West Kirby Sailing Club to host the 75th Wilson Trophy 3 - 5th May, 2024

Final preparations are being made for the 75th Wilson Trophy on the Marine Lake in West Kirby.

Described as the premier dinghy team racing event in the world, it is taking place from Friday 3 – Sunday 5 May.

A total of 34 teams with 204 competitors from the UK, Ireland and the United States will be competing on the water for the coveted trophy.

West Kirby Sailing Club commodore, Adam Whittle, said: “The ‘theatre of dreams’ that is the Marine Lake will play host to a spectacle of the best racing you will ever see.

With close to 300 races being run over a three-day event, the Wilson Trophy is revered for its fierce racing, famous socials, live commentary and breath-taking skill which all make for one unforgettable event.”

Races typically last between 8 to 10 minutes round a short course in colour co-ordinated boats with three boats on each team, racing to get their team into a winning combination of 10 points or less.

Then, come Sunday lunchtime, the top eight advance to the quarter finals and the remaining competitors and take to the grandstand and shoreline to cheer on their heroes and friends in the knockout phase of the contest.

The East Coast Drifters from Rhode Island will be aiming to retain the title they secured in 2023.
 

International Etchells Spring Regatta at Cowes

 

Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th April saw the return of the Cowes Etchells Series. It was an exciting mix of senior boats, many of whom had been racing hard in Miami and Australia, mixed in with the Youth Boats who had been robustly training all winter with the Etchells Youth Academy.

For many competitors the first day was a learning curve with new teams put together. The first day saw experience pay off with David Mclean's team joint on points with (the welcome return of) Tom Abrey's Jolly Roger. The other win went to Ted Blower's Audrey. The races were characterised by a softening breeze, so banging the corners was the way to go.

Day two saw a cold North Westerly wind and the race course close to Ben F Wood right next to the main channel with a very strong flooding tide. The right hand side of the course was going to pay off and Jolly Roger secured two bullets to win the series. second was Harry Cowell's Alison, with a win, 3rd and 4th place. Man's Best Friend finished a strong 3rd with a 1st and two 2nd places during the weekend.

Many of the youth boats improved race on race, especially on the second day. Palaver, with the youngest crew, choosing the right side upwind so moved up to 7th place overall with a 3rd and 4th place.

Notable performances also came from Pulse- with a change in tactician Maisie Harkess' team secured 3 top ten finishes. David's Bromilow's Ziggy also gained a 2nd and 3rd place on Day 2, finishing just behind Simon Patterson's Standfast.

The Royal London YC race officer, Mike Randall, and his team were absolutely outstanding on both days. Despite shifty conditions they managed to get 3 races each day under way with near perfect racecourses and a very efficient transition between races.

The weekend highlighted the incredible strength in depth of the Etchells class, with a very high standard of racing and teams from the Etchells Youth Academy, Etchells Youth Performance Academy and dedicated owners bringing a very high standard of competition.

Overall Results:

Pos Bow No Sail No Boat Name Skipper / Crew R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 Pts

1 52 GBR 1352 Jolly Roger Tom Abrey / Matt Reid / Jack Sharland 3 5 1 1 5 1 11

2 57 GBR 957 Alison (Corinthian) (Youth) Harry Cowell / Arthur Brown / Matt Barrett / Fodhla Dunne 4 7 5 4 1 3 17

3 60 GBR 1460 Man's Best Friend David Maclean / Harry Blowers / Quentin Bes‑Green 2 1 6 2 7 7 18

4 51 GBR 1351 Audrey (Corinthian) (Youth) Ted Blowers / Robby Boyd / Will Birch Tomlinson 1 8 3 6 2 6 18

5 89 GBR 1508 Standfast Simon Patterson / Luke Cross / Robert Bunce 5 6 2 5 4 5 21

6 71 GBR 1271 Ziggy (Corinthian) (Youth) David Bromilow / Haydn Sewell / Oscar Cawthorne / Hector Bennett 7 3 7 8 3 2 22

7 14 GBR 1014 Palaver (Corinthian) (Youth) Jaydon Owusu / Jessye Opoku‑Ware / Felipe Garcia / Corneille LePrince 9 DSQ 8 3 6 4 30

8 39 GBR 1439 Rocketman (Corinthian) Rob Goddard / Arlo Brand / Dylan Collingbourne 8 2 4 12 12 9 35

9 92 GBR 927 Shamal (Corinthian) (Youth) Owen Colbern / Charlie Cooper / Max Bradley / Becky Caiger / Ollie Maclean 10 9 11 7 9 10 45

10 7 GBR 1407 Astrid (Youth) Pedro Roberts / James Oxenham / Vicky Cowan / Tiarnan Brown 12 4 9 11 11 11 46

11 20 GBR 1020 SUMO (Corinthian) (Youth) Hamish Pimm / Camereon Yates / Thomas Clayton / Jamie Wilkinson 6 11 10 10 10 12 47

12 82 GBR 782 Pulse (Corinthian) (Youth) Maisie Harkess / Heather Quinn / Alicia Biggs / Lia Horne 11 12 12 9 8 8 48

13 48 GBR 1148 Ariel (Corinthian) (Youth) Kate MacAdorey / Charlie Ellis / George Sellwood / Naomi Richards / Ross Southwell 13 10 13 13 13 13 62

Challenger Coaching Weekend at Rutland Sailing Club

 

The weekend 27-28 April saw the first Challenger event of the season. It was a coaching weekend led by Brett Cokayne, the RYA's National Sailability Developer. On Sunday Brett was joined by Andy Gordon of Scaling Dam. The weekend was made possible with the support of RYA Sailability, Rutland Sailability and Rutland Sailing Club.

Saturday saw eleven sailors, from six different clubs and Sailability groups, meet promptly at 10:00 ready for sailing. For four of these sailors it was their first ever Challenger event (it is hoped it won't be their last!). Four of the visiting sailors were loaned Rutland Sailability Challengers and they were very grateful to have such good quality boats.

There was a brisk north easterly wind (F4 gusting F5) and it was very cold but after an initial briefing the fleet headed out on the water. The fleet started with a "Round the clock" exercise covering all points of sail. Rory McKinna commented that while he'd done this activity before in a monohull it was rather different in a multihull with more care needed to avoid stalling on the tight turns. Tim Cripps (ex-Laser sailor) found the activity useful to start to get to grips with the manoeuvrability of the Challenger and its controls.

This was followed by a "follow my leader" exercise. On a whistle this turned into a practice start with sailors coming up on the wind and then tacking on the whistle while trying to hold their lane. The activity was then reversed with a bear away and gybing on the whistle.

On Sunday  the wind had swung westerly and it was predominantly F4/5 gusting F6 occasionally F7. The direction and strength rendered one of the slips unusable as the waves were bouncing chaotically off the pontoon. There was much staring at waterlogged ground and waterlogged Challengers in the bitingly cold wind. The cancellation of club racing confirmed the decision that it was going to be a theory day and no one objected.

Thanks are due to Brett Cokayne and Andy Gordon, RYA Sailability and Rutland Sailing Club. Thanks also to Rutland Sailability for loan of their RIB, Challengers and to their volunteers (particularly those involved in the bows first launches), and to the additional volunteers who came to help simply because we asked them to! Finally, thanks to Val Millward and Annie Molyneux who organised the entire weekend.

Cadet Coaching and Racing at Solway Yacht Club

 

There was quite a buzz about Kippford at the weekend seeing the start of the cadet coaching and racing. Whilst there has been some club racing over the last few weekends, this weekend was all about the cadets.

The fair winds and sunshine made for great conditions for a group of five 9-11 year olds. Under the watchful eye of RYA Senior Instructor April Whiteley, the cadets took to the water in Picos; two in a boat to build on last year's skills and blow away the cobwebs. They progressed well over the course of the weekend all sailing by themselves on the Sunday. One cadet said, "I capsized the boat, but it was fine, April believed in me, which gave me the confidence and determination to get the boat upright myself".

The sun continued to shine on Sunday and the racing kicked off for the more advanced cadets. It was great to see the friendship forged over the last few years, rekindled within minutes. Organised by Training Officer, Emma McRobert, the cadet series is aimed as a steppingstone towards the main racing series and to ensure there is an element of fun to racing. A "buddy" system was introduced where cadets had to work with each other, thinking about the course, their start, talking tactics, learning and supporting each other on and off the water. After a short briefing 12 boats made their way out to the start hut. The coaches were able to observe and take notes during the racing to provide a valuable learning debrief back off the water.

A huge thanks to everyone who made this happen. Next race day is 8th June, more sunshine please!

In the meantime it's the Club's Open Day on on Saturday 11th May when the Club looks forward to welcoming the local community to sample the delights of all types of boating in our beautiful surroundings.

Sports come together for clean water

 

Seven national governing bodies of water-based sports have announced they're coming together to form an alliance calling for clean open water across the UK.

The Clean Water Sports Alliance of Angling Trust, British Rowing, British Triathlon, GB Outrigger, Paddle UK, Royal Yachting Association and Swim England has united over the issue of water pollution, setting the vision to achieve healthy and nature rich blue spaces across the UK for everyone to enjoy water sports.

Collectively, the organisations represent almost 450,000 members, elite athletes, participants and many more water users across the country who rely on UK waters for sport and recreation.

They are now joining forces to call for change to protect those they represent and the natural world in which they participate.

Pollution from various sources contaminates UK inland and coastal waters, damaging ecosystems and causing illness within people who take part in sport and physical activity in, on or around these waters. Water that is unfit to host water-based sport has also caused events, training sessions and activities to be cancelled or postponed because it has not met the standards for safe participation.

By uniting, the Clean Water Sports Alliance will work together to influence decision makers and drive positive change, working collaboratively to highlight issues and create solutions to help return the UK's blue spaces to be where nature can thrive and sport and recreation can be enjoyed.

The Alliance has set out three priorities that will inform its actions:

Further and faster action on pollution. Improving the health of UK waters by 2030

Enable people to make real-time informed choices about where and when to participate in water-based sports and activities?

Recognition of all recreational water users across decision making and policy

Aligned to its own priorities, the Alliance is making three asks of regulators and decision makers:

Regulators to be adequately funded to monitor, investigate and hold polluters to account, harnessing nature-based solutions?

Enable accurate access to real-time water quality information all year round including the compulsory monitoring of all sewage outlets; recognition of open source science relating to water quality and the creation of a centralised information hub for all water sports users?

Advocate a change from 'bathing waters' to 'recreation waters' within government policy to recognise the wide range of activities that depend on clean water

The UK has continued to score near the bottom of the European bathing water quality index, with the limited action currently being taken not making significant improvements.

J/24 Fowey Trophy 2024

 

The Fowey Cup commenced under fairly cold, but great sailing conditions with easterly winds ranging from 12 to 14 knots. Sailors faced a choppy sea state under sunny skies, setting the stage for intense competition. Throughout the day, four races challenged the fleet, each highlighting tactical prowess and competitive sailing.

After three races Day 1 concluded with Shane Hewlett extending his dominance with yet another victory on Mr Mann in Race 4. MaJic secured 2nd place with NJO2 in 3rd, matching the overall results for the end of the day.

Sunday's racing brought lighter and more variable winds, testing the adaptability and strategic skills of the competitors. The start of racing was delayed due to the unpredictable wind patterns, but two races were successfully sailed in shifting winds ranging from 4 to 8 knots and shifting from easterly to south-westerly directions.

After two days of thrilling competition, Shane Hewlett aboard Mr Mann emerged as the overall winner of the 2024 Fowey Cup. Tim Octon on NJO2 secured second place, followed by James Torr helming MaJic in third. Neil Trathen on Juggernaut claimed the top spot among the Westerly division, showcasing impressive sailing throughout the event.

The return of the J24 fleet to Fowey after several years away was celebrated by a great turnout, particularly of Westerly boats, as the fleet start their qualification campaign for the 2025 World Championships to be held in Plymouth. The event would not have been possible without the dedication and hard work of the race officer, volunteers, and thanks go to the Royal Fowey Yacht Club and Fowey Gallants Sailing Club for hosting a fantastic event.

Overall Results: -

Pos Boat name Sail No Helm R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 Pts

1st Mr Mann 4241 Shane Hewlett 1 ‑2 1 1 2 1 6

2nd NJO2 4266 Tim Octon ‑6 3 2 3 1 3 12

3rd MaJic 4248 James Torr 2 1 3 2 ‑6 5 13

4th Juggernaut 4026 Neil Trathen 3 5 4 ‑8 4 7 23

5th WiJit 4235 Sam Marshall ‑7 6 5 7 5 2 25

6th Jive 4261 David Cooper 4 4 6 6 ‑7 6 26

7th DanJerous When Wet 5238 Mark Lewers 5 7 7 5 ‑9 4 28

8th Violent J 4013 Casper Barton 8 ‑9 9 4 3 8 32

9th Hitchhiker 4242 Chris Randall ‑11 8 8 9 10 10 45

10th Jojo 4103 Diogo Freitas 9 10 10 ‑11 8 9 46

11th Red Alert 4124 Chloe Nunn 10 (OCS) 11 10 11 11 53

Bembridge Illusion St George's Day Trophy

 

Not the kindest weather for the final weekend of the Illusion season, however it could have been worse and at least the drizzle on Saturday held off until the finish of the last of the four races for the St George's Day Trophy.

With all four races counting (i.e no discard), Rory was first overall with 6 points; Owen was second on 12 points and Caroline was third on 13 points.

Fortunately the heavy overnight rain had stopped and the sun was clearly trying to appear for the eight Illusionists who wanted to join in the traditional final race(s) of the season for the Woodford Long Distance Trophy early on Sunday afternoon. Originally forecast as a F5 NNW, it had backed to the W/SW and reduced to the top end of a F4.

After a briefing to explain what was planned, the eight boats made a clean start and headed up to a laid windward mark which they rounded to starboard; then it was out of the harbour to Garland (port), Nainby (to starboard) and a finish at the Tide Gauge.

Two days of surprisingly good racing to finish the 2023-2024 season. We look forward to seeing the fleet back in early October for the start of the 2024-2025 season.

Overall Results:

Helm Sail No R1 R2 R3 R4 Pts Pos R1 R2 Pts Pos St George's Day + Woodford Long D. race

Rory Morrison` 120 1 1 1 3 6 1 1 2 3 1

Owen Pay 160 2 5 4 1 12 2        

Caroline Simonds 67 3 3 3 4 13 3        

Colin Simonds 138 5 6 2 2 15 4        

Tim Lyle 163 4 4 5 6 19 5 8 R 17 8

Mike Issaias 21 8 2 6 5 21 6 4 R 13 6

Mike Toogood 142 6 7 7 7 27 7 2 R 11 5

Jamie Scrimgour 172 7 9 8 8 32 8        

Will Lowe 150 9 8 9 9 35 9 7 6 13 7

Robin Ebsworth 12 10 11 10 10 41 10        

Crispin Kenyon 125 11 9 11 11 42 11        

Monty Irwin 147 3 3 6 3

Alastair Speare‑Cole 135 6 4 10 4

David Peerless 140 5 1 6 2

Set sail for adventure as Gloucester Tall Ships Festival unveils exciting line-up

 

Anchors aweigh for a whale of a time at the Gloucester Tall Ships Festival. More details have been released about plans for this year’s event which will be set against the historic backdrop of Gloucester Docks over the Spring Bank Holiday weekend, from Saturday, May 25 to Monday, May 27.

Alongside a main stage music line-up, which features ‘Wellerman’ chart-topper Nathan Evans, and festival favourites such as Brassienda and The Old Time Sailors, the festival is fit to bursting with street theatre, interactive installations, playgrounds, funfairs and a submarine that will be skippered by a DJ.

Sailing Trip Around Cyprus

 

An amazing sailing trip around Cyprus !!

Day 1: Depart from Larnaca or Limassol and sail to Protaras. Explore the beautiful beaches and enjoy a relaxing evening by the sea.

Day 2: Sail to Ayia Napa and spend the day exploring the lively town, its beaches, and nightlife.

Day 3: Head towards Cape Greco and anchor in its stunning bay. Take a hike along the cliffs for breathtaking views.

Day 4: Sail to Larnaca and visit the Finikoudes promenade and Larnaca Salt Lake, home to flamingos in winter.

Day 5: Depart for Limassol and enjoy a day of sightseeing, including Limassol Castle and the Old Town.

Day 6: Sail to Paphos and explore its archaeological sites, including the Tombs of the Kings and the Paphos Archaeological Park.

Day 7: Relax in the beautiful bay of Coral Bay, swim, snorkel, and enjoy the crystal-clear waters.

Day 8: Head to Akamas Peninsula and anchor in Blue Lagoon. Spend the day swimming and sunbathing in this pristine natural setting.

Day 9: Sail to Polis and explore the charming town, visit the Baths of Aphrodite, and enjoy a traditional Cypriot meal.

Day 10: Return to your starting point, taking in any sights you missed along the way, and reminisce about your incredible sailing adventure around Cyprus.

                                        " Safe travels and fair winds ! "

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WE STRIVE TO BRING YOU THE BEST YACHT RENTALS with Guaranteed availability, and secure online booking and payment, to help make Your experience the VERY BEST 👍

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Sailingfast Thames Valley Grand Prix ILCA Open at Papercourt Sailing Club

 

Bright, blustery, and cold - the conditions set the stage for a testing ILCA class event at Papercourt Sailing Club, Surrey, on Sunday, 21st April. The event is part of the Sailingfast, Thames Valley Grand Prix ILCA series. With 21 competitors including 8 in ILCA 7 and 13 in ILCA 6, there were visitors from Wembley, Fairlop Waters SC, Reading and elsewhere, braving the elements.

Breezy conditions and unpredictable gusts made for a test of skill and strategy on the water. The wind tracked left in the afternoon, which opened up opportunities for some gains on the larger shifts. In both the ILCA 6 and ILCA 7 fleets, the competition was tight, with leading positions changing hands multiple times in each race.

In the morning in the ILCA 7 fleet, Simon, who was clearly still revved up from landing that morning from an internation flight, took poll position for the first race. Then Bruce gathered himself from an earlier messy start to take first place for the second race.

A tasty and welcome hot lunch provided much-needed sustenance, fuelling the competitors for the races in the afternoon. Many thanks to Jill, Cathy, Colin and Sue for pulling together a great spread.

In the afternoon, most of the ILCA 7 sailors took a turn at the front, but Bruce held onto the habit of coming out ahead at the finish line, with a selection of others taking second.

Race officers Martin and Ann played a pivotal role in ensuring the smooth running of the event. Their expertise in setting a course that maximized the usage of the lake, coupled with getting all races under way in good time, was commendable.

Many thanks go to the rescue crews. Their vigilance and quick response ensured the safety of the competitors throughout the day.

As the day drew to a close and the sailors returned to shore, there was a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment in the air. Despite the cold winds and challenging conditions, the ILCA Open had been a resounding success, showcasing the skill, determination, and camaraderie of all the sailors. 

Thank you to Sailingfast for their role as lead sponsor for the Grand Prix Series.

The next event in the Thames Valley series is at Fisher's Green on 4th May. Other future events are on the ILCA events page : - portal.ilca.uk/events

ILCA 7 Results:

Pos Sail No Helm Club R1 R2 R3 R4 Pts

1st 197342 Bruce Ramshaw Papercourt ‑4 1 1 1 3

2nd 207591 Simon Hamment Papercourt 1 ‑2 2 2 5

3rd 215492 Andrew Hill‑Smith Papercourt 2 3 5 ‑6 10

4th 222771 Richard Lymposs Pepercourt 3 4 ‑6 4 11

5th 209002 Colin Carver Wembly SC ‑6 6 3 3 12

6th 204719 Andrew McLeish Fairlop Waters SC ‑5 5 4 5 14

7th 136074 Joseph Watson Papercourt 7 7 7 (DNC) 21

8th 179587 Gavin Goldblatt Papercourt (DNC) DNC DNC DNC 27

ILCA 6 Results:

Pos Sail No Helm Club R1 R2 R3 R4 Pts

1st 222770 Kaitlyn Wyatt Papercourt 2 ‑3 1 1 4

2nd 203312 Lauren Irons Papercourt 1 1 ‑3 3 5

3rd 218940 Christopher Kilshaw ‑4 4 2 2 8

4th 202214 Andrew Boyce Papercourt 3 2 ‑4 4 9

5th 203275 Shirley Vann Papercourt 6 5 ‑7 5 16

6th 173517 Liz Hill‑Smith Papercourt 5 7 ‑8 6 18

7th 208650 Victoria Robinson Papercourt ‑7 6 5 7 18

8th 181643 Susan Lewis Papercourt ‑10 8 6 8 22

9th 204965 Paul Southall ‑12 9 10 9 28

10th 160347 Russell Bavington‑Hall Papercourt ‑11 11 9 10 30

11th 200509 Michael James Papercourt 8 10 (DNC) DNC 31

12th 181060 Niall Maynard Papercourt 9 12 (DNC) DNC 34

RS100 Rooster National Tour - Harken RS Sprint Regatta at Rutland Sailing Club

 

The Sprints are well known for being challenging on mind and body. With 12 races in two days and no discards, consistency is key. Any slip can be costly, and so it proved to be.

The conditions were at the more wintry end of an English Spring: a force 3 to 4 North Easterly coming from the Arctic. Everyone was wrapped up as if it were mid-Winter, with dry suits and woolly hats the order of the weekend.

So the podium ended up with David Smart (Chew Valley Lake) winning, Mark Harrison (Gurnard) second with the ever consistent Tom Fletcher (Hunts) third.

A massive thank you to Rutland for the efficient running of 12 races with never more than a 10 minute break between those races. An enormous thanks to Harken for their sponsorship of this great event. And many thanks to Rooster for their continued sponsorship of the RS100 National Tour.

Overall Results:

Pos Sail No Helm Club R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 R7 R8 R9 R10 R11 R12 Pts

1st 523 David Smart Chew Valley Lake SC 1 2 2 1 5 1 2 1 2 2 2 1 22

2nd 379 Mark Harrison Gurnard SC 3 3 3 3 2 3 1 2 1 1 1 4 27

3rd 124 Tom Fletcher Hunts SC 5 5 4 5 4 5 3 3 3 4 4 3 48

4th 221 Martin Wilson Emsworth SC 4 4 5 4 3 4 DNF RET 4 3 3 2 52

5th 509 Clive Eplett Frensham Pond 2 1 1 2 1 2 RET DNC DNC DNC DNC DNC 57

6th 472 Andrew Leather Middle Nene SC 7 6 7 6 DNC DNC 4 4 DNF DNC DNC DNC 82

7th 526 Mostyn Evans Mounts Bay SC 6 RET 6 DNC DNC DNC DNC DNC DNC DNC DNC DNC 92

Irish Fireball Munster Championships at Monkstown Bay Sailing Club

 

The Irish Fireball Munster Championships were held last weekend on April 20th/21st at Monkstown Bay Sailing Club in stunning weather conditions.

It had seemed like a long time coming but alas the wait was finally over and the eve of the first event of the season for the Fireball class had arrived. Months of harsh winter sailing had been endured and so the event at Monkstown Bay was met with much enthusiasm and excitement from the Fireball sailors.

Sailors travelled from all over Ireland to attend, such as Dublin, Sligo, Wexford, Kerry and Cork, to name a few.

The first morning of the championship in Monkstown was a spectacular sight. Twenty-five Fireballs were packed in to the dinghy park with competitors rigging at speed, eager to hit the water. Covers were folded away and sails unrolled. The crinkle of fresh spinnakers and sounds of enthusiastic chat were heard from all over. The atmosphere was bright and cheerful, the water a sparkling blue. The wind was warm and the sun was high, with a light sea breeze starting to fill in across the harbour. The air thrummed with anticipation while busy volunteers prepared for the day's racing.

Day two of the championship opened in a similar fashion. A lazy sun hung low over the bay and the sky was blue. The harbour was as still as a mill pond. A low tide made the bay look small but the birds sang and the water was inviting. The competitors arrived early, bulling to hit the water and get racing. The start was set an hour earlier than the day previous. The wind was due to fill in from the East, just in time for the first race.

Sails were hoisted and colourful spinnakers dried. Onlookers and supporters sat by, enjoying the spectacle.

After six exciting races over the weekend the prizes were presented by MBSC's commodore Jacqui O'Brien.

Winning the Fireball Munster Championships (and their first Fireball event) were Ewen Barry and Sandy Rimmington of the host club.

Second place went to Nicola Ferguson and Thomas Chaix of the National Yacht Club, competing in their first event as a team.

Third place went to Noel Butler and Stephen Oram of the National Yacht Club.

Winning the silver fleet were Brian Jones and Barry O'Connor of MBSC, in their first Fireball event.

Second place in the silver fleet went to Colm and Cormac Breene of DMYC. Third place in silver went to Paul ter Horst and Pat McGoldrick, also of DMYC.

Winner of the Classic trophy for his recent restoration of his Fireball named "Whiskey" went to 16 year old Sean O'Herlihy from Iniscarra Sailing and Kayaking Club, sailing with his new helm Frances Corkery of the same club.

This concluded the first event of the season for the Fireball Class. The championship was an extreme success, with sailors coming from all over the country. The weather could not have been better, the atmosphere could not have been happier. No fleet will match the Fireballs for their comradeship, friendliness, kind nature, and value. The class continues to grow rapidly as the people in our little country are quickly realising the boat that they have been missing throughout their lives is- a Fireball!

The road to Plymouth - the 2024 Cadet World Championship is heading to the UK

 

Teams from across the world will be heading to Plymouth, one of the most historic and important naval towns in the UK, this summer for the Cadet World Championship from 3rd to 10th August 2024. The event will see teams of young people aged from seven to seventeen, competing over a full week of exciting sailing to be crowned world champion.

Sailors will be working hard to be selected to represent their countries at events during the spring of 2024 and then will be sending their prized cadet dinghies to the UK for this prestigious event.

Over 200 sailors are set to take part in the event, with competitors coming from as far as Australia and Argentina, along with European teams from Germany, Belgium, Poland, The Netherlands, Ukraine and the Czech Republic.

The previous two events were held in Belgium in 2023 and Australia in 2022.

The event is being hosted (by Plymouth Youth Sailing Club) at The Mount Batten Centre in Plymouth, which commands stunning views looking out towards Plymouth's historic Barbican area, the Hoe.

Adrian Kemp, Commodore Plymouth Youth Sailing Club commented, "It's an honour to be hosting this year's Cadet World Championship in Plymouth. As a club dedicated to providing access to sailing for young people, we are proud to be welcoming youth sailors from across the world to our home waters. The Mount Batten Centre offers unique access to The Plymouth Sound, a tidal estuary famous for helping train sailors over hundreds of years, the site of many famous explorers launching their expeditions, and of course where the Mayflower famously began her voyage to America in 1620.

"All this history combines with the hundreds of sailors who sail here today on modern boats and dinghies, making it a key destination for sailors from across the world.

"At the Mount Batten Centre we pride ourselves on training the next generation of sailors and the skill, resilience and determination of the sailors coming in the summer will be second to none. I'm sure the whole event will be inspiring for the young people of Plymouth.

"Plymouth is a fantastic place to visit and we look forward to welcoming visitors from across the world."

The event is being sponsored by a variety of businesses who are inspired by the young people taking part, sponsors include NFU Mutual and Golden Duck Publishing with many Yacht Clubs and Sailing associations like The Old Gaffers Association, The Rival Owners Association, The Royal Suffolk & Norfolk Yacht Club and the Deban Yacht Club who are all stepping up to support the future of British Sailing.

Visit our new event website for the latest information and to sign up to the event :-

 www.cadetworlds.co.uk

You can follow the build up to the event by following @gbrcadets on Instagram or Facebook.

To register your interest in competing at the event visit :- www.cadetworlds.co.uk

To take advantage of one of the fantastic sponsorship opportunities visit :-

 www.cadetworlds.co.uk/sponsorship