Keelboat Endeavour at the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club this weekend

 

This weekend sees the return of the Keelboat Endeavour event at the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club in Burnham in Crouch, Essex.

Building on a highly successful inaugural event last year, ten teams are lined up to compete for the newly created Robin Judah Trophy, commissioned in memory of Robin Judah who was one of the founders of the original Endeavour Trophy for dinghies, an Olympic sailor in the Dragon class in 1968, and stalwart of the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club.

The ten teams this year represent an interesting array of classes, from the traditional Burnham fleets represented by the Dragon and Squib teams, as well as Sunbeam, National Swallow and Flying Fifteen classes, to the ultra modern K6. Also represented are some modern classics in the form of the J24, Sonata, International 2.4mR, and 707 contingents, all of which should make for some close racing on the River Crouch.

The race format of short course fleet racing has proven to be popular at these events, putting an emphasis on good starts and slick boat handling, and with PRO Edwin Buckley and his team officiating over the event the teams are guaranteed plenty of races to keep them on their toes.

The Club's evenly matched fleet of Hunter 707s has recently been fully refitted by Allen Brothers, and re-roped by Robline, and are ready to go after their winter renovations. This support from two leading companies in the marine industry goes a long way to enabling the Club to run events such as this to a high standard and ensure the close racing that the competitors deserve.

World and European Champions to do battle in J/70 Grand Slam opener

 

The first of the 2024 J/70 Grand Slam series events takes place on the Solent over the weekend of April 20/21, run from Cowes by the Royal Thames Yacht Club. With about 20 entries, competition will be stiff for the podium slots.

Charles Thompson and crew on Brutus, the reigning Open World Champion is back competing in the UK after several regattas in Miami over the winter and could be hard to beat.

Jonathan Calascione and his Calypso team, the 2022 Open European Champion are also likely to be strong contenders, as will be Martin Dent and his crew sailing Jelvis. They scored a 5th place in the very competitive Bacardi Cup event in Miami last month.

Marshall King, 2019 Corinthian World Champion has recently teamed up with Doug Struth on DSP, last year’s Corinthian Grand Slam winner. They won the final Grand Slam event last year and could be fast.

In the youth section, Max Clapp and his team are likely to be the boat to watch, after a strong showing last season.

Regulars such as EV Experts (Tim Collins/Phil Taylor), Offbeat (David Macleman) and Powder Monkey (Ian Poynton) can often hit the front in individual races.

There are also a host of new names in the class this year including a strong contingent of sailors from the Royal Thames Yacht Club and Royal Southern Yacht Club, among them boats led by Jemima Lawson, Christine Shrimpton..

The Grand Slam series comprises 6 events across the season including the Tideway J/70 Nationals and Cowes Week Short series.

Wayfarer Inlands at Datchet Water, part of the Craftinsure National Circuit

 

The UK Wayfarer Association National Circuit, kindly supported by our title sponsor Craftinsure with additional support by Allen Brothers, Hartley Boats and McNamara Sails, made a welcome comeback after a winter hibernation at the Inland Championships at Datchet Water over the weekend of the 13-14th April.

This is the first of several opens at prestigious sailing locations across the country that constitute the National Circuit for this great all-round boat.

Some familiar faces were joined by some fleet newcomers on the Saturday morning with a forecast that offered a wide range of conditions that certainly came to fruition. With the wind sock flying and the sun threatening to make an appearance it promised to be an exciting weekend.

After six exciting races had been completed a similar situation to the Inland Championship at Blithfield last year, the calculators needed to come out to determine the overall result but the consistency of the Wilsons prevailed to give them a well-deserved Inland championship title. Chris and Matt came second but deserve much credit for their three bullets over the course of the weekend. Guy and Sam won a tight Bough Beech inter-club battle to take third from Ian and Sam. 5th and first wooden boat was the family team of Colin and Lexie.

Many thanks go to Derek Lambert for pulling together an excellent event in conjunction with exemplary shoreside and on the water support for the Datchet Water teams. Fantastic hosts at a fantastic venue.

The next open meeting for the Wayfarers is this weekend at West Oxfordshire (20-21 April) followed by a trip to Shoreham on the 18-19 May. We then have a trip to Banbury for the Westerns (1-2 June) before what promises to be an awesome event at Paignton for the National Championships (13-16 June).

Overall Results:

Pos Helm Crew Sail No Club R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 Points

1 Andrew Wilson Tom Wilson 11093 Datchet Water SC 2 1 2 ‑3 3 1 9

2 Chris Bunn Matt Frary 11398 Lady Yacht Club 1 ‑5 1 2 1 5 10

3 Guy Marks Sam Boniface 11120 Bough Beech SC 4 4 ‑5 5 2 2 17

4 lan Foxwell Samuel Pygall 11170 Bough Beech SC 3 2 7 4 ‑8 3 19

5 Colin Goodman Lexie Goodman 998 Bexhill SC 6 7 4 1 4 ‑8 22

6 Simon Sydenham Rupert Sydenham 10776 Aldeburgh SC 5 3 3 ‑7 6 6 23

7 Nick Harris Luke Howells 11223 Datchet Water SC ‑10 6 8 6 9 4 33

8 Timothy Wood Sarah Elliott 11448 Walton & Frinton SC 9 8 6 ‑10 5 9 37

9 Nigel O'Donnell Belinda O'Donnel 11458 Swarkestone SC 7 ‑13 9 9 10 7 42

10 Derek Lambert Sue Risbridger 10828 Datchet Water SC 8 9 ‑10 8 7 10 42

11 Conrad Payne Martin Dolling 9416 Datchet Water SC ‑11 10 11 11 11 11 54

Phantom Open at Bowmoor Sailing Club

 

On 13th April 2024, Bowmoor Sailing Club greeted a 17-strong Phantom fleet to start the midlands first open meeting of the year.

With 4 races planned, the race committee set what was effectively a double sausage course with fast reaches interlinking them in an X like pattern. Two races back to back in the morning with the wind increasing over lunch into 2 races back to back in the afternoon.

Race 1 - Sailing in pressure coming down the course paid off and an early pack of five boats separated from the fleet after the windward mark, Bowmoor sailor Charlie Samson took the win followed by fellow Bowmoor Chris Jenkins and Duncan Adams in 3rd.

Race 2 - A busy first windward mark and a very questionable port approach (early season rustiness?) from 3 out of the top 5 boats within a boat length of the mark meant right of way boats tacking off to avoid collisions and those that sailed out from this cleanly managed to separate from the rest of the fleet with Chris Jenkins taking the win followed by Charlie Samson and Sam Coxon in 3rd.

Race 3 - More wind after lunch meant a chance to rake the rigs back upwind and what followed was plenty of action and leaders capsizing. Firstly, Duncan Adams capsizing on the reach, see www.facebook.com/797190205/videos/417075264299890 (Video credit from Olly Hopkins) after the first beat, Ben Dancer took the lead but two laps later suffered the same fate when eagerly gybing down the run to find pressure allowing Charlie Samson to take another bullet, Sam Coxon in 2nd and Mike Tustin in 3rd.

Race 4 - Sam Coxon and Ben Dancer exchanged leading the fleet early on. Firstly Sam capsized on the first lap which allowed Ben to sail in front again, but up the second beat, Ben capsized during a tack, allowing Duncan who was sailing fast behind to convincingly pull away to take the final win, followed by Charlie in 2nd and Ben in 3rd.

Overall Results:

1st Charlie Samson (Bowmoor SC) 4pts

2nd Chris Jenkins (Bowmoor) 8pts

3rd Duncan Adams (Burton SC) 8pts

4th Sam Coxon (Chasewater SC) 9pts

5th Ben Dancer (Llandegfedd SC) 14pts

Discover sailing with Stewartby Water Sports Club open day

 

Established in 1972, Stewartby Water Sports Club has access to one of the largest areas of water for sailing in the Herts, Beds and Bucks area. The lake has over 200 acres of water for recreational sailing. Set against the stunning back drop of Marston Vale Millennium Country Park, Stewartby Water Sports Club is the perfect place to sail and relax.

We are a large and growing club that has a warm friendly atmosphere at its heart.

On Saturday 4th May from 11.00 am to 4.00 pm we are holding a Discover Sailing Day where we are welcoming anyone interested in sailing to come and have a try for themselves. We will have a fleet of dinghies and a team of expert crew waiting to take you on the water to experience first hand the pleasure of sailing. You will be able to look at all the facilities at the club and chat with members to learn more.

This event is absolutely free and everyone is welcome, no booking is required.

For more information and where you can register an interest, go to facebook.com/events/319458060630685

Programme unveiled for clipper race's Festival of the Sea in Oban

 

The town will welcome the final leg of the Clipper 2023-2024 Round the World Yacht Race and stage a 10-day Festival of the Sea programme of events this summer.

And now is the time to get involved by going along to a business open day on April 25 in the Oak Room of the Rockfield Centre between 11am and 7pm to find out more.

The Festival of the Sea will celebrate the area’s outstanding maritime environment and water-based adventure tourism offer; history and culture and local produce and will comprise of a food and drink village, marine conservation demonstrations, sports club taster sessions, Gaelic workshops and storytelling, a maritime art and craft exhibition and The Big Tune Concert at Oban’s Corran Halls.

Cultural elements will celebrate the region’s maritime history, Gaelic tradition, music, songs and literature. Ocean health workshops will deliver a series of activities to highlight the area’s outstanding natural environment. Five days of showcasing the artesian quality of local food and drink will be an integral part of the Oban visitor experience.

The event hopes to promote Oban and the area as a leading adventure sports destination in Scotland.

Festival of the Sea event delivery partners include Food from Argyll; Rockfield Centre; Scottish Association for Marine Science; Oban Sailing Club; Royal Yachting Association Scotland; Oban High School; Corran Halls, Furan Gaelic Centre and Oban Rotary Club. 

The race makes its stopover in Oban starting on July 12.  This will be the first time, the fleet of 11, 70-foot ocean racing yachts will berth in Scotland after a 40,000 nautical mile race around the world.

The anticipated worldwide media attention on the homecoming Washington DC to Oban leg will attract domestic and international visitors putting the town at the forefront of sailing destinations in Scotland and provide a welcome boost to the local economy. 

British sailors complete global race as part of all-female international crew

 

The 13-strong crew, made up of international sailors, five of them Britons and skippered by Heather Thomas, from Otley, West Yorkshire, completed the Ocean Globe Race aboard their yacht, Maiden, at 10.52am on Tuesday.

Ms Thomas said: “It really is testament to how amazing these women are that even when things weren’t going to plan, we still stayed together as a team and we still got the boat back safely.

“It was really phenomenal to have all of those boats and people come and see us. The first person we saw was Tracy, of course. That was amazing and we’ve had an amazing welcome back here on land.”

Tracy Edwards, skipper of the boat in the 1989-90 race and director of The Maiden Factor Foundation, a foundation dedicated to the education of women and girls, said: “We are so proud of this talented and courageous, international all-female crew who have battled extremely unusual weather conditions around the world with only a sextant and paper charts!”

The 2023-24 Ocean Globe Race, which marks the 50th anniversary of the first edition of the Whitbread Round the World Race, featured 14 boats representing eight countries.

Maiden was part of this year’s Ocean Globe Race’s Flyer Class, for yachts previously entered in the 1973, 1977 or 1981 Whitbread Round the World Race, or of ‘relevant’ historic significance.

In 1989 Maiden became the first boat with an all-female crew to participate in the Whitbread Round the World Race – the predecessor to the Ocean Globe Race, which was staged every four years until 1997-98.

This year’s competition has preserved the spirit of the historic races, with crews circumnavigating the globe without the use of satellites, GPS or computers.

Instead, they used sextants, paper maps and celestial navigation to complete the journey, with four boats forced to retire over the course of the seven months.

Polar Chase makes it Nine for next season's Seldén Sailjuice Winter Series

 

The Polar Chase will be joining eight other familiar events in the 2024/2025 edition of the Seldén Sailjuice Winter Series. Chase Sailing Club near Walsall in the West Midlands will host the one-day event on 14 December.

The Series will as usual begin with the Fernhurst Books Draycote Dash at Draycote Water Sailing Club in November, and conclude with the ninth event, the Oxford Blue at Oxford Sailing Club in February 2025.

Many sailors across the fleet are using the Seldén Sailjuice Winter Series to hone their skills. Where else can you compete against 100 boats and some of the country's top sailors in some very close racing? Next winter we will be introducing coach support from an event briefing session, boat park coach advice and post-event debriefing based on video and tracking content from the racing.

Many sailors compete representing the forces (ASA, RAFSA, RNSA) or their school, this winter there will be new extracted rankings for Forces and Schools.

The Events

The following events are in the Seldén SailJuice Winter Series 2024/25:

Fernhurst Books Draycote Dash, Draycote Water Sailing Club

23 & 24 November 2024

Datchet Flyer, Datchet Water Sailing Club

7 & 8 December 2024

Polar Chase, Chase Sailing Club

14 December 2024

Yorkshire Dales Brass Monkey, Yorkshire Dales Sailing Club

27 December 2024

Grafham Grand Prix, Grafham Water Sailing Club

29 December 2024

GJW Direct Bloody Mary, Queen Mary Sailing Club

11 January 2025

King George Gallop, King George Sailing Club

18 January 2025

John Merricks Tiger Trophy, Rutland Sailing Club

1 & 2 February 2025

Oxford Blue, Oxford Sailing Club

15 February 2025

Prizegiving at RYA Dinghy & Watersports Show, Farnborough

You can find out more about the Series here  :  -  www.SailJuiceSeries.com

South Caernarvonshire Yacht Club to host British Dragon Edinburgh Cup 2024

 

The 76th Edinburgh Cup, the annual British Dragon nationals and Northern championship will be hosted by the South Caernarvonshire Yacht Club which is celebrating its centenary year.

The BDA Northern championships and Edinburgh Cup return to the waters of North Wales from 7th - 12th July 2024. Early bird entries for the 2024 event are now open along with notice of race information.

British Dragon Association Chairman Andrew Moss said: "We are looking forward to heading back to Abersoch for this year's Edinburgh Cup. This championship is steeped in history and is a challenging regatta to win. I personally look forward to seeing and sailing with many of the Dragon teams travelling from the UK, Ireland and further afield."

The Edinburgh Cup has successfully been held in Abersoch at the SCYC in 1962, '69, '76, '82, '88, 2011, 2016, 2019. And now this July.

Following the two-day BDA Northern Championship, Cardigan Bay will see local experts race together against regional champions and past national champions in the four-day event.

The South Caernarvonshire Yacht Club (SCYC) established in 1924 is one of the UK's premier yachting and sailing destinations with an active sailing programme. Positioned atop a cliff with stunning views of Cardigan Bay, St.Tudwal's islands and the Snowdonia mountain range, SCYC provides a breathtaking venue for this National event.

The 76th Edinburgh Cup sponsored by The Warren resort & Spa will take place from 7th - 12th July 2024 with championship racing from Tuesday 9th to Friday 12th July. Follow the latest news from the regatta via the Event Website and the British Dragon Association's Facebook and Instagram accounts.

Art show will raise funds to help disabled sailors

 

Tickets are now available for the opening night of the annual Fairwinds Art Exhibition, on Friday, April 26.

As well as the opportunity to take part in the auction, while enjoying a welcome drink and canapes, a raffle will give you the chance to win one of the fabulous prizes donated by the sponsors, including Spinlock, IW Hampers, Mermaid Gin and the Garlic Festival.

Each participating artist has donated a piece of work for the auction, available to view from 6.30pm, with the auction starting at 7.30pm. Commission bids are accepted with reserve prices, set by the artists, at below market value, giving you the opportunity to find some amazing original art at a discounted price. For commission bids please email fairwinds-art@acfsailing.org by noon on April 26.

The exhibition raises money for the Andrew Cassell Foundation, which enables those with physical disabilities to sail competitively against able-bodied sailors. The art will be available to view by the public over the weekend of April 27 and 28, at

Cowes Yacht Haven, with a percentage of proceeds from art sold donated to the foundation.

The art exhibition is the brainchild of the late John Garlick, an art enthusiast. He loved sailing, and, during his final few months, battling with Multiple Myeloma, he began to plan the Fairwinds Fine Art Exhibition. He lost his two-year fight against the disease in September 2021.

This year the event is also supporting the Mountbatten Hospice in 2024, and has so far raised more than £500.

For more information visit: acfsailing.org/artshow, where you can also purchase tickets for the opening night for £15.

Over £2m lottery funding given to Pioneering Sailing Trust

 

The Pioneer Sailing Trust, a registered charity, helps improve the life prospects of young people who have dealt with difficult circumstances by providing them with learning opportunities on sea and land.

The charity has now been given a grant worth £2,316,889 which will be spent on equipping apprentices and trainees with new skills and restoring and maintaining historic vessels.

Felicity Lees, director of operations at the trust, said: “We are absolutely ecstatic about the bid which we have been working towards for three years.

"Instead of just doing one thing, we want to provide lots of different opportunities from being out on the water, to doing apprenticeships to volunteering."

Felicity said that the trust helps provide "meaningful activities" for young people with often difficult life circumstances, and added: "The experience of going out on the water is very different for some people".

"At the very least it can help them with their confidence and for others it can be life changing. The whole reason we are doing this, is so we can build something that is sustainable and provide training pathways to be a community hub."

Felicity said that like many charities, the trust is always fundraising but that this amount of money allows the charity to employ staff and apprenticeships. 

The funding will also go towards providing accommodation and travel for people from across the country to visit and learn in one week in Brightlingsea in 'block release apprenticeships'.

The Pioneer Sailing Trust was created in 1999 with the goal of restoring the last remaining first class Essex Skillinger smack Pioneer ship but since 2005, the vessel has served as a training boat for young people.

Sail by Lyme Regis this month for the Boat Building Academy Open Day

 

The world-renowned Boat Building Academy (BBA) in Lyme Regis will hold its annual Open Day on Saturday April 27th, offering visitors the chance to see the latest student-built boats, find out about courses on offer and enjoy entertainment and food.

The Boat Building Academy and Furniture School is situated on Monmouth Beach next to Lyme Regis's historic cobb and is the first port of call for trainee professional boat builders, furniture makers and woodworking enthusiasts from across the UK.

Visitors to this month's Open Day will have the chance to see the four wooden boats currently being built by the latest 40-week Boat Building course cohort.

These include a 20ft diesel launch which was once used as a passenger ferry in Looe, Cornwall, which is being rebuilt and restored to its former glory by student Ben Short.

Student Ginny Harvey will also be working on the 14' 4'' boat she is building from scratch, which she hopes to sail from her native Hampshire.

The BBA offers courses from just two days to 40-weeks and a range of bursaries are available. Information on this will also be on hand throughout the day.

Wonderful wooden furniture created by the academy's students will also be on show and there will a barbecue, live music from The Lyme Bay Moonrakers and a raffle, with all money raised going to the Academy's Bursary Fund.

BBA Director Will Reed said: "The annual Open Day has something for everyone and attracts people from all over, from those who want to come and train in preparation for a career at some of the top boat yards in the country, to career changers or retired people who dream of building their own boats or furniture. Plus, of course those who just want to soak up the unique atmosphere, smells and sounds of this amazing building. We look forward to welcoming - and inspiring- all our visitors."

The Boat Building Academy Open Day is free to attend and takes place from 11am until 4pm on Friday April 27th at the BBA, Monmouth Beach, Lyme Regis, Dorset DT7 3JN.

www.boatbuildingacademy.com

Launch of the Royal Western Yacht Club '1884 Twilight' Series

 

1825hrs on Wednesday 24th April will see the start of the first race in the all new RWYC 1884 Twilight Series.

For decades, the 1884 Series has become synonymous with the Port of Plymouth evening racing scene. Having taken note of recent challenges for fully crewed mid-week Corinthian racing throughout the sport, the Royal Western Yacht Club are pleased to announce this new format which will be no less of a challenge on the water but will provide all boats with the opportunity to compete with a fraction of the crew that would otherwise be required.

RWYC Commodore, Chris Arscott said "The '1884 Twilight series' will be open to all boats with a non-spinnaker RYA YTC rating. This will provide a level playing field for all entrants whilst only requiring the minimum amount of crew to compete fairly. There is no maximum or minimum crew limit. Sail with a small, tight team or bring your friends and family, either way the challenge will be the same. It is a great opportunity to get on the water mid-week for some great close racing without the stress of looking for such large crews but with the opportunity to bring new people along to experience what it's like to race."

The idea is not new, indeed it is worth noting that the Cruising club of Australia have been offering their Twilight Series for several years and it has been immensely popular with a huge range of boats from coastal cruising boats all the way through to TP52's. Dublin Bay has also introduced a similar offering recently. With demand for crew often being larger than the crew available, this will no doubt go on to be a very popular format.

The '1884 Twilight Series' will have a committee boat start with a long start line. The courses will be longer than average 'around the cans' courses to include the area directly south of the breakwater, weather permitting, and the finish will be on the RWYC club line. All clubs are welcome to take part and Entries can be made on the RWYC website - club racing section.