Category: Dinghy racing

RYA Dinghy Hire Fleets

Would your club like more youngsters on the water for race training, regattas and fun weekends? Contact the YTF (Youth Training Fund) which manages 6 Fevas, 6 Teras and 12 Optibats for the RYA London and South East region. Start off in the Oppies, move on to a Tera or just get straight into a Feva which is a high performance, double handed dinghy with spinnaker. The Fevas come with training sails as well as mylar racing mains. All boats are fully equipped to be ‘rigged, launched and sailed’ and come on stacker road trailers. If the Fevas are too racy, try the Tera which is gaining popularity. Otherwise you have the fantastically reliable Optibat, the real starter boat which leads on to the Optimist and other classes which can be seen all over the world. 

  • Oppies on a trailer
  • Fevas on a trailer
  • Fevas racing on the Thames
  • Optibats
  • Teras

RYA L&SE Hire Fleet Charges 2019 5 days 2 days
Optibats (1 trailers with 6 boats) £300 £180
Teras   (1 trailer with 6 boats) £390 £230
Fevas     (1 trailer with 3 boats) £300 £180

Download a Booking Enquiry form from RYA website or contact Pip Deverson at ryalsehire@ryalse.org.uk  or mobile 07768 240467

Blackstakes buoy gone for good

The cylindrical yellow buoy on the south side of Saltpan Reach has again been removed by Peel Ports without notice, this time permanently. The Blackstakes buoy was a racing mark, located to keep boats well away from the LNG Terminal, as we are constantly exhorted to do by Peel Ports. As in 2016, the unexpected removal of the buoy has caused unnecessary inconvenience to clubs which race in the Medway estuary. Enquiries by Medway YC and the MSBA elicited the response from Peel Ports that the buoy was considered “not commercially viable” and today a notice to mariners was belatedly issued. The two adjacent commercial mooring buoys (Saltpan Nos. 8 and 9) have been given a fresh coat of yellow paint (see photo) but this does not mean they are a replacement for Blackstakes. There has been no explanation of why the clubs were not notified in advance of the buoy’s removal.

Blackstakes has gone. Don’t use these nearby yellow mooring buoys as a replacement.

Nominations invited for RYA Regional Youth Champion Awards

The RYA Regional Youth Champion Awards recognise the outstanding achievement and performance of talented young people in sailing, windsurfing and powerboating. The awards are a fantastic opportunity for clubs and class associations, as well as individuals, to reward those making an impact through performance and dedication – recognising the rising stars of the future.

For more information and to make your nomination visit www.rya.org.uk/go/youthchampion

KSSA 2019, Promoting Youth Sailing in Kent

The KSSA is a voluntary organisation which aims to encourage all keen youth sailors to develop their sailing skills through a range of Kent-based events. Throughout the year we organise training and racing events at sea and inland venues.

Once you can sail a simple triangular course, come along and get involved. Our members range from 8 to 18 and are individuals from sailing clubs and organisations across Kent. Many members are also RYA and class squad members – whatever your level KSSA will have training or an event for you.

Download KSSA 2019 flyer

Wayfarer Southern Area Champs, 8+9 Sept

This weekend sees the Wayfarer fleet descend on Medway Yacht Club for their Southern Area Championships and event number 6 of the Craftinsure sponsored Travellers and National Circuit Series.

A mixed bag of weather is expected by the 20 or so boats expected to enter with south westerly winds of force 4-5 with showers and sunny intervals on the Saturday followed by a westerly force 4-5 veering to the north west and reducing slightly accompanied by sunny intervals on Sunday. Of course, this being England, it could, and probably will, all change by the weekend.

The Medway Yacht Club is experienced at putting up the Wayfarers, having successfully hosted several Area and National Championships for the Class over the past decade. It is also home to one of the largest and most active Wayfarer racing club fleets in the Country. Aside from the racing, competitors will enjoy supper in the clubhouse and suffer the Commodore’s slightly dodgy but very funny quiz on the Saturday evening.

The Craftinsure Travellers Series has been very well supported in 2018. After the fifth event, 62 boats from 24 clubs have competed in at least one of the regattas. The best represented Club to date has been Medway YC and this statistic is unlikely to change over the weekend with at least a dozen local boats due to take part. The Series itself is currently led by Andrew and Tom Wilson from Datchet SC, from Bill Whitney and Lisa Whitney/John Shelton from Shoreham SC and then Brian Lamb and Sam Pygall from Wilsonian SC. All of these are expected to attend and be at or near the front of the fleet; Brian and Sam will be especially keen, as usual, to do well and put one over their near neighbours at the MYC.