Weymouth
Sailing
Club

With Sailing for Gold well underway and our guests out competing on the water it's nice to reflect on the memories we have captured in these past few weeks.

The French team turned up first with their Star quickly followed by the Kiwi's and their Aussie coach Andrew who did not understand the delights of 'warm beer'.

Weymouth Sailing Clubs youth section (YOB's) enjoyed the rides of their lives as New Zealand Sailing Team sailors took time out from their busy training schedule to coach and entertain the kids on their Olympic boats.

YOB’s co ordinator Phil Samways said “Apart from the Elliott boats which were being campaigned last weekend in a women’s match race competition at the national academy, many of their boats which included the powerful 49er's, were taken out into Weymouth Bay along with the clubs’ own fleet of dinghies.”

The Squib fleet picked one of the best sailing days of the summer to hold their annual picnic race to Ringstead. 

Mark Bugler and family in Saskia VI were Race Officers and with the help of the WSC safety boat got all of the Squibbers onto the pebble beach to enjoy a BBQ and swim.  The morning race was a beat to O mark followed by a reach to Bowleze and a  run down Ringstead and was won by Simon Vines sailing in 'Last Gasp'.  The return race was a good beat in fresh winds  across the bay to Destroyer buoy.  The winners and winners of the trophy overall were Colin Hammond and Caroline Nairn in 'Iceni Rebel'.

The Jubilee Cup is one of Weymouth Sailing Club's all-in races where
dinghies, squibs and yachts all start together. All boats race around
the same short course and average lap racing is applied to determine the
winner.  With boats of different sizes and speeds the start line can be
quite interesting !  This year a pleasant F3-4 breeze welcomed the
sailors and a small trapezoidal course was set. 

Video of the Start

The Henri Lloyd Yacht Clubs of Weymouth 2010 Dinghy Regatta was held on the 3^rd and 4^th of July, one week earlier than the Keelboat Regatta, and saw over 130 boats and 185 competitors taking part with fleets launching from both Weymouth Sailing Club and Castle Cove Sailing Club.  Racing was organised in Weymouth Bay using two course areas, with the Contender, Scorpion and Fireball Classes sailing a triangle – sausage course and the OK Class and Fast Handicap, Slow Handicap and Asymmetric Classes competing on a trapezoid course. 

Champagne sailing conditions

The keelboat regatta ended on Sunday after three days of fantastic conditions. The wind blew F3-5 from SSW to W with beautiful flat seas, scenery and sunshine in Weymouth Bay. A variety yachts and keelboats competed from National Squibs to a 50' ocean-going yacht.
Friday saw all the IRC and PYN handicap yacht classes on their long distance race. Different courses were set involving the areas many fixed marks from East Shambles off Portland Bill to Portland Harbour. Squibs enjoyed close racing round the cans with two back-to-back races. The evening entertainment was lubricated with a Palmers Beer promotion at Weymouth Sailing Club.

The Olympics come to Weymouth Sailing Club with the arrival of the first boats to train in the bay this week - NZ and French Star crews and their coaches will be in the clubhouse to meet other members when everyone comes off the water this evening.

Left to right: Julien, (FFV windsurfer) Hamish, Craig (NZ Star), Xavier, Pierre-Alexis (FFV Star)...

Many congratulations to Mike and Penny Fenwick who have won the National Squib Championships 2010 for the second time in Ghost Rider.  The championship was held this year at the Royal St George Yacht Club Dun Laoghaire Dublin. 

Also sailing in the championship were Eddie Harper and Chris Hogg in Quicksilver.

Full results and reports of the championship http://www.rsgyc.ie/squibs2010/

The photo shows Mike and Penny winning the championship in Abersoch in 2007.

Of the 15 Weymouth boats who entered this years Round the Island race, 8 turned out at 7am on a beautiful sunny morning for the first ever feeder race to Cowes. Using Weymouth Sailing Club (hut) start line the wind died minutes before the start to leave many yachts on course side. Some 15 minutes before all were away and patience soon ran out with Rattler being the first to retire closely followed by Manana. This only left Tumba Rhumba in the PY class but their frustrations got the better of them and they motored off to Cowes. Those remaining were soon rewarded by a freshening breeze and they  thundered towards St Aldhelms. After a few tangles with the range boats the headland was rounded & the Needles lighthouse was in sight. Unfortunately the wind died across the bay and the transit times taken at St Aldhelms were used to finish the race. 4 boats made declarations all of them IRC class.