Sailing Club Spotlight Thorpe Bay Yacht Club

Hobie 18 going 20 MPH

Australian Sailing Team looks to London and beyond

Defending world champions, returning Olympic Gold medallists and stars for the future have all been named in the 2012 Australian Sailing Team, racing against the best sailors in the world in the coming year. While the focus is firmly on the year’s two major events, the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Australian Sailing Team athletes will compete at world championships, European championships and ISAF Sailing World Cup events around the world. The 2012 Australian Sailing Team features 20 athletes competing in eight Olympic and two Paralympic classes, with the European season beginning this week with sailors competing in the RS:X World and Finn European Championships. Included in the Australian Sailing Team are the six athletes who have already booked themselves a seat on the plane for the London 2012 Olympic Games. Triple Laser world champion and current world number one, Tom Slingsby, will continue his campaign towards the Games having most recently stood on the top step of the podium at the Perth 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships last December. Slingsby will be joined in the team by fellow world number ones and 2011 world champions, Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page. Belcher and Page have kicked off their year in style, winning the recent ISAF Sailing World Cup round in Miami, the first time an Australian crew has won an Olympic class at the event in its 22 year history. The 49er crew of Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen round out the current Australian world champions, with the pair picking up their second title together, and Outteridge’s third, in Western Australia just before Christmas. They will be keen to continue a great run in Weymouth, once the Games comes around, having been undefeated in the four regattas they have contested there so far. Jessica Crisp is the final sailor who is already confirmed for London 2012. The windsurfer to contest her fourth straight Olympic Games and her year begins with the 2012 RS:X World Championship in Spain this week. Yachting Australia High Performance Director, Peter Conde, said that after a very successful 2011, the Australian Sailing Team will be out to push both themselves and the competition over the coming year. “With the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games just around the corner, attention is firmly focused on Weymouth, but for the Australian Sailing Team, every regatta they contest is an important opportunity to monitor their progress,” Conde commented. “This year there is a good mix of youth and experience with Olympic gold medallists and world champions combined with up-and-coming champions and I’m looking forward to what will be a busy year on and off the water.” This year, 470 Women's team Elise Rechichi and Belinda Stowell, are both returning to the team, with Rechichi back for the first time since 2009 and Stowell since 2004. The pair, who teamed up just prior to the Perth 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships, qualified for the team following their ninth place finish on home waters. Rechichi and Stowell, gold medallists in 2008 and 2000 respectively, are busy preparing for their first European campaign together as they work towards booking themselves a place on the team for London 2012. The Australian Sailing Team will feature Women’s Match Racing crew - Olivia Price, Nina Curtis and Lucinda Whitty - continuing towards representing Australia at the one and only Women’s Match Racing appearance at the Olympic Games. Getting off to a strong start with a silver medal at the Sailing World Cup in Miami, 2012 is another busy year ahead for the trio. Krystal Weir qualified Australia in the Laser Radial class and aims to get herself to a second straight Olympic Games after competing in the three-person Yngling class in 2008. Australia has great depth in the Laser class, with three sailors in the team for 2012. While Tom Slingsby continues to hold down the world number one spot he’ll be racing with two team mates this year, with Tom Burton and Ashley Brunning also joining the Australian Sailing Team. This will be Burton’s second year in the team after debuting in 2011, with the Sydney based sailor qualifying for 2012 with his top 10 finish in Perth. He’ll be joined in the Laser class by Brunning who is making his debut in team after a great finish to 2011. Brunning finished seventh at Perth 2011, his best ever result at a Laser world championship after being in the mix all regatta. Two Paralympic crews have qualified for the 2012 Australian Sailing Team after having strong performances at January’s IFDS World Championships in Florida. Daniel Fitzgibbon and Liesl Tesch continue to develop as a crew in the Skud 18 class, winning Bronze at the IFDS Worlds, their second straight third place finish at the event. The pair then went on to win Gold a week later at the Sailing World Cup in Miami. A new addition to the team this year is the Sonar crew of Colin Harrison, Stephen Churm and Jonathan Harris, who finished fourth at the IFDS World Championships, an impressive result in their first ever regatta together. Harrison is no stranger to the team, having won Silver at the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games and will be keen to take a new crew to the podium in London.

Hunter's Yard cabin yachts sail into 80th year on Norfolk Broads

In the past few days the "lovely ladies" of Hunter's Yard, as they are affectionately known, have slipped back into the water of the Norfolk Broads - ready to embrace another season of visitors looking to adventure on the Broads in the style of a bygone era. Celebrating their 80th anniversary, the boats are the only fleet of traditional Norfolk Broads mahogany cabin yachts and day boats powered by sail alone still operating on the Broads. Cared for by the Norfolk Heritage Fleet Trust, the 20-strong fleet is lavished with attention during the winter months by a small group of dedicated craftsmen at Hunter's Yard, based on its own dyke off Womack Water near Ludham. Continue reading the main story History of Hunter's Yard Percy Hunter, with his two sons Cyril and Stanley, designed, built and launched the first two cabin yachts of the fleet in 1932. The fleet grew before the outbreak of war, with the last two boats completed in the late 1940s. The Hunter family operated the yard until 1968 when it was sold to the Norfolk County Council and renamed the Norfolk County Sailing Base. In a need to make savings, the council decided to sell the yard in 1995 and break up the fleet, but a group of people agreed to form a trust to keep the fleet intact. On 1 April 1996 the Norfolk Heritage Fleet Trust took over the yard, thanks to £100,000 of public donations and a Heritage Lottery Fund grant of £200,000. It re-established its original name, Hunter's Yard. As spring arrives, so does the delicate job of coaxing the "ladies" from the warmth of the boat shed back into the water via a wooden slip so they can be rigged and ready for Easter. 'It's magic' Jennifer Mack, granddaughter of the yard's founder Percy Hunter, has watched the annual launches since the mid-1940s. She said: "Every time I come in the spring and see the boats launching it's magic. Gleaming varnish, the wake-up of a new season and the start of another flourishing year - with luck, it's very special. "During the season I remember my father [Cyril Hunter] was always a bit worried when the boats were due back in case they were damaged. "If they were he'd often rush home and borrow my hair dryer so he could repair them, dry off the varnish, and get them back out as quickly as possible. At this time of year, all those memories come flooding back to me." Lifetime experience Little has changed in the boat shed since it was built by Percy Hunter & Sons in 1933. A heady aroma of sawdust and varnish hangs in the air as if suspended in time, the walls are densely packed with rigging, blocks and tackle - all lovingly hand-crafted and labelled with old-school brown swing tags showing the name of the boats to which they will be fitted for the new season. Looking after the fleet has "been a lifetime" for Tom Grapes, 82 Tom Grapes, 82, started working in the yard in 1947 after serving with the Royal Marines. He retired a couple of years ago but still spends many happy hours at the yard surrounded by a lifetime of memories of Percy Hunter's "lovely ladies". "I worked with them for so long over the years, it was just a way of life - the years just rolled by. No sooner are you pulling them out at the end of the season, you're getting them all refitted and back in at spring," he said. "With these boats you just fall in love with them and that's it - you try to look after them the best you can. When Percy Hunter designed them he so got it right. You can sail one up the river and they'll spin round on the spot. "I worked 21 years for Percy, he used to be in the top of the shed with his old pipe going - always surrounded by a cloud of smoke. He was a real gentleman to work for. "It's been quite an experience looking after the fleet, it's been a lifetime." 'Overwhelmed and humbled' Jennifer Mack with her father Cyril Hunter (left) and grandfather Percy Hunter at Hunter's Yard in 1947 With plans to expanded private moorings at Hunter's Yard to help generate income, the running of courses in keel boat sailing and the ongoing hire business, Jennifer Mack is confident the family fleet will be navigating the tranquil waters of the Broads for years to come. "We have this niche market that's amazingly good. They [the clients] can't have a motor and don't have electricity, so it's gets them away from the hustle and bustle of the everyday world. If we can still appeal to them it'll be the best way to go forward. "Most of the time when I come here I ask myself what would Percy, my father and uncle think about everything. "I think they'd think like I do - absolutely overwhelmed and humbled by the massive support we've received."

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New 5 Series Brands Next Generation of Catalina Sailing Yachts

Catalina’s new designs, coined the Catalina 5 Series, is the new generation of Catalinas, a deliberate move to brand the line to a higher level of performance, finish, engineering achievement and sophistication. There are currently four models in the Catalina 5 Series, the Catalina 445, 385, 355 and 315 ­– cruising yachts that are designed and built in the United States with custom features not found on many of the world’s sailboats. The move created mass appeal in the global sailing marketplace. “When the first two yachts in the 5 Series, the 445 and 355 won awards, we knew that we had designed not just two new models in the line, but a whole new line of yachts with award-winning features that represent Catalina’s next generation of fresh, contemporary yachts,” reported Gerry Douglas, vice-president and chief designer for Catalina. In the new 5 Series, there is a bold emphasis on strength; a five-part construction with a dedicated structural grid insures ruggedly-built boats that stand up to the test of time. Design features unique to Catalinas are a watertight StrikeZone™ collision bulkhead forward; DeepDefense™ rudder system for failsafe steering, and a T-Beam MastStep™ structure, with all the benefits of a deck-stepped mast and the strength of a keel-stepped mast. The SecureSocket™ mast support/chainplate system facilitates perfect load resolution and watertight integrity. Knitted fabrics create a stronger laminate without additional weight. Catalina’s trademark lead keels absorb impact for safety and require less maintenance than other materials. “When we bought our boat, we found that we got more boat for the money than any of the other manufacturers we looked at,” reported Alan Valliere of Coventry, Rhode Island, who, along with his wife, Glenda Aronhalt, bought a 5 Series boat, the Catalina 385. “The more we looked, the more we liked it. Solidly built, smartly designed and functional, but with the rich, traditional style. Every time we looked at it, we found one more little detail that we thought made sense, from the deck layout, storage areas, mechanical and electrical systems and layout, to the large roomy cockpit, big enough for me to sleep in during overnight sails. We were impressed with how solid and strong the boat feels when walking around, as well as details like the metal doorframes and solid wood interior,” he said. On deck, low profile cabin designs have a sleek appearance and low windage, and a durable diamond non-skid pattern adds the element of safety. Ergonomically correct cockpits are optimized for efficiency, with great visibility from the helm. Internal flange hull-to-deck joints are capped with slotted toe rails, and wide deck designs allow effortless movement forward. Oversized travelers and winches ease sail handling in all conditions. All Catalinas larger than 30 feet are built to robust standards—rated CE category A Ocean, NMMA Yacht Certified, and follow all applicable American Boat and Yacht Council Standards. Catalina’s philosophy is straightforward: Design boats that stand up to real world conditions and sail well. They must be comfortable above and below, easy to maintain and hold their value. A commitment to owner satisfaction has enhanced customer confidence and loyalty, so that Catalina has become one of the most prominent builders of sailboats in the United States and the world. For more information, visit www.catalinayachts.com.

Sailing now on offer at Easton College, near Norwich

The Easton College Sailing Club was launched today with a celebratory event at the Whitlingham centre. Since last April, around 80 young people have enjoyed sailing at Whitlingham, many for the first time, through the RYA’s OnBoard Programme aimed at making young people regular sailors. Through funding from Sportivate, the RYA and the college, young people from the college undertook a six-week course last year, and have been able to continue sailing through a regular Wednesday club, which started again for the new year today. The college hopes that students will take an active role in the running and management of the club. OnBoard co-ordinator for East Norfolk, Holly Hancock arranged the link between the organisations, and said: “It’s great to see young people enjoying learning to sail. I look forward to the club going from strength to strength.” Over a 10-year period OnBoard aims to introduce a minimum of 500,000 children to sailing and windsurfing in the UK, converting over 10pc of them into regular participants. Meanwhile, James Humphreys, a student on the college’s BTEC sport course, began sailing last year, and has enjoyed the experience so much he is now pursuing a career in outdoor education to put his new found skills to full use, rather than taking a physiotherapy degree.