Hemsley Superprix at Frensham Pond Sailing Club

 

As the winter series is coming to a close Frensham always holds the Hemsley Superprix in memory of Tim who designed the day's sprint racing to get everyone ready for the summer season.

Tim's ethos was always to get everyone out enjoying racing whatever their level. Although he probably is having a giggle as trying to fit ten races into one afternoon isn't easy. First thanks goes to Dan Shaw for race officering. Richard Garner and Alan Dance who were there all day as race assistants. Rob Anstey for completing the results and the many other safety boat and race assistants. Also to Kate Whyatt for doing the prize-giving.

The fleet gets split into fast, medium and not so slow. The first few races were quite breezy. It was the usual beat to 2 that is set to be trying. That's the polite version. Then a run down to 5, quick beat to 9 (slightly less trying) and a run to 6 to finish. The day ended with a few light races.

The fast fleet consisted of Larks, RS200s, an ILCA 7, a Merlin and a RS100. John and Vicky Brickwood and Nigel Hufton and Matt Wood were showing why they are practised Lark sailors making it look easy. That is once John and Vicky found a rudder, unfortunately it self destructed half way through the day. Clive Eplett and Megan Pascoe in the Merlin definitely weren't making it look easy but improved sometimes looking competent. Ian Gregory in his RS100 joined in for the afternoon and once learning which way to go round mark 5 was pretty unstoppable all afternoon. I think he was finding the shifts he was missing from the previous day.

The medium fleet of Solos, GP14s, ILCA 6 and ILCA 4s were having good racing although most were having a swim. The two John's of Brooker and Barton took first and second in their Solos. John Brooker said he had managed more swims today than in the whole winter series. The GP14s of Paul Trubridge/Matt Hall and Tony Perkins/John McGuiness took and array of bullets but could only partake in half the races. Fiona Nee led the ILCA contingent finishing third overall.

The not so slow fleet of Cadets, 2.4mR and Teras were very competitive. The 2.4s of Bruce Hill, Paul Schroeder and Ian Campbell filled the podium. Sam Nee/Isabelle Davies and Immy Sherwood/Evie Boddy took a first each. Well done to George Garner in his Tera and Gregory Boddy/Sam English in their Cadet for finishing all the races.

It was a great day out with every wind strength going. Lots of practice starting and short course racing. We have a big Easter weekend to finish off our winter series and looking forward to a great summer out.

Overall Results:

Fast Fleet

1st Merlin Rocket, Clive Eplett/Megan Pascoe 11pts

2nd Lark, Nigel Hufton/Matt Wood 18pts

3rd RS100, Ian Gregory 30pts

Medium Fleet

1st Solo, John Brooker 12pts

2nd Solo, John Barton 25pts

3rd ILCA 6, Fiona Nee 40pts

Not so slow fleet

1st 2.4mR, Bruce Hill 8pts

2nd 2.4mR, Paul Schroeder 18pts

3rd 2.4mR, Ian Campbell 26pts

2024 Squib Broadland Regatta at Waveney & Oulton Broad Yacht Club

 

The first Squib Open Meeting of 2024 was held over the weekend at Waveney & Oulton Broad Yacht Club. The turnout for the event, like last year's, was affected by the forecast - not many people want to make the effort to travel with 35mph forecasts.

Visitors, were craned in on the Saturday morning, before three races were held on the Broad in a strong to gale force westerly wind. Like all breezy days, the mean wind was very sailable - but it was the gusts that made life interesting!

Off the start in the first race, Tom Jeffcoate and Mark Hogan in Ric O'Shea tacked soon after the start and just squeezed across on port - and immediately got into the swinging wind on the beat to build a good lead. The locals could only sit and watch, especially as our local stars were squeezed out at the start and had to work their way up to 2nd place during the race.

The second race followed a similar pattern, with Bryan and Jenny Riley in Brimstone once again dropping behind at the start, before making their way up to 2nd, ahead of Malcolm Hutchings and Andy Carley in Lady Penelope in both races. This was the race where the crews had to find shelter to avoid the 10 minutes of a very heavy hail storm - hail can hurt!

The third race proved the interesting one! With the port end of the line firmly fixed as the place to be - that is where the fleet all tried to be. This time Brimstone timed it perfectly and they led neatly up the first beat, with Ric O'Shea back in the pack. The wind had eased slightly to the 20-24mph area, thus allowing the fleet to stay bunched together.

A great meal in the evening at RN&SYC was followed by some of the fleet (Mark and Tom!) attending the local night club until the early hours of Sunday. The many contenders for the club's Potty Trophy, presented for the best misdemeanours over the previous year by Richard Sullivan the Fleet Captain, were all very pleased when it was presented to Bryan and Jenny for their swim in the Squib!

The second day, and we were expecting 4 or 5 mph less - but it was still gusting to 28-30mph, with the wind now from the north west meaning we had a tricky broad / beam / close reach with gusts appearing suddenly around the trees. The second day saw much closer racing in the fleet, with Ric O'shea losing the lead halfway up the 2nd beat (although they did grab it back again) in the first race, and Flame (Richard Smith and Graham Reeve) finding their speed again at the end of the meeting to win the final race.

All visitors were craned out, and the free lunch eaten, before the prize-giving. With Ric O'Shea winning the event, and Paramour (Chris Schonhut and Victoria Marfleet) the Silver fleet. The Race officer (Richard Fryer) and the other club workers were thanked at the prize-giving.

Overall Results:

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

1st Ric‑O‑Shea 136 Tom Jeffcoate Mark Hogan 1 1 1 1 2 6

2nd Flame 802 Richard Smith Graham Reeve 4 4 2 2 1 13

3rd Lady Penelope 819 Malcolm Hutchings Andy Carley 3 3 3 3 3 15

4th Clever Dick 810 Richard Sullivan Sue Harper 5 7 4 6 4 26

5th Paramour 90 Chris Schonhut Victoria Marfleet 7 5 5 4 5 26

6th Echo 853 Gary Fuller Paul Welham 6 6 DNF 5 7 35

7th Brimstone 73 Bryan Riley Jenny Riley 2 2 DNF DNC DNC 37

8th Croc 855 Chris Jordan Gill Jordan 8 ET DNF 7 6 40

9th State of the Hart 744 Bob Mann Fergal O'Driscoll 10 10 6 8 8 42

10th Firebird 50 Simon Marfleet Stef Oosthuysen 9 9 DNC DNC DNC 51

RS200s at the Waldringfield Easter Egg - second leg of the EaSEA Tour

 

The second stage of the RS200 EaSEA tour at Waldringfield Sailing Club is this weekend.

 This year sailing starts on Good Friday and onto Saturday.

Waldringfield hosts a great competitive fleet and we welcome visitors to the River Deben as part of the Easter Egg. Six races with the first race at 11:00 on Friday. Camping is available if needed, please contact Chris Mayhew (rs200wsc@ashfordcottage.co.uk) if you are thinking of camping.

Entry £20 by Thursday and NOR at : -  https://waldringfieldsc.com/news/

RYA YTC 2024 applications open - free rating lets cruisers take part in regattas and club racing

 

RYA YTC 2024 applications are live for yacht owners wanting to obtain a free rating to take part in regattas and club racing.

The RYA YTC (Yacht Time Correction) is powered by the RORC Rating Office and aims to promote participation by cruising yachts and cruiser-racers.

Supported by the RYA and using the experience of the RORC Rating Office to administer the system, RYA YTC is designed to make entry level cruiser racing easier for clubs to run and more accessible for boat owners.

Richard Moxey, RYA Keelboat Development Manager, said: "We are delighted to announce that the RYA YTC portal is now live for applications with a fresh logo and website for the 2024 season."

Following its national launch in February 2023, RYA YTC has been providing closely competitive racing for a wide variety of yachts at clubs across the UK.

RYA YTC uses the physical measurements of a boat to calculate a rating based on hull length, waterline length, boat weight, draft and sail areas.

It provides a simple rating assessment so that skippers of any skill level may feel encouraged to race their boats in club events and port regattas.

More than 1,200 boats from 95 clubs across the UK used RYA YTC in its first year.

Craftinsure Supernova Travellers at Cotswold Sailing Club

 

The Craftinsure Supernova Travellers event at Cotswold SC was held on the 16th March. The recent non-stop rain had kindly stopped for the day, and the wind slowly built through the day to a nice 8-10kts from the south. Race officer David Hanson set a nice beat and a variety of runs and reaches to get back down the lake.

The Cotswold fleet were very grateful for the 14 visiting sailings who bolstered their large home fleet to make a nice fleet of 25 Supernovas.

Local boat Alex Reave was first out of the traps and lead at the windward mark closely followed by fellow Cotswold sailor Gavin Young, and visiting superstar Alex Hagen-Collins. Reeve lead around the course to take first but the places behind changed constantly, Young somehow got his battens caught on Collins shrouds leaving a nice gap at the bottom mark, letting Cotswold sailor Cliff Milliner and Bartley's Steve Hawley through into 2nd and 3rd.

After the traditional chilli lunch, the fleet ventured out for races 2 and 3 as the wind built slightly. At the first mark of Race 2, the port lay line was the place to be with Rich Storey coming in fast. It was the usual group, including Hugo Hanson, Hawley, Hagen-Collins and Young. Milliner found some pressure on the other side of the first run to jump them and follow Hanson around the mark. These 2 had a close battle around the course, until Hawley found a nice shift up the last beat to take second behind Milliner.

Race 3 was much like the other 2, very close at the front and all the way through the fleet, but this time it was Hagen-Collins who found the front early, Milliner slowly closed the gap and found a way past. The group behind were constantly swapping places, with Hanson finding the best lanes, just keeping Young out of the places.

Overall Milliner took the win from Hagen-Collins and Hawley.

During prize-giving all the sailors feasted on the incredible tea and cakes part of Cotswold's epic hospitality.

The Supernova Class Association thanks Cotswold for hosting the event and all of the sailors for taking the time to support the event.

Overall Results:

Pos Sail No Helm Club R1 R2 R3 Pts

1st 1245 C Milliner Cotswold sc (2) 1 1 2

2nd 99 Alex Colins Bolton 3 (4) 2 5

3rd 1263 S Hawley Bartley SC (5) 2 3 5

4th 1344 Alex reeve Cotswold SC 1 (8) 6 7

5th 1218 Hugo Hanson Costwold SC (6) 3 4 7

6th 1261 G Young Cotswold SC 4 (5) 5 9

7th 1203 D White Costwold SC (8) 7 7 14

8th 1248 Chris Williams Costwold SC (18) 6 10 16

9th 1160 P Undrell Haversham 7 9 (11) 16

10th 1333 C Hawley Bartley SC 9 (10) 8 17

11th 1162 Oliver Crocker Costwold Sc 10 (14) 9 19

12th 1234 Nick Whiles Girton 11 (13) 12 23

13th 1244 J White Costwold SC 13 (17) 13 26

14th 1043 Rich Storey Costwold Sc 16 11 (17) 27

15th 1274 A Gould Cotswold SC 12 (16) 15 27

16th 1228 Steve Jellico Olton mere 17 12 (19) 29

17th 1307 Martin Roots Cardiff Bay (20) 15 14 29

18th 1080 Pual Bicky Olbon mMere 14 (21) 20 34

19th 1171 Mrk Medows Teesdale Sc (22) 20 16 36

20th 1256 Paul Burton Girton (19) 18 18 36

21st 1127 Phil North Girton (23) 19 21 40

22nd 1318 James Serwat Shoreham 15 (DNC) DNC 41

23rd 1180 D Stephen Bartley 21 (22) 22 43

24th 698 Charles Felgate Cardiff Bay 24 (DSQ) 23 47

25th 1299 W Gifford Costwold SC (DSQ) DNC DNC 52

Black Foils win ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix

 

New Zealand's 'Black Foils' - driven by Peter Burling - claimed victory in front of an adoring hometown crowd at the the second-annual ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix in Christchurch.

After the cancellation of racing on Saturday, SailGP implemented a 'Super Sunday' race format, consisting of three fleet races and then a winner-takes-all final podium race.

The first race of the day went the way of hometown favorites, the Black Foils, with New Zealand taking the lead on the start and finishing by overtaking France on the final mark to claim the opening victory on Lyttelton Harbour.

Critically, season leader Australia was ruled out of the event following a collision with a course mark just after the start, leaving them with event-ending damage to the green and gold F50. With the team heading into this weekend's racing in first place on the leaderboard, it was clear that this result would change the dynamic for the entire event.

Race two went the way of Canada - with native Kiwi driver Phil Robertson at the wheel. The race felt from the get go that it really was Canada's race with Robertson in jest telling the crowd of his victory, "I think I just became the favorite Kiwi putting the Aussies out of the running in the first race."

The third and final race to the podium saw Quentin Delapierre's France take the win, resulting in three races with three different winners - France, New Zealand and defending champions Canada - set to go head-to-head in the three-boat podium final.

After a great day of high octane racing, full of drama, the teams set for the winner-takes-all final, with Burling and the Black Foils heading into the race at the top of the event leaderboard.

A strong start from the Kiwis saw Canada having to keep clear of them on the line, with the Black Foils taking the first mark with France in hot pursuit. Canada split the pack after the second mark, a decision that caused them to trail for the remainder of the race and allowing the Black Foils to take a strong early lead, ahead of France, which they held onto for the duration of the race.

With over 22,000 fans in attendance over the weekend, the ITM New Zealand Grand Prix was the largest ever ticketed individual sailing event. The league now moves to the tenth stop of the season - the Apex Group Bermuda Sail Grand Prix - on May 5-6. For full details visit SailGP.com.

ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix | Christchurch Results:

1 - NEW ZEALAND

2 - FRANCE

3 - CANADA

4 - SPAIN

5 - GERMANY

6 - SWITZERLAND

7 - EMIRATES GBR

8 - UNITED STATES

9 - ROCKWOOL DENMARK

10 - AUSTRALIA

SailGP Season 4 Leaderboard:

1 - NEW ZEALAND - 68pts

2 - AUSTRALIA - 59pts

3 - SPAIN - 55pts

4 - FRANCE - 54pts

5 - ROCKWOOL DENMARK - 50pts

6 - USA - 48pts

7 - CANADA: 46pts

8 - EMIRATES GBR - 45pts

9 - GERMANY - 27pts

10 - SWITZERLAND - 22pts

Fairer Racing = Higher Participation

 

Coming up this Tuesday evening, the organisers of the Seldén Sailjuice Winter Series are running a Zoom meeting to explore the future of handicap racing, and how advances in technology can be used more widely to create a more attractive playing field for fair racing on the water...

Would you like to see more boats on the start line? Whether you're racing at your club or in open meetings, most of us like to see bigger numbers on the water.

Maximising participation remains one of the biggest challenges for most racing fleets. After strong turnouts at the recently completed Selden Sailjuice Winter Series, co-organisers Simon Lovesey and Andy Rice are hosting a special meeting on Zoom this Tuesday, 26 March. Taking place from 1930 hours GMT, this meeting has a special focus on handicapping and how it can be used to encourage fairer racing and greater participation.

Expert guests on the call include:

Adam Parry from the RYA, who will be talking about PYS analysis, the ability to link club data, and use of new class lists for accurate data collection and reporting

Andrew Craig from Queen Mary Sailing Club, and the chairman and founder of the Great Lakes Handicap Committee which was formed a decade ago to come up with a fair set of PY numbers for the Selden Sailjuice Winter Series.

We look forward to seeing you on the call and to hear your views."

SIGN UP HERE FOR THE ZOOM CALL:

enter.sailracer.org/eventsites/content.asp?id=50564&eventid=225490

and more details on this Facebook page...

www.facebook.com/events/412282441563827?ref=110

SailGP Christchurch: Races added to the Day 2 schedule - dolphins willing

 

SailGP organisers have advised that an extra race has been added to the schedule for Race Day 2, to make up for the three races not sailed on Day 1, due to a dolphin presence being detected on the racing area.

Race Day 2 is subject to the same marine sanctuary protocols that prevented racing taking place on Day 1.

The forecast from Predictwind is for Easterly breezes averaging 11kts gusting 17kts in the race zone.

The proposed race schedule is (all times local NZ daylight saving). Racing starts at 1500hrs (0200hrs UTC) and continues to 1630hrs NZ daylight saving):

15:07hrs - Race 1 scheduled start

15:29hrs - Race 2 scheduled start

15:49hrs - Race 3 scheduled start

16:09hrs - Final scheduled start (top three on Event Points for Race 1-3)

Our Quick Guide to Sailing Thailand

 

Sailing in Thailand offers breathtaking views of turquoise waters, limestone cliffs, and vibrant marine life. Popular destinations include Phuket, Koh Phi Phi, and the Similan Islands. Make sure to explore hidden coves, snorkel in pristine reefs, and experience the unique culture of coastal communities along the way.

Phuket is a popular sailing destination in Thailand, renowned for its stunning beaches, vibrant nightlife, and picturesque landscapes. You can enjoy a sailing tour from here to explore the surrounding islands, such as Koh Phi Phi, Phang Nga Bay, and the Similan Islands. Don't miss sailing to secluded beaches, snorkeling in crystal-clear waters, and experiencing the rich Thai culture and cuisine along the way.

Koh Phi Phi is a group of stunning islands located in the Andaman Sea, known for their pristine beaches, vibrant underwater life, and towering limestone cliffs. Sailing around Koh Phi Phi allows you to explore secluded coves, snorkel in clear waters teeming with marine life, and witness breathtaking sunsets. Don't forget to visit iconic spots like Maya Bay, Bamboo Island, and Monkey Beach while enjoying the laid-back atmosphere and natural beauty of the islands.

Phang Nga Bay, located northeast of Phuket, is famous for its dramatic limestone karsts rising out of emerald-green waters. Sailing through Phang Nga Bay offers spectacular scenery, including hidden caves, pristine beaches, and lush mangrove forests. Don't miss iconic landmarks like James Bond Island and Koh Panyee, a floating fishing village. Exploring sea caves by kayak or longtail boat is a must, allowing you to discover the bay's unique geological formations up close.

The Similan Islands, situated in the Andaman Sea off the coast of Phang Nga Province, are renowned for their stunning coral reefs, clear blue waters, and abundant marine life. Sailing to the Similan Islands offers fantastic opportunities for diving, snorkeling, and exploring pristine beaches. The islands are part of a national park and boast some of the most diverse marine ecosystems in Thailand. Don't miss the chance to spot colorful coral reefs, tropical fish, and even larger marine species like whale sharks and manta rays while sailing around the Similans.

Please use our " Charter Your Yacht Rental the Easy Way " links on this Blog for immediate access to our Sailing Rental Online Booking system.

WE STRIVE TO BRING YOU THE BEST YACHT RENTALS with Guaranteed availability, and online booking and payment.

British Keelboat League kicks off 2024 season in style

 

The British Keelboat League has kicked off its 2024 season in style. A record number of teams raced in the first two BKL qualifiers of the year and two British clubs have been competing with the SAILING Champions League in Europe.

The BKL aims to break down barriers to keelboat racing with a #rockupandrace series offering inter-club fleet racing at venues around the country.

With a rigged and ready-to-go fleet of keelboats at each weekend qualifier, teams compete in a series of short sprint races against other clubs.

The top teams are then invited to a national final to battle it out for the overall BKL title and a chance to compete in the SAILING Champions League 2025.

This year's final will be hosted by the Royal Southern Yacht Club in September 2024.

Could your club make it to the 2024 BKL finals and win through to compete in Europe?

Entries are now open for the third qualifier on the calendar, the Women's BKL Championship, sailing asymmetric RS21keelboats.

Part of the Women's Open Keelboat Championship, 11-12 May at the Royal Southern Yacht Club, Hamble, early bird entries close 31 March 2024.

The BKL is open to teams from any British sailing club. Look out for entries opening in for the rest of the 2024 qualifiers and save the dates!

18-19 May, Royal Corinthian YC, Burnham on Crouch, Hunter 707

15-16 June, Marconi SC/Stone SC, East Coast, Essex, SB20

20-21 July, Rutland SC, Midlands, RS21

Date to be confirmed, BKL Sailability, WPNSA, Dorset, Elliott 7M

27-29 September, BKL Final at Royal Southern Yacht Club, J70

Keep up to date with all the news by following @britishkeelboatleague on Facebook and Instagram and at britishkeelboatleague.co.uk

Oppy Sailors From Royal St George Go to Rugby for UK Spring Nationals

 

Optimist sailors from the Royal St George achieved stellar results at the UK Spring Nationals in Rugby over St Patrick’s Weekend.

Five of the Dun Laoghaire club’s nine-strong youth group placed in the top 25 out of 120 boats taking part in the event at Draycote Water Sailing Club on 16-17 March.

And three cracked the top 10, with Maeve Donagh placing third overall in the Main Fleet, echoing her success in last August’s British Nationals.

“Huge thanks to Jason Crawford for organising, to their coach Rian Geraghty-McDonnell and also to Draycote Water Sailing Club and the UK Optimist Association for their hospitality,” the RStGYC says.

Helensburgh Sailing Club hosts RYA Scotland Winter Academy

 

Held over the winter months to provide a fun training environment for youth and junior sailors to continue their development, the programme has been running since last October, when more than 80 young sailors in Optimist, Topper, Techno293, Feva, ILCA, 29er and IQ Foil classes took part.

A spokesperson for the RYA in Scotland said: “A huge thank you to all the venues, volunteers, parents, coaches and sailors for their contributions throughout the chillier months.

'Get Onboard’ is the RYA’s children’s sailing programme and offers children the opportunity to try watersports through their local club or centre in a safe, fun and structured environment.

The Cove event, part of the club’s 2024 calendar, details of which have been released this week, will take place on Saturday, May 3.

Other events in the Cove club calendar for the coming months include the opening muster on Saturday, April 20, the ‘Cruise in Company’ to Ardentinny on June 8, the Cove Regatta on June 15 and the annual Loch Long Week, taking place this year at Aldeburgh Yacht Club in Suffolk, from July 21-26.

There are also regular race nights every Tuesday and Friday from April to August.

For full details of what’s going on at the club over the coming months see the ‘Cove Sailing Club, Argyll’ page on Facebook.

With the onset of spring and the start of a new sailing season is underlined by Helensburgh Sailing Club’s annual ‘pre-launch party’, taking place this Saturday, March 23, from 7pm, to which all club members and their families are welcome.

Swan nets sailing training vessel of the year award

 

THE SWAN has been named as 2023’s sail training vessel of the year by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) and the Association of Sail Training Organisations (ASTO).

The award is presented to an operator for fulfilling both the sail training aspirations of ASTO and the seamanship and safety requirements of the MCA.

Kerry McMillan, general manager of ASTO, said: “The competition this year for the UK Sail Training Vessel of the Year was tight.

“Swan’s range of operations was impressive including participating in the Tall Ships Races across Europe and venturing north to the Faroes.

“The panel were particularly impressed with how the crew dealt with mechanical issues in challenging conditions during the first Tall Ships leg.

The vessel, the crew and the organisation played such an important role in making all of the participants in the Tall Ships feel so welcome in Shetland. A fantastic year for the Swan.”

The Swan was also one of six vessels to be named Flagships of the Year 2023 by National Historic Ships UK (NHS-UK) prior to taking part in last year’s Tall Ships Races, where Lerwick was an official host port.

The event, which was successfully delivered under budget, gave 50 young Shetlanders fully funded sail training experiences, with 20 of them being aboard the Swan in the cruise in company and final race legs.

This included a visit to Yell during the cruise in company.

Sail Training Shetland, the organisation which secured funding for the 50 young Shetlanders as well as another 50 young people from throughout Scotland to take part in this adventure, were named ‘Sail Training Organisation of the Year’ at the Sail Training International Conference in November.

Chairman of the Swan Trust SCIO David Goodlad said: “It has been a remarkable year for the Swan, her crew and all those who sailed aboard her.

“As Trustees we are proud to oversee a busy diary for the boat which is not only an important part of Shetland’s maritime heritage but also a fantastic community asset and training facility which helps young people to develop new skills and increase their confidence.

“This accolade is a welcome acknowledgement of the hard work put in by Maggie Adamson (Skipper), Scott Sandison (Mate), Anja Kurtz (Bosun) and the rest of our volunteer crew last season and we thank them for their contribution to sail training in Shetland.

“The successful partnership with Sail Training Shetland to raise funds to provide sail training to our young people is highlighted with both organisations receiving recognition for the work we do”

The trophy will go on display at the Shetland College UHI Scalloway campus from April.