sixth of seven ISAF Sailing World Cup Regattas, is being held from 4 to 9 June 2012. Over 700 sailors from 60 nations will compete at the host venue of the London 2012 Olympic Sailing Competition in Weymouth. Skandia Sail for Gold will feature many of the Olympic sailors as they enter the final stages of their preparations for the London 2012 Olympic Games. Thirteen teams have entered the Women’s Match Racing Competition at Sail for Gold which is lining up to be a dress rehearsal for London 2012 with those named all competing alongside teams who are fully expected to be announced before the final entry deadline of 9 July 2012. ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Anna Tunnicliffe (USA) is undoubtedly the favourite for top honours at Sail for Gold as she enters on the back of four consecutive regatta victories, including the US Women’s Match Racing Qualification Regatta. Silja Lehtinen (FIN) finished fifth at last year’s regatta but has since had a lull in form. But she has winning form in Weymouth following her gold medal at the 2011 Weymouth and Portland International Regatta. World 2 Lucy Macgregor (GBR), World 3 Claire Leroy (FRA) and World 4 Ekaterina Skudina (RUS) will also join the party in what will be a highly competitive display of Women’s Match Racing. Australia’s Tom Slingsby is undefeated at Weymouth and Portland and he will be looking to continue that run to reaffirm his position as Laser favourite. One of the surprise packages of the 2011-12 ISAF Sailing World Cup has been Charlie Buckingham (USA) who has consistently strung together impressive results in four of five regattas sailed so far. But with a highly competitive 96-boat fleet in Weymouth the Laser Standings leader will find competition stiffer. Beijing’s 2008 Olympic bronze medallist Lijia Xu (CHN) is starting to peak at the right time in the Laser Radial and is undefeated in the 2011-12 World Cup series. Xu also claimed the 2012 Laser Radial World Championship silver medal and has thrown a spanner in the works with many expecting Marit Bouwmeester (NED) and Evi Van Acker (BEL) to run away with the Laser Radial honours at London 2012. But as Sari Multala (FIN) also hits the right note, and Paige Railey (USA), a dangerous competitor, the Women’s fleet will be hotly contested in Weymouth ahead of London 2012. The Star fleet will feature 20-boats with a wealth of World Championship and Olympic experience spread across the fleet. Iain Percy and Andrew Simpson (GBR) and Robert Scheidt and Bruno Prada (BRA) rekindle their rivalry that has been fascinating to watch this year. The Brazilians had the better of the Brits at the Trofeo S.A.R. Princess Sofia MAPFRE in Palma, Spain as well as the Star Worlds in Hyeres, France so victory at Skandia Sail for Gold will set a benchmark ahead of the Olympic Games. Ben Ainslie (GBR) will be the man to beat in the 45-boat Finn fleet having taken the honours in Palma and at the Finn Gold Cup in Falmouth, Great Britain. Ainslie has dominated the Finn in 2012 and his rivals will find him tough to beat at Sail for Gold. The Women’s Match Racers get the regatta underway at 10:00 local time on Monday 4 June at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy before the Medal Races bring the regatta to a close on Saturday 9 June.

Sailing towards boating success

Sailing in Scotland appears to be avoiding the stormy seas of the economic downturn, as harbours and marinas invest in the future For Warren Scott and his wife Jill, there is nowhere better on earth to sail than the west coast of Scotland. The couple, who have circumnavigated the globe twice, have returned to Scotland to enjoy the area's cruising waters. They keep their boat Swn-Y-Mor (Sound of the Sea) moored in Tarbert Harbour at Scotland's longest sea loch, Loch Fyne. From there, they can share their passion with a seemingly growing band of sailing enthusiasts from home and abroad. Mr Scott considers the local waters the "pinnacle of cruising worldwide". "From the English people we meet who come here, some of them are totally knocked out," he said. Mr Scott says the west coast is the "pinnacle of cruising worldwide" "And it's not just the English. On the continent they are becoming more aware of the west coast as a cruising ground - it's not so crowded as it is down on the south coast. "The added advantage is that it is like having your own wee cottage in the highlands if you have a boat here." The Scotts are not alone in their passion. Leisure boating is fast becoming a cornerstone of local economies and the sailing community are hoping to see the industry burgeoning further over the next few years. A Scottish Enterprise report in 2010 suggested more than £100m is generated by sail and power boat tourism activity in Scotland alone. And last November, a guide published by Tourism Intelligence Scotland predicted market share for the sailing industry could increase to £145m in the next 10 years. Growing interest Mike Balmforth, from the Scottish Boating Alliance, commented: "People, whether they have large boats or small boats, have a capital investment and therefore they continue to use it. "This means the service side of the industry and the facilities are continuing to be used." Tarbert Harbour is hoping to capitalise on the growing interest in sailing. This year it secured a £200,000 grant from the Scottish government's Enterprise Growth Fund to create 40 additional berthing facilities that will allow it to accommodate up to 160 boats. Work is under way to expand berthing capacity at Tarbert Harbour The chairman of the Tarbert Harbour Authority trustees, Alan MacDonald, said the economic downturn had done little to put people off sailing. "Despite the recession, a lot of the boats coming in are bigger than they used to be so half the new berths will be to accommodate these bigger vessels," he said. "The other half will be able to relieve the system and allow us to take any growth that appears over the next few years. At least we will be ready to make the most of it once the recession goes." The local economy is already benefiting from the growth in interest, with a number of businesses opening in the harbour area, included an optician, two supermarkets and several restaurants. Transformation Tarbert's success is not a one-off. Across Loch Fyne is Portavadie, where millions of pounds have been spent in recent years on a marina, boatyard, shore facilities, a restaurant and holiday accommodation. Portavadie Marina now has 65 full and part-time staff in an area where there was virtually no employment five years ago. General manager Iain Jurgensen explained how Portavadie had been utterly transformed over the past few years. Heavy investment has transformed Portavadie in recent years "In 1975 this place was blasted out to create a dry dock and at that time oil rig construction, and the fabrication of it was based around cement as opposed to steel," he said. "So at the very time this facility was finished, the construction material changed, which actually made this place redundant. "It largely remained a white elephant for 30-odd years until the current owners embarked on this vision." Mr Jurgensen said Portavadie did not see itself as being in competition with other harbours and marinas on the west coast. He argued: "We are in competition on a global market. We are hopeful we have tapped into a market that has not perhaps existed." Having started a few years ago with about 25 staff, Portavadie owners expect to employ between 100 and 120 within the next two to three years. But some local business people would like to see more done at a national level to encourage faster growth. Loch Fyne Gallery owner Steve Bleasby said: "I think the sailing clubs by and large do a good job - they obviously sell it the best they can. "But in terms of the government, I really don't think they understand the significance of the economic impact of sailing to small communities like this, and the west coast in particular. "When people people step off the boat, they are on holiday. "By and large they like to go for a drink, something nice to eat and then they like to browse around and go shopping. They are looking to spend some money - quite a lot of money in some instances."

Accrington stroke survivor sets sail thanks to charity

A STROKE victim has enjoyed a day of sailing, thanks to the Stroke Association’s East Lancashire branch. Seventeen staff, volunteers and members of Stroke Association’s East Lancs Communication Support service, visited Hollingworth Lake for a day of sailing recently. The event was organised by Link4Life, to give people with disabilities the opportunity to lead healthy, creative, and active lifestyles. Andrew Graham, 45, from St James Street, Accrington, had a stroke in November 2009. He said: “Hollingworth Lake took me straight back to my youth, and conjured up memories of long summer evenings. I had a great day. It has been a long time since I have been there. “The day was a resounding success, despite not so glorious weather! A few of us are now hoping to complete the level one sailing certificate.” Stroke Association’s Andrea Walsh, who runs the service, said: “Everyone had a fantastic time, and it’s great to be able to offer exciting days out like this as part of the service. "We like to offer our members a variety of opportunities to rebuild their confidence and learn new skills.” A stroke is a brain attack which happens when the blood supply to the brain is cut off, caused by a clot or bleeding in the brain. Around 150,000 people have a stroke in the UK every year and it is the leading cause of severe adult disability.

Junior sailing mums set sail at Middle Harbour Yacht Club

The Junior sailing program at Middle Harbour Yacht Club (MHYC) is going through a rapid growth spurt and now the Mum’s are getting in on the action too. A local group of mum’s with children who are currently part of the MHYC junior sailing program, or racing with Redlands school from Balmoral Sailing, have recently completed a week long Dinghy Sailing - Learn to Sail course with Flying Fish Sail Academy located at Middle Harbour Yacht Club. The group includes Larissa Kelloway, whose eldest son, William Scott-Murphy (10) is into his second year at MHYC and nearly through Tackers 3, having participated in the school program with Redlands and the holiday camps. Youngest son, Zachary (8), has seen the fun that his brother has been having and decided to give it a go for the first time in the April school holiday program. Also joining Larissa for the week were Helen Roberts, whose son Lachlan is in Year 7 at Redlands, and is involved in the senior program for racing from Balmoral Sailing Club, along with Cherand Gray, whose daughters Charlotte (14) and Ella (10) both sail for Redlands. Larissa said the group was inspired to get more actively involved with sailing and learn the basics because all are mothers of child sailors and felt it was hard to help their children when they were unaware of the sports requirements, safety considerations and equipment. “On a much more personal level, my husband and both my children sail, and my husband's family are very involved in the sport. Frankly, the dinner table discussions were leaving me behind,” larissa said laughing. “The program offered through Flying Fish was comprehensive and pitched at the right type of learning, unlike other programs that seem more focused on yachts or racing. Plus the Junior sailing program at MHYC is such a good program that it seemed a logical conclusion that the Flying Fish program would be of equal calibre due to its association with the Club,” she added. The group enjoyed a week of theory and on water practical application of theoretical skills learnt in light winds ideal for beginner dinghy sailors. Although, by the end of the week, the ladies would have liked the chance to test their new-found skills a little further in stronger breeze. “We had the most enjoyable week. I don't remember laughing so much in a long time," Larrisa said. "Despite not leaving Sydney for a ‘break’, I felt very much like I've had one. I loved the mix of theory and practical and would love to have had a little bit more wind to really get the boat going." Cherand commented, “We had an extremely knowledgeable coach in Russell from Flying Fish. I felt that although the practical side was unfortunately slow, due to the light to no winds, Russell was able to accommodate ‘quite nicely’ other aspects into the program. In other words, we now feel comfortable knowing what happens in a capsize - lots of bruises! “I did feel I came away ‘knowing’ how to sail from a lot of the theory we picked up. The Bahia’s are great boats for learners too. I will definitely be sailing again on a dinghy, because the kids will be making sure it happens!” The women are all keen to continue their own personal involvement with the sport and expand on the confidence the course gave them: “I do feel that I'm capable of getting in a boat now and having a go, and also feel confident that I could get out of trouble if necessary. I will be out in a dinghy again for sure, but maybe not until the weather warms up,” Larissa said.

Cork Week on Track to Deliver a First Class Sailing Regatta

#CORK WEEK – With just under two months to the 18th edition of Cork Week entries are beginning to build momentum. With the Euro 20% down on the pound sterling and promises of better value for competitors writes Louay Habib. Cork Week is on track to deliver a first class sailing regatta, especially to sailors visiting Ireland's most prestigious yachting regatta from overseas. Cork Week's Chairman, Pat Lyons sums up what Cork Week is all about. "Cork Week comes along every two years and offers an occasion to celebrate all that is best about how we can enjoy the wonderful facilities that our environment has placed on our doorstep. In Cork Harbour, we have a world class maritime playground and by bringing together a sailing event of international quality, the Royal Cork provides an opportunity for both sailors and spectators alike to meet old friends, engage in a top class sailing competition, and enjoy the waterside hospitality and entertainment for which Crosshaven is renowned." A bevy of Cork 1720s are expected for Cork Week and rumour has it that several professional sailors will be making an appearance to take on top Irish competition. In the IRC racing classes, several winning yachts are returning to defend class wins from 2010 including; Paul Kirwan's Sigma 38, Errislannan, who was jointly awarded Cork's top award of Boat of the Week last time out. Conor & Denise Phelan's Kerr 37, Jump Juice will be returning to defend their hard fought class victory in 2010 and a large contingent of Corby Yachts is expected including Richard Goransson's Inga from Sweden with round the world sailor, Matt Humphries calling tactics and four time Volvo Ocean Race veteran, Richard Mason amongst the crew. Earlier this year, The Royal Cork Yacht Club became the first club in Ireland to be awarded Five Gold Anchors by the Yacht Harbour Association. Gavin Deane is the new General Manager of the Royal Cork Yacht Club and he lives in Crosshaven and his family have been part of the fabric of the RCYC for generations. With 20 years of experience in the luxury hotel industry, Gavin is highly accomplished hotelier that is deeply passionate about Cork Week. "It is a common misconception that Cork Week is expensive. The entry fee for Cork Week includes your mooring fees and if you want to arrive a few days before the event and stay a couple more after, there will be no additional charge. As far as catering facilities, Anthony McCann and his team have been doing a fantastic job for the club this year and will have a variety of menus available, including breakfast each morning. In the Tented Village, we will also have BBQ food as well as a food court with gourmet fast food and oriental cuisine, all at competitive prices. We are determined to deliver a memorable event." In addition to top class racing, the fabled on-shore craic in the tented village has become one of the main ingredients in the success of Cork Week with some of Ireland's best bands performing live each evening. However, Cork Week 2012 will have a few changes. There are many people attracted to Crosshaven during the regatta who do not get out on the water and the Cork Festival will give the event village a more interesting agenda for them and the racing crews at the end of the day. A large exhibition tent has been earmarked for the festival, which takes place on the first weekend of Cork Week. Plans include a whale workshop, an aquarium touch tank and other attractions. The festival will also host cultural and artistic flavours of the region including the work of local artists and vendors of local fayre. Many sailors who work in the marine industry have not been to Cork Week due to the strict policy of not allowing professionals to race in most classes. However, this year the rules have been totally relaxed, one upshot of this change has attracted sailors from the Volvo Ocean Race to Cork Week. The round the world race ends in Galway shortly before Cork Week and several sailors involved in the Volvo Ocean Race have already entered for Cork Week. However, there will be no change to course variety at Cork Week Regatta this year and Cork Week scoring will include Progressive ECHO so results will be provided on a dual scoring basis with results and prizes for both IRC and ECHO. "It is still a 5 course Dinner for 2012! Desert on the final day will be the Harbour Course for all and the possibility of a start line from one of the three historic forts of Cork Harbour" confirmed Cork Week Racing Chairman, Anthony O'Leary. "Cork Week has had a separate race team for each course for many years. In many cases race teams have managed same course for a number of Cork Weeks so they have the confidence that goes with plenty of practice!"

It was a great day for the British sailors on the second day for the J.P. Morgan Asset Management Finn Gold Cup in Falmouth, with Ben Ainslie winning the opening race to take the overall lead, while Ed Wright dropped to second and Andrew Mills had another good day to move up to third. Race 2 was won by Chris Cook (CAN) and the big question for the sailors today was whether to favour the left or the right. With dark clouds, moderate to strong winds and intermittent rain all day, there were some big gains to be made by choosing the correct side. Race officer Peter Reggio was delighted that the 94 sailors got away cleanly on both starts at the first attempt; perhaps an indication that they didn't want to hang around any longer than necessary in the inclement conditions. The left side was favoured on the first beat with overnight leader Ed Wright (GBR) leading round the top mark from Andrew Mills (GBR) and Anders Pedersen (NOR). Jonathan Lobert (FRA) then found more pressure on the right on the first downwind to take the lead at the gate from Ainslie and Wright. On the second upwind, Ainslie and Ivan Kljakovic Gaspic (CRO) favoured the right side and rounded the top mark in the lead. Mills moved from third into second on the final downwind with Ainslie extending for a second race win to the overall lead of the Championship. Race 4 started very quickly, with the left side again proving popular. This time Mark Andrews (GBR) led Ainslie round the top mark, but they went the wrong way on the first downwind, while Pieter-Jan Postma (NED) found more pressure in the right to round the gate ahead of Lobert and Chris Cook (CAN). The second upwind sealed the fate of many, with a big right hand shift as the clouds cleared. Cook was just under the leading bunch and lifted up to the mark to lead down the final run. Lobert went high and Postma went low, but Ainslie found a way through in third. At the finish, they were separated by no more than 20 boat lengths, with Cook taking a well-deserved win from Lobert and Ainslie. Ainslie said, “It was really tough today. It was quite windy, a lot of rain and low visibility, so it was a difficult day for everyone, and physically a real challenge. In the first race a front came through with quite a big wind shift to the right hand side, and made it a little bit difficult, but that’s part of the challenge of sailing in these conditions. “In the second race I went the wrong way, there was a big clump down the right hand side and also the wind shifted a little bit to the right. It was a difficult run but I managed to contain the loss and then catch up with the rest of the race so I overall I’m happy with my day. It was great racing out there despite difficult conditions.” After a good day, Jonas Hoegh-Christensen (DEN) moved up to fourth overall. “It was pretty shifty out there, but actually pretty good racing. In the last race we got a big shift in the end and that kind of ended the race for most but I think pretty much the both races were fair. I got a terrible start in the first race but I managed to claw my way back and finished in fourth. “The second race was pretty much the same story, but I lost a couple because of that big shift and had a sixth so it was a pretty good day, could have been a little better, but I’m pretty satisfied.” Race four winner, Chris Cook said, “On the first beat I thought that the right side was going to have something in it, I think it’s the typical thing that’s been happening in all the races is a little bit of left and a little bit of right, it’s just how you play your side. “I got to the top in decent shape, and I got to the right side of the run as fast as I could and the pressure filled in from there and it sort of set up the opportunity to round with the top guys. “On the second beat again, I was worried about the right side and I was forced to the left gate, I was up quite a bit on the right so I just had to wait. I got in front just in time for that big right shift and then it was a nice easy reach on the way in.” After two days of racing in Falmouth, British sailors fill the top three places, while behind them the form is beginning to establish itself. Several top sailors had better results today so there could be a significant change after Tuesday's two races, again scheduled for 11.00. The forecast is for some sunshine, and strong winds. At least some in the already tired fleet will be thankful for the sunshine. Top 10 after four races 1 GBR 3 Ben Ainslie 8 2 GBR 11 Edward Wright 15 3 GBR 85 Andrew Mills 25 4 DEN 2 Jonas High-Christensen 33 5 FRA 112 Jonathan Lobert 35 6 CAN 41 Christopher Cook 37 7 POL 17 Piotr Kula 42 8 FIN 218 Tapio Nirkko 45 9 NED 842 Pieter-Jan Postma 51 10 AUS 1 Brendan Casey 54

Suffolk sailing barge at Queen's Jubilee Thames pageant

School children from Suffolk are set to crew a sailing barge which will be representing the county at the Queen's Jubilee pageant on the Thames. A flotilla of boats will sail down the river on Sunday 3 June. The SB Victor from Ipswich will take part in the spectacle with a crew made up of a dozen pupils from the Royal Hospital School, Holbrook. Steve Godwin, the boat's manager, said: "We'll be carrying the flag of Suffolk with pride." The SB Victor, which is 82ft (25m) long and has four sails, was built in Ipswich docks in 1895 for the linseed trade along the east coast ports. It also worked out of Chatham, in Kent, moving munitions in World War II. It returned to Suffolk in 2005 for refit and now operates as a charter vessel. 'Treacherous' route Victor will leave Ipswich for the pageant on Wednesday 30 May. Mr Godwin said: "The chaps who do it routinely will make it look easy, but the east coast is a pretty treacherous place if you don't know what you're doing. The bow of HMS Fame is in the grounds of the Royal Hospital School "The skipper is not backwards in coming forwards and will make his views known, but as long as everybody understands the rules of the game then we'll have a great time." Victor will be moored near HMS Belfast on the Thames as part of a static avenue of boats which the Queen will sail along. "We'll probably be doing a salute in our naval uniform and lots of smiling, waving and cheering," said Alex Slatter, a Royal Hospital School pupil. Rebecca Taylor, another pupil, said: "I've spent up to three weeks before on a boat, so I think I can do this, but, depending on the weather, it could get very tough at times. "It's going to be amazing just to see the Queen." 'Fantastic showcase' Alex Alderton, another member of the school's sailing squad, said: "I should imagine the day itself will be a mass of red and white sails and more boats than you can see. "It's a fantastic showcase of the country and how great we are." The Royal Hospital School was founded in Greenwich in 1712 as a charity school for the offspring of those injured in naval warfare and is currently celebrating its 300th anniversary. It moved to Holbrook in 1933 and the Queen's father, George VI, laid the foundation stone at the new site in 1928. Rob Mann, the school's tercentenary co-ordinator, said: "With the Queen's Diamond Jubilee coinciding with our tercentenary, it was just an excellent opportunity to celebrate together. "It's a fantastic opportunity to work together as a team out on the open water learning techniques from old sea dogs."

Hannah Mills on a mission to become a golden girl of Olympics

SHE has quickly become the silver lining of the British sailing team. Now Welsh ace Hannah Mills is looking to become its Olympic golden girl this summer. Mills and partner Saskia Clark have forged a formidable partnership after only linking up 15 months ago, winning silvers at the Olympic Test event and the World Championships in Perth. Mills and Clark will be aiming to go one better at this year’s World Championships in Barcelona which starts on Sunday. But the Dinas Powys ace already admits Olympic gold is the medal she craves. “We have had quite a few second places,” said Mills. “It is important to keep getting consistent results and keep pressure on other teams. “We want to keep proving we are the team to beat. “While we seem to keep coming second, different teams keep winning. “That is encouraging for us because we are not struggling to beat one particular team. We have the ability to beat anyone.” Great Britain were the leading sailing nation in the last three Games and Mills admitted there was pressure to emulate the achievement. “There will be expectations of us and that is good,” she added. “I would never want to go to an Olympics and just have an outside chance of a medal because you go to a Games to win. “There are high hopes of the team and we can deliver in a number of events. “Saskia was one of only four people who did not win a medal which she explained was so hard. We don’t want to have that feeling.” Ben Ainslie remains the sailing standout performer after winning three Olympic golds and challenging for a record fourth this summer with Mills admitting he is an inspiration. “Ben is a great person to have in the team and it is a real honour to be in the same Olympic squad as him,” she added. “When I was younger he was an idol of mine so to be in the same team as him is amazing. “He has this aura and is a huge figure within the sport. “There is a lot of pressure on him from outside but he copes with it. “He has not changed and hopefully he will nail it this summer.” Mills is also backing Ainslie to recover from the controversy he suffered last December at the World Championships in Australia after he was disqualified for an altercation with a media boat. “Sailing is getting bigger in the media and people are trying to get the sport more exposure which is great,” she added. “But there are going to be occasions where you are impeded by press boats. “We had a bit of that in Miami last year where we almost crashed into them. I am not sure what the answer is. “All you can do is concentrate on your race because it is not something you can control.” Hannah’s profile has risen since she became the first Welsh sporting star to be selected for the Games last summer. Mills told the Western Mail last year about her reaction to American rapper Snoop Dogg’s backing for golden glory, while the 24-year-old has already been labelled one of the new blondes in a boat by the Sun. “We have done a few cool things and had a few interesting interviews,” she smiled. “We have seen the headline ‘Two blondes in a boat’ and that is fine. “It is a bit of fun and we like the media side of things. “We love what we do and it is great to get to speak to people about that. “Things have not changed massively since we have been selected. But it will go mental and we are preparing ourselves for that. “I can’t imagine what it is going to be like because it is the Olympic Games and it is going to be insane.” The racing experiences will be confined to the Weymouth and Portland Harbour in Dorset where she lives and trains. So the British sailors will benefit from home advantage with Mills admitting it will be more Weymouth 2012 than London 2012. “Our schedule allows us to go to the opening and closing ceremony,” she added. “Other than that we are not going to go to London because our event lasts nine days.”

Britain completes sailing team for London Olympics by filling last 3 available spots

The British Olympic Association has confirmed the Royal Yachting Association’s nomination of 2008 veterans Stevie Morrison and Ben Rhodes in the 49er class. Alison Young will make her Olympic debut in the Laser Radial event. RYA Olympic manager and sailing team leader Stephen Park says “we’ve got people who’ve got potential to medal in every single event. We’ve never had that before.” The BOA also rounded out its Paralympic team with the addition of Helena Lucas.

Kiteboarding to replace windsurfing at 2016 Rio Olympics

Kiteboarding will make its Olympic debut at the 2016 Games in Rio after the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) dropped windsurfing. The decision has been met with surprise and frustration within windsurfing and an online petition has been set up to keep it as an Olympic discipline. British sailing's John Derbyshire said: "We're disappointed for windsurfing. "[But we are] looking forward to working with kiteboarders to develop the talent pathway for this new event." The decision was made by the ISAF at a meeting in Italy on Saturday and Derbyshire added: "While an exciting prospect for a new discipline, the decision to replace windsurfing will of course be a huge blow to the windsurfing community. Kiteboarding v windsurfing •Kiteboarding - a wind powered surface watersport using a kite and a board to move across the water. •Windsurfing - a wind powered surface watersport using a sail attached to a board to move across the water "We're disappointed for all those who are working at the coal face of the Royal Yachting Association's windsurfing programmes to deliver activity and British success on the world stage who will be affected most by this decision." However, he added: "Kiteboarding made a solid case for its Olympic inclusion at the March trials and, although a surprise that ISAF has voted it into the Olympic programme at this stage, it appears they wished to seize the opportunity, rather than wait until 2020." Britain's Bryony Shaw, who won bronze in Beijing at the 2008 Olympics, said on Twitter: "Windsurfing is me... I am windsurfing!" before adding: "My focus on London now seems heightened!! New discipline for Rio... New challenge...!" Compatriot Nick Dempsey, who was fourth in the men's event four years ago, commented on Twitter: "Wow, unexpected. That was a big decision and a very sad day for windsurfing. My heart goes out to all the aspiring champions and kids with dreams of windsurfing at the Olympics." Meanwhile, following sailing equipment trials held in Santander, Spain in March, the 49er FX was chosen for the new two-person women's skiff discipline while the Nacra 17 will be used in the two-person mixed multihull event.

How sailing helped autistic boy

Last year, Bonnie Monroe searched tirelessly for a summer camp that would enroll her autistic son, Mark. She found Clearwater Community Sailing Center and Rich White, an instructor who taught Mark to sail. "Rich told me to bring Mark out," recalled Monroe. "After Mark went out with Rich in a Hobie, he said, 'I'm ready to sail, Mom, let's go.' Rich didn't know about working with children who had autism, but he was willing to learn." The encounter changed Mark's life forever and became the catalyst for Camp Awesome, a new summer camp at the Sailing Center that will be aimed at helping children with disabilities. This evening, the center at 1001 Gulf Blvd. on Sand Key will hold a silent auction and cocktail party to raise money for the camp. "We will start out this program in a small but phenomenal way and work up to the best way of moving forward," said Sue Steward, the Sailing Center's director. "I'm overwhelmed by the amazing local support and donations we've received." Mark Monroe, 12, has high functioning autism. By the end of last summer, not only had he learned to sail and paddleboard by himself, he had joined the Sailing Center's regular summer camp activities. "After meeting him and evaluating him to make sure I could teach him, I started with one-on-one instruction three half-days a week," said White, the sailing instructor. "Within two weeks we went to full days. Mark is amazing. Not only does he sail alone, but he has become much more social." Monroe was so pleased, she told White she wanted to stay connected with the Sailing Center and become a member. "That's when the idea about a program that reached out to the community began," said Monroe. She wants to help make the sailing program for children with special needs a success. She's working for it to become financially self-sustainable and able to offer help for families that might not otherwise be able to afford it.

Young carers get on board sailing barge

A PROJECT designed to give young carers a bit of their childhood back, has allowed eight youngsters to embark on a trip onboard an historic Thames sailing barge. The Rotary-sponsored trip left from Faversham's Harty Ferry on Friday as part of a two-day voyage to Gravesend, stopping off in Southend. The young carers, aged 12-16 from Faversham, Sittingbourne and Sheppey, were able to take the wheel of The Cambria, which was re-launched after undergoing a £1.5million makeover last year. Rotary Club District Governor Lynn Mitchell said: "We had an idea to do a project for young children and we felt there were a lot of forgotten young carers out there. "It means that they can just switch off, they can just forget and get their childhood back. Last year one of the trips was forced to leave at night and everyone came back and said it was just magical. "Now we are looking to have static weekends in the creek for the little ones who might not have the strength to steer it." But it's not all been plain sailing. Rotarians from 56 clubs across Kent, South East London and East Sussex, raised £20,000 to sponsor 10 trips this year. Some of the total came from Rotary clubs across Whitstable, Herne Bay, Canterbury and Faversham. Chairman of the Cambria Trust Bruce Richardson said he hoped the excursions would become part of the "bread and butter" of the barge's activities for the next three years, and explained that the Rotary's symbol would now decorate its sail. He said: "We want to help communities. We piloted the trip last year and the young carers had a ball. "For us it's so satisfying to see how much they're enjoying it. It's a brilliant project that really chimes with needs of our time as we rely on the work done by these people." The youngest sailor onboard was 12-year-old Jack Pike from Sheppey. He cares for his mother, who is limited by a back injury, and his brother who suffers from ADHD and autism. As the ship set sail he said: "I'm absolutely excited about this. I have sailed dinghies and boats but nothing like this before! "At home I spend a lot of time cleaning to help my mum and have to look after my brother because he can be a bit of a handful!" The trip was supervised by David Lloyd from Rotary and David Scoones from FACES, an organisation supporting carers in East Kent and Canterbury. He said: "These kids have to grow up quickly and for the older ones who have left school it can be a full time job, so it's nice to give them this opportunity."

Blind Sailor to sail the Irish Sea

This summer sees blind adventure-athlete Mark Pollock and local sailor Tiffany Brien aim to sail across the Irish Sea to raise money for the Mark Pollock Trust and Belfast Lough Sailability. Sailing across the Irish Sea would be a big enough challenge for any regular sailor, but for 36-year-old Mark, who has been blind since the age of 22 and paralysed in a freak accident in 2010, this challenge is quite significant. Luckily enough, Mark is not shy of a challenge. He has survived sub-zero Antarctic temperatures to become the first blind person to reach the South Pole, suffered scorching heat running six marathons in the Gobi Desert in one week, and has even competed at high-altitude in the Everest Marathon. Mark has competed against many able-bodied athletes, including Olympic gold medalists, Special Forces personnell and professional explorers, such as Sir Ranulph Fiennes, all in a world of total darkness. After a threatening fall two years ago, Mark is fighting against his spinal cord injury, with the aim to defy the odds to walk again. The Mark Pollock Fund hopes to raise enough funds to assist with the capital and on-going costs associated with his spinal injury, including new wheelchairs, a team of care specialists and physiotherapy equipment. Mark says: “This will be my first big physical challenge since I was paralysed so I am really looking forward to giving it my best shot. I used to sail before my accident so I can’t wait to get back out on the water.” The challenge is scheduled to take place at the beginning of June, where Mark and Tiffany will be sailing in a specially designed SKUD Yacht that Tiffany purchased for the Belfast Lough Sailability following her individual challenge in 2007. She said: “Mark is a real inspiration so I am honoured to have the chance to participate in this challenge alongside him. His determination is infectious and I have no doubt we will achieve our goal of crossing the Irish Sea to raise valuable funds for the Mark Pollock Trust and Belfast Lough Sailability.” Belfast Lough Sailability helps those people with disabilities to learn new skills, while being able to enjoy the art of sailing, with the potential to reach their goal of taking part in the Paralympic Games. To support the Mark Pollock Irish Sea Challenge you can donate online at www.irishseachallenge.co.uk.

Sailability

'Untrained' sailors who bought £3,000 yacht on eBay hit the rocks on their 'first' voyage

Two 'untrained' sailors who bought their yacht on eBay smashed their boat onto rocks after getting lost just 400 yards into what was believed to be one of their first voyages. The hapless pair went out in their £3,000 24ft vessel but were soon left teetering on a reef near the entrance to St Peter Port harbour in Guernsey. These unnamed sailors had 'little or no knowledge' of the area or sailing and were attempting to move the yacht from one marina to another - only 700 metres away - when they ran it aground in the dark. Unaware of the rocks until their pale blue boat Ardel crashed into them, they were forced into a Mayday emergency call to the coastguard and a lifeboat was sent to rescue them.

Weymouth 2012 Sailing

Thrills,Spills and Close Racing to Open America's Cup World Series in Naples

Naples opened in spectacular fashion on Wednesday as strong winds and big waves created menacing racing conditions. The AC45 catamarans, powered by their powerful wing sails, were leaping out of the water, launched into the air by the heavy sea state. It's cool, the sailing is pretty awesome, you can't complain when you're sailing in conditions like that," said Emirates Team New Zealand skipper Dean Barker, who sits at the top of the leaderboard after two fleet races. "But it's very challenging for the boats and very taxing for the crew. The goal was to get back to the dock in one piece, which we did - it's nice to be back in good shape." Barker and his team clawed back from deep in the fleet in race one to finish in third place. In the second race, they were able to secure a win, putting them on equal points with ORACLE Racing Spithill who also have a 1-3 on their scorecard. Barker's team gets the nod on the tiebreak by winning the last race. Close behind are two teams who put in an outstanding performance on a challenging day. Team Korea, with young skipper Nathan Outteridge sailing his very first AC World Series regatta posted a 4-2 to sit equal on points with Energy Team, who mirrored their score. "We couldn't expect much more than that," Outteridge said. "The big guns are ahead of us. But we're overachieving compared with expectations, so we're very, very happy." Not surprisingly in the difficult conditions, there were teams who finished the day less content. Terry Hutchinson was leading his Artemis Racing team to a solid second place in the first race when both bows buried in impressive fashion as he rounded the top mark. The front of the boat kept going down, the wind pushing the wing over, until they capsized. "It was a balance between racing the boat hard and not putting ourselves in a position of risk," Hutchinson explained. "I don't really feel like we put ourselves at risk but still we ended up on our side. It's just very frustrating… Luckily no one's injured, but the wing is absolutely broken… It's a real bummer, the boat was so well prepared and sorted for the regatta, and we've been going well in training, so all in all a pretty big disappointment." China Team too suffered minor damage to its wing and didn't finish the first race, or start the second. ORACLE Racing Bundock suffered some damage to one of its hulls after flying off a wave and landing hard in race one, which ended their day. But skipper Darren Bundock said he was confident his shore team would have them ready to race for Thursday. Both Luna Rossa crews, making their AC World Series debut turned in solid, if not spectacular performances to sit mid-fleet after the first day. The program for Thursday starts with Match Racing, the pairings determined by today's results, followed by two Fleet Races and the Fleet Racing Championship continues. The first Match Race start is 1330 local time (CEST). Provisional Standings after Day One: 1. Emirates Team New Zealand (Skipper: Dean Barker) 2. ORACLE Racing - Spithill (Skipper: James Spithill) 3. Team Korea (Skipper: Nathan Outteridge) 4. Energy Team (Skipper: Yann Guichard) 5. Luna Rossa - Swordfish (Helmsman: Paul Campbell-James) 6. Luna Rossa - Piranha (Helmsman: Chris Draper) 7. ORACLE Racing - Bundock (Skipper: Darren Bundock) 8. Artemis Racing (Skipper: Terry Hutchinson) 9. China Team (Skipper: Fred Le Peutrec)

Berry Creek couple talk about seafaring life

To some, living at sea and sailing the world might seem exotic. To Robert Lipkin and his wife Jody it can be humdrum, but they're living a dream. For him, it's one more chapter in a life filled with adventure. "When you're out in a storm in the middle of the ocean, a lot of people would think it's an ordeal," said Lipkin, who returned home to Berry Creek from a sailing trip Monday. "For me, that's when the juices start flowing — when you're alive." Bob Lipkin, 68, is widely known as longtime sailor and author Bob Bitchin, whose 68-foot ketch, Lost Soul, will be open for guided tours Saturday and Sunday at the Strictly Sail Pacific Boat Show at Jack London Square in Oakland. When they aren't sailing, the Lipkins live on 40 acres atop a ridge near Berry Creek that boasts a splendid view of Lake Oroville. On Tuesday, the two talked about life at sea, and his exploits before that. "For 20 years, I rode on motorcycles and wrote about the outlaw life," he said. "I sold my bike in '86, and haven't looked back." It was Tommy Chong* of Cheech and Chong fame, who nicknamed Lipkin "Bob Bitchin" when the two worked out together at a gym in Santa Monica in the 1960s. The name stuck for good when Cheech referred to it in the movie, "Up in Smoke." Using the name professionally and as his biking moniker in the '70s, Lipkin wrote and published two magazines, "Biker Magazine" and "Tattoo." He later sold those to the publisher of Easy Rider. Change began in 1979, when he went to Tahiti with a friend. The friend ended up staying. Lipkin flew home to work on the magazines. The friend wanted Lipkin to join him and some others who wanted to set out sailing, but at the time he couldn't. "I owned a head shop," Lipkin said. "I was working evenings at the store and days on the magazine." One day, he was having lunch at the harbor where he lived and saw a "for sale" sign on a 51-foot boat. He bought the boat, and hasn't been the same since. "I loved it," he said, his blue eyes twinkling. "It probably saved my life. Back in the '70s I did drugs. You can't do drugs and sail." "I was there when the motorcycle lifestyle was starting ... but it got to the point when (I thought), 'Nah'," he said. "I didn't like it when it changed. But I love adventure." Jody, 53, met Bob in the late '80s when she was bartending at the Portofino Yacht Club. "I said, 'Wow, I wouldn't want to run into him in a back alley'," she said. "He was rough looking." They've been together for 20 years, married 15. In 1993, the couple set sail for Samoa, the South Pacific, the North Pacific and the Caribbean. He said they sailed 75,000 miles in 10 years, "the equivalent of sailing three times around the world." Lipkin said that when you're out at sea, only 18 to 20 days are spent sailing. After that, they'd anchor and sail through various islands. Since he has always been a writer, Lipkin began another magazine while sailing, called "Latitudes & Attitudes." He recently sold it, but still has an interest in it and writes. They also produce a television show of the same name, but they're looking for a network to run it. He has also published seven books. Through the magazine, the Lipkins started an endeavor called Share the Sail, where readers can sail with to such places as Greece, Thailand, Tahiti, New Zealand, the Virgin Islands and the Pacific Northwest. Lipkin found their property near Berry Creek 10 years ago through a friend, bought it, and built their house six years ago. "We love it in the mountains," Jody Lipkin said. "For sailors, they need open spaces. Sailors love the mountains." The seafaring lifestyle isn't idyllic, the two said. "The picture of it is probably better than the reality," Bob Lipkin said. "It's not the escape people think it is. It's 90 percent boredom, and 10 percent sheer terror." "It's a quiet, calm, free way of living," Jody Lipkin added. Most of the time at sea, their thoughts are on who will keep watch, their schedule, maintaining the boat, whether they've checked in with officials at their next stop, and "what's for lunch." They have met some rough seas, including a 10-day storm. The boat was once hit by a water spout in the Atlantic Ocean. Another time it was knocked down by an 80-foot wave in Hawaii. "When it happens, it may be scary, but that's what you remember," Bob Lipkin noted. "That's the adventure. The adventure begins when something goes wrong." Bob Lipkin has an adult son (his daughter died), six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. When he's home, he spends five or six hours every day working. He doesn't plan to retire, but he does plan to take a motorcycle trip with friends at his 70th birthday. He admitted he's "immersed in sailing." Still, the two enjoy their time at home and on land. "When you're out there and a storm comes in, you prepare for it," he said. "When a storm comes here, we put a log on the fire." "It's nice to have both," she concluded. "I'm thankful to have land and a beautiful piece of the ocean. I love both."

As Gold Medalist Found Out, More Coverage Is Mixed Blessing for Sailing

Ben Ainslie of Britain is on the cusp of becoming among the most decorated Olympic sailors ever. A victory in his Finn dinghy on his home waters of Weymouth at this summer’s Olympics would give him four consecutive gold medals, tying the sailing record of Paul Elvstrom of Denmark. So successful was Ainslie that there was speculation he could lead the British delegation at the opening ceremony in London. One thing could have stopped Ainslie, the clear favorite: his temper. At the Finn world championships in December in Perth, Australia, Ainslie was disqualified from two races after an altercation with a media motorboat driver and a cameraman. The penalty cost him a sixth world title. He was cited under the sport’s Rule 69, a sportsmanship violation akin to receiving a red card in soccer. The penalty led to reviews and investigations by governing bodies in Australia and Britain and by the International Sailing Federation. Britain’s Royal Yachting Association and sailing federation had the power to suspend his eligibility for the Olympics. All eventually cleared the way for Ainslie, 35, to continue his Olympic quest, with the International Sailing Federation announcing its decision last month. But the incident in Australia brought into focus the sport’s relationship with television coverage, which it desperately needs but which sailors have struggled to adapt to. From the current Volvo Ocean race to the America’s Cup and Olympics, sailors’ every move and sound are now being recorded. NBC recently acquired the rights for next year’s America’s Cup, which will be the first one broadcast on network television since 1992. “Sailors are not used to playing their game under the spotlight,” said Gary Jobson, the president of U.S. Sailing and an ESPN and NBC commentator. “Sailors have a long history of salt-and-pepper language. If sailors as a whole want media coverage, they have to be accepting.” Ainslie, having just started his own America’s Cup team, said that the use of helicopters and motorboats to capture the racing was important for the future of the sport, but that “there just has to be clear boundaries and a mutual agreement between the sailors and the media.” According to several international judges, verbal and even physical altercations between sailors in races are not unusual. But the fight between Ainslie and the camera boat at the 2011 world championships was. In the ninth race of the 11-race series, Ainslie was straining as he rocked his boat and pumped the sail rapidly while trying to overtake Pieter-Jan Postma in first place. On the final leg, a camera boat, broadcasting the racing live, weaved in front of him to get a close-up of Postma, and possibly slowed Ainslie’s boat with its wake. Inspection of images of the incident and reports by witnesses revealed that after finishing second in the race, Ainslie raced to the camera boat, jumped aboard, grabbed the driver and shouted at him. He then moved to the cameraman, lifted him, and yelled at him before pushing past and diving into the water to retrieve his boat. In sailing, misconduct is dealt with by the broadly written Rule 69 under the international Racing Rules of Sailing, which deals with competitors accused of “gross breach of a rule, good manners or sportsmanship,” or who “may have brought the sport into disrepute.” Standard rules infractions between boats are handled through written protests by competitors, and are heard by a committee or jury off the water. Rule 69 violations result in penalties given to individuals, not boats, in a regatta. Juries are not required to act on a Rule 69 report, but can initiate a hearing themselves. On shore, Ainslie and the camera crew apologized to each other. According to the event manager in Perth, John Longley, the media boat violated race guidelines for support boats. But the international jury at the championship held a hearing and decided that Ainslie committed “gross misconduct.” The jury disqualified him from Race 9 and the subsequent Race 10, in effect ending his run at the title.

The GPS built JUST for sailing with Bluetooth Wind Monitoring

One of the problems of using GPS chartplotters on a sailboat is that it is extremely difficult to calculate accurate arrival times given the amount of tacking often involved. Now there's a purpose-built Sailing GPS that not only accounts for the tacking that sailboats do, but can can tell you the optimal tacking angles and your Tacking Time to Destination (TTD). Standard GPS chartplotters do not account for the fact that sailboats tack back and forth, so it makes sense that if they don't know your tacking distances, how can they calculate your Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) correctly? The Sailing GPS solves this problem. It displays exactly how far each tack is, how long it will take to sail each tack, and the optimal tacks to arrive earliest. Pretty amazing. You can also use Google Maps to easily mark waypoints, connecting via Bluetooth with the Sailing GPS, which is much easier than manually entering long strings of numbers for the latitude/longitude of multiple waypoints. The Sailing GPS can even learn the unique "polar plots" for your individual vessel. This is not just a generic polar plot for all sailboats of a certain type, or estimates from a simulation - the Sailing GPS learns your unique vessel's actual performance on all different points of sail. It can then calculate your optimal tacking routes and Tacking Time to Destination (TTD). Later, you can transfer the polar plot data via Bluetooth to a PC, if you want to see your boat's unique speed profile across wind angles and wind speeds. SailTimer Inc., the manufacturer of The Sailing GPS, received final patent approval in March of this year for its pioneering R&D. "This technology is a big step forward for sailors" said Dr. Craig Summers, the President of SailTimer Inc.: "People assume that since GPS satellites can pinpoint our location on the Earth, everything shown on a GPS chartplotter must be very accurate", said Dr. Craig Summers, the President of SailTimer, "but if you head upwind on a tack, standard GPS units view your tack as cross-track 'error'." "They also don’t account for tacking distances in your ETA, and even if your speed remains constant VMG decreases all by itself the longer you stay on the tack. In the digital age, sailors need a GPS that displays simple, safe, correct information." The new patent, titled 'Navigational Planning and Display Method for the Sailor's Dilemma When Heading Upwind', was granted by the US Patent and Trademark Office this year, and originally filed in 2006. The navigation functions in The Sailing GPS include support for the new wireless, solar-powered SailTimer Wind Vane which will be available this (Northern Hemisphere) summer, offering the ability to continuously update your optimal tacks with real-time wind data via Bluetooth. The Sailing GPS comes with a free waterproof DryPak soft bag with tie-downs. Unlike smartphones and tablets, the Sailing GPS is just as easy to see in direct sunlight, and with polarized sunglasses on. The screen of the Sailing GPS is protected by Lexan, which is very strong and won't break if it's dropped, and ... it floats. The polycarbonate Sailing GPS case is scratch- and UV-resistant, small enough for a coat pocket, and durable enough to remain unharmed with a bit of rough treatment, which is much easier than trying to protect and view an iPad in the cockpit (and the ETA won't go blank every time you tack). The Sailing GPS displays your tacking angles in a diagram and in degrees for each heading, but is not intended to replace a chartplotter. Nevertheless, even fully-equipped cruising yachts will not have the features provided by The Sailing GPS, including the quick and easy display of your optimal tacks and Tacking Time to Destination (TTD). The Sailing GPS costs US$399 and can be purchased online.

Sailing adventures to Greece and the Galapagos

Call it a ‘sail sale’: G Adventures (formerly GAP Adventures) is offering up to 50 per cent off Greek Island sailing adventures, as well as discounts for sailing trips through the Gulf of Thailand, the Galapagos Islands and the Maldives, plus kayaking excursions in destinations as diverse as Crete, Yellowstone and Brazil. It’s all part of the company’s ‘Bazaar’ sale, an ongoing promotion with new deals every two weeks. In the Greek Islands, itineraries range from eight to 15 days on small but comfy yachts - it’s just you, the skipper and seven other ship-mates - from Athens to Mykonos, (April 29 departure), Santorini to Mykonos (May 13), Santorini to Kos (May 6) and more (promo code G12GRKSAIL50). In the Gulf of Thailand, four and seven day itineraries are sale-priced at 20 per cent off (promo code BZ-THAISAIL20). Both the Galapagos and the kayaking trips are on sale to the tune of 15 per cent (BZ-GPS15 for the Galapagos and BZ-KYK15 for kayaking). And the Maldives discount comes in at 10 per cent, for seven-day cruises (BZ-AFMS10). The booking deadline for the Greek Islands sale is April 28, and for the rest, it’s April 9. See www.gadventures.com.

Intrepid sailors prepare for £50,000 fundraising challenge, sponsored by Ramada Plaza Southport

A pair of sailors whose plans for an extreme nautical challenge were scuppered last year due to bad weather are preparing to try again, with backing from the Ramada Plaza Southport. The hotel is sponsoring former Southport man David Summerville and fellow sailor Steve Cockerill as they attempt to cross the Irish Sea in two single handed Laser class dinghies – which are only 4m in length each. The duo had planned to make the crossing last September, but 50 knot gale force winds and a 12 foot tidal swell sadly forced them to cancel their plans. Now, they will be attempting the challenge from mid-April, waiting for a window of good weather before they begin the voyage. Ramada Plaza General Manager Enda Rylands said: “David and Steve will be covering 115 nautical miles during the challenge. They will set off from my own home town of Dublin and finish in Southport, aiming to raise £50,000 for mental health charity Mind and the John Merricks Sailing Trust. “It was a real shame that they had to postpone the challenge last year, but they have had several months to ensure they are at the peak of physical fitness for the challenge, which is a really epic endeavour. “David actually learned to sail on the Marine Lake which the hotel overlooks - so it is very fitting that the Ramada Plaza should sponsor him in this challenge.” David, who grew up in Rawlinson Road and attended Christ the King Catholic High School in Stamford Road, is a championship sailor, winning regional and national titles in the UK and the Middle East. The 53-year-old grandfather of two explained that he was keen to raise money for Mind having been diagnosed with bipolar disorder 16 years ago. “Mind has really helped me control my condition,” he said. “A fellow sailor friend from Dublin has also lost two friends to mental illness, so together we formulated the idea to sail from Ireland to England in aid of Mind. “I have also been a supporter of the John Merricks Sailing Trust for a long time. It helps many young sailors and youth sailing organisations to achieve their goals and fulfil their dreams.” David, who now runs a boat repair business in Hertfordshire, said the date of the challenge would again depend on the weather and tidal conditions. “We will be fully prepared and ready to go from mid-April through to mid-September, which will give us a possible 65 days for the crossing over this five month period.” Enda added: “We wish David and Steve all the very best in their challenge and hope that the weather proves to be kind to them. We’d also urge as many people as possible to donate to the cause and raise thousands for Mind and the John Merricks Sailing Trust.”

Yacht Club Spotlight Erith Yacht Club

Sailing clubs awarded

SOMERSET Youth & Community Sailing Association (SYCSA) and Durleigh Sailing Club have gained full status as a clubs that delivers safe, efficient racing and race training. The clubs were awarded the Volvo Champion Club award at the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) Dinghy Show at Alexandra Palace. The award was presented by Saskia Clarke and Hannah Mills from the women's Team GB Olympic 470 sailing team. SYCSA chairman Peter Branson said it had taken three years to achieve the award. He said: “We are so proud of all of our young sailors and volunteers who have helped us achieve full VCC status. “It has taken a while to get there, but now we are there we can savour the moment. We are sure that the publicity will attract more youngsters into sailing.”

Sailors To Attend World Record Regatta In Italy

The 30th Lake Garda Optimist Meeting in Italy runs from 5th – 8th April, and with the largest number of single-class boats in the world taking part, the event will be officially classified as a “Guinness World Record”. Over 1,100 Optimist sailors are already entered to race and e26 nations will be represented including Bermuda. Sailors are entered in the Juniors Fleet for kids aged 12-15 and the Cadetti for under 12 age group. 15 of the sailors have competed in Bermuda recently at the Ren Re Junior Gold Cup and the Bermuda National Championships. While the Bermuda Team of 5 older and more experienced Optimist sailors compete at the IODA South American Optimist Championships in Argentina, The Bermuda Optimist Dinghy Association has encouraged the up and comming Development Squad sailors to attend the Lake Garda Regatta. Youngsters Campbell Patton (11) and Matilda Nicholls (10) are both Junior Squad Sailors from from the Royal Bermuda YC Sailing Academy and Junior Members of Sandys Boat Club. They will be travelling to Lake Garda in Italy to compete in this Guiness World Record Regatta over the Easter weekend. Campbell and Matilda have both won their classes at International Regattas in the past 12 months and have been training hard in the build-up to Lake Garda. Patton won his age group at the Canadian National Championships in August 2011, while Nicholls won the Regatta Racing Fleet at the UK National Championships in July 2012. Their Coach in Bermuda, the Director of Sailing at RBYC, Tom Herbert-Evans said “This is an huge undertaking by these youngsters, they will have an experience of a life-time to be sailing in a fleet rapidly approaching 1,000 boats. Here in Bermuda we think a Fleet of 20 boats is a good turnout, the Under 12 Fleet is ten times that amount…. just image the spectacle of racing against 1,000 boats!” Former Olympian and now Olympic Coach Zizi Staniul will assist the Bermuda sailors on the water in Italy, they will be joining his elite squad of Internatrional sailors from Germany, Poland and Switzerland. After 4 days of practice on Lake Garda just prior to the event, they will compete for 4 solid days against some of the world’s best Optimist sailors. Coach Zizi said “It is important that Bermuda’s talented sailors travel to larger overseas regattas to gain the all important big fleet experience. Development is all about focused practice and gaining experience, many of the World’s top Olympians regard Lake Garda as one of the best sailing venues in the World and the Fleets do not get any bigger than the Lake Garda world record breaking Optimist Regatta! Not only will it be good experience, it will also be very good practice for the 2013 Optimist World Championships at the same venue.”

Job Vacancy At ISAF - Connect to Sailing Administrator

The International Sailing Federation (ISAF) is pleased to announce that the Training and Development Department is expanding and searching for a new staff member to work at the ISAF UK office in Southampton. This exciting opportunity to join the World Governing Body for the sport of Sailing has come about through the success of the ISAF Connect to Sailing Initiative and the successful applicant will be required to assist the Training and Development Manager with all areas of administrating the various innovative projects that are helping to grow participation in sailing within the 137 countries that make up the membership of the federation. For information on all Connect to Sailing related activity please visit the dedicated ISAF website pages here. Applicants are asked to provide a covering letter stating the reasons that they would be suitable for the job and what makes them suitable a role within International Sport. A Curriculum Vitae (CV) showing a full employment and formal education history as well as sports related qualifications that can add value to the role as outlined in the description provided on the ISAF website here should be attached to the covering letter. Deadlines for application are 31 April with candidates successfully chosen to come for a formal interview being informed at the beginning of May. If you think you have what it takes or know of someone that may fit the profile then please pass on this information and ask them to contact ISAF via the address provided on the Job Description.

Disabled sports group sails towards fund-raising target

A £500,000 boathouse for disabled sailors is nearing completion. Rudyard Lake-based Sailability needs to raise £90,000 to finish work on the long-awaited store. It will be a dream come true for the charity, which fought a long-running fight for planning permission for the boathouse. The building work has been done by volunteers, who overcame disabilities to help out. They formed a human chain to tile the roof with 14,000 Welsh slates. The scaffolding will come down after the finishing touches have been put to the exterior and a footpath will then be re-instated. Work started in October and the charity hopes it will open by May. Secretary Jackie Griffiths said: "It has been a triumph over adversity. "When we started, we needed just shy of £500,000, and now we are looking for the last £90,000. "We are so tantalisingly close. It is fantastic. We are so indebted to so many organisations and our hard working volunteers. "It has been very moving. In spite of some volunteers being disabled, they have braved the weather to keep the show moving. It has been amazing. "We are now looking forward to the day when it will be finished and we can once again offer gold standard sailing." Members missed out on sailing last year and several of them also saw their hopes of taking part in this year's Paralympics dashed. It came after the charity was refused permission for a temporary base on the lake, which is managed by Rudyard Lake Ltd.