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Latest News Items 29er Nationals 2013 at Hayling Island Launch of the UK 29er Class Youth Squad Going to the World Champs and wanting RIB support? Considering a boat upgrade? Grand Prix Results after 2 Events Welsh Youth Nationals Report 2013-14 RYA Volvo Transition Training Programme Guidelines Events Calendar on your Smart Phone Zhik UK 2013 National and Open Championships, and UK 29er Eurocup 2013 Class International Competition Travel Grants 2013 RYA NYS & International Competition Support Selection Policy Rutland Harken Grand Prix Race Results & Report 29er Worlds 2013 Aarhus - Sailing base change 29er Harken Grand Prix Series 2013 - Prizes Announced 29er Harken Grand Prix Series 2013 Noble Marine Winter Championships 2013 - Event Report Follow the Action on Twitter Noble Marine Winter Championships 2013 Results 2012 Annual Review Rescheduled Advanced Open Training - now 2/3 March at HISC 29er Worlds 2013 - Aarhus - Online entry now open 29er Worlds 2013 - Arhuus - Dates confirmation Harken extends sponsorship of the 29er Grand Prix Series until 2016 International 29er Class Association - 2012 Report Membership 2013 Ed and Matt 2nd at a Windy Grafham Pete Bucktrout Looking for 29er venues in Antarctica Advanced Open Training 5 Royal Torbay Yacht Club 2012 Zhik National Championships - Event DVD GBR girls top in EuroCup Series 2012 Statement re: Mast Head Floats RYA Volvo Transition Training Programme Guidelines Ovingtons Inland Championship Report and Results Harken Grand Prix Series 2012 - Final Report Eurocup 8 - Garda - Brits Rule Harken GP8 - Pwllheli - Results and Report Harken GP Series Results Final 29er Team come 2nd overall at RYA Eric Twiname Team Racing 2012 Advanced Open Training 3 & 4 at Hayling Island Sailing Club UK29er Class Association Committee 2012/13 HISC Harken GP - Report 2013 World Championships Advanced Open Training 2 Rutland Sailing Club 2012 Zhik National Championships - Photos Don't Miss Out on Training Weekends Training events explained Report - Harken GP - Torquay Harken 29er Grand Prix 6, 2012 - Royal Torbay YC Royal Torbay YC - Harken Grand Prix - The BLOG is back Advanced Open Training 2 Royal Torbay Yacht Club Advanced Open Training Online Entry Now Open Harken 29er Grand Prix 5, 2012 - Ullswater Thorpe Bay Open this w/e Harken Ullswater GP - Results Advance Open Training 2012 Europeans - Event Video Zhik 29er National Championships 2012 - Final Report Zhik 2012 29er Nationals - Event blog UK29er Class Association - 2011 Accounts 2012 Worlds, Europeans and ISAF Youth Worlds - Results Posted A moment to shine! RYA Volvo National Youth Squad 2012/13 - Applications now Open ISAF Youth Worlds - follow the B&T show here Revised MESI's and Class Rules Harken 29er Grand Prix 4, 2012 - Parkstone Lymington Town - Tigress Triumph Training Policy for 12/13 Harken Grand Prix 4, 2012 - Parkstone YC - Final Results Kiel finals Kiel Day 3 Kiel Week underway with 3 GBR teams Squad applications for the British Keelboat Academy now open Ribs at the Nationals 29er Class Association Support Grants for the 2012 World Championships The Sailingfast Scottish 29er Tour 2012 - East Lothian Harken Queen Mary Grand Prix Photos Queen Mary report John Mather Queen Mary, Harken GP3 - final Dabchicks Report Worlds 2012 - Campervan and Motorhome Booking New 29er's at discounted prices Team Kernow win Irish Youth Nationals RYA Youth Nationals a ripping success (click for results) Harken Grand Prix Series 2012 - Rutland Event Report Doing his bit for the Olympics! 2012 Class International Competition Travel Grants Noble Marine 29er Winter Championships - Report Worlds and Euro's Update 2012 Eurocup Event 1 - Sant Carles de Rapita, Spain - Results ITS OFFICIAL – ANY material may be used to pack your Daggerboard slot! UK 29er Class announces Honorary Life Memberships for Olympic and Paralympic Sailors Notice of Race - Harken Grand Prix Series 2012 Committee Announcements for 2012 Club House, the new way to manage your details Membership 2012 Sailjuice Global Warmup Series - A Glorious start to 2012 Great finish to the 2011 Open Training Camera, lights, ... action! International Travel Plans - Updated "Virtual Rigger" Sponsorship Opportunity Open Training at Rutland Sublime 29er training for all Photos from the Inlands Great little video from Garda Ovington Inlands Inlands results Open Training Feedback Final results from Garda 2011 Harken Grand Prix Series Overall - Report Northampton Final Results - after day 2 Committee Conference Call minutes posted ... Harken Dabchicks Grand Prix Harken Dabchicks 29er GP Results Endeavour Trophy - 29ers (well ex)..on top Let the b**** main out! Wind at the Europeans this year? latest coaching methods - the real secrets! Datchet Harken GP Day 2 report Datchet Harken GP Day 1 report Class Association Membership explained Lymington Harken GP report Class Resolutions approved at the AGM now available on the website New Class IT Manager Required Some Stats from the Europeans (Accuracy not confirmed!) The high tech way of righting your skiff 2011/12 UK 29er Class Association Committee Relive the Blog from the 2011 Zhik 29er Nationals Resolutions for presentation / approval at the 2011 AGM German Nationals Ovington Press Release - 08/07/11 Pwllheli Grand Prix Grand Prix Series Results after Pwllheli Annual General Meeting 2011 29er UK Nationals at RTYC Committee Meeting Minutes - March 2011 2011/12 RYA Volvo 29er Transition Training Squad 29er Open at Bough Beech SC Free Training for Female Skiff Sailors! 2016 Olympic boat decision..... 29er Eurocup – Cavalaire, France, 22nd – 25th April 2011 New Class Association Constitution approved and published 2011 Youth Nationals - HISC 29er is the largest double hander fleet at the 2011 RYA Volvo Youth National Championships Rutland Grand Prix Report Antilles Sailing Federation propose 29er as Olympic boat! The final Open Training weekend for the 2010/11 programme Grand Prix Notice of Race and Major Event Sailing Instructions 29er Northern & Scottish sailors It’s here - UK 29er Class Association Team Kit Special General Meeting – 26th March 2011 Open Training at Draycote 26th & 27th February 29erXX Superbowl - The video Jack & Chris Win the Opening Race of the 2011 Eurocup Series 3rd Transitional Squad Training Weekend Open Training at Grafham 29th & 30th January Open Training Feedback Transitional Training Squad at Grafham 22nd/23rd January Open Training at Draycote 22nd & 23rd January First 29er Transitional Squad Weekend Area Sailor Reps 29er Worlds - Final Blog Open Training Programme for Jan – Mar 2011 and Training Policy - Latest news from the Committee Appointment of Co-opted Sailor Representatives Appointment of UK 29er Class Administrator 2011 RYA VOLVO Transition Training Squad Selection Grafham Grand Prix - January 2nd Picture Postcard Weather for DWSC Open Training International 29er Merchandise Harken support for National Youth Squad Women's Skiff for the Olympics in 2016 A Weekend of Manoeuvres.... Where are the 29er Sailors based Team GBR at 2011 Worlds in January What’s Happening at the ISAF Conference? 29er Facebook Group Open Training Feedback Italian Eurocup - A Bollywood Production Italian Eurocup - A Parent's View Italian Eurocup Have you seen the new Contacts page? HARKEN Grand Prix Series - Final Results Northampton Grand Prix - Photos Northampton Grand Prix - Results Strategy Presentation given at Northampton SC Class Strategy Paper SHOCK Accumulator Postscript 10th Anniversary Tide Ride Hayling Shock Accumulator 2011 Worlds Funding Announcement The Inlands need YOU! WPNSA Open Training Report All you ever wanted to know about the 2010 HARKEN Grand Prix series Thorpe Bay Report RYA National Youth Squad Announcement 29er Open Training – Draycote Water SC – 18th/19th September Lymington Open Meeting- Results Lymington Open Meeting- Photos Datchet Open meeting Results Datchet Open report by Will Carlisle
Creeping up - 15 entries so far ... ? Normal entry fee entries are accepted up until midnight on 14th July, so only just over a month to go .... get your entry in to avoid paying the late entry fee please, and help planning. Click the heading!
We are pleased to announce the formation of a new national Class squad from September this year. Full details can be found by clicking on the link above. Any questions, please let Tim Blackstone, Training Officer, know.
We need to know whether there are enough crews wanting RIB support who are not part of a Squad, to decide whether to take the class RIB to Denmark. Click the heading for mre details.
Ovington boats are taking orders for nearly boats which will become available after a weeks sailing at ISAF youth worlds in Cyprus. if you are thinking about buying a new boat this is a great offer.
A great event worth going to next year.
Thinking of applying for the 29er RYA Volvo Transition Squad next autumn; everything you need to know is in the policy now published by the RYA. Click the heading (also posted in the RYA Squads Section of the 29er website accessed from the 'Class Association' Tab left).
Add Google Calendar to your system
(Outlook, iCal, Google Page, etc)
Add using the address: http://www.google.com/calendar/ical/events%4029ersailing.org.uk/public/basic.ics
Entry for the Zhik UK 2013 National and Open Championships, and UK 29er Eurocup is now open.
Entries should be completed and paid for by 14th July. Late fees apply after this date but can be accepted until 4th August.
As per last year, we are again making available a small number of travel grants for members of the class association, specifically for the World Championships and the Garda Eurocup event; These are not available to members of the RYA Volvo NYS or TS who will be eligible for RYA grants in due course. Click the heading for full details.
This has now been uploaded into the RYA Squads tab on the Class Association page; click the heading to check what events you need to do to qualify for 2013 NYS April Entry, 2013 International Support Grants and 2013/14 NYS Selection.
Now posted in the Events & Results Section; Click on the link.
Please click heading for statement on the change of actual base in Aarhus for this years World Championships. More to follow hopefully.
Click the heading for announcements re: prizes available for this years Harken Grand Prix Series on the Yachts & Yachting website. Many thanks to Phil Tilley for helping put some great prizes in place for 2013.
You can now sign up for the Harken Grand Prix Events. The Notice of Race has been published and can be obtained from the event pages on the web-site. Harken are in the process of reviewing the prizes for this series. Look out for the press release before the Dinghy Show.
Next event is the Grand Prix at Rutland Water Sailing Club
Now posted - Click the heading.
Click the link for the 29er Twitter page for Race updates and news.
2012 was another good year for the class in the UK, take a look at some of the achievements in this annual review.
Last weekend's cancelled event will now be on 2/3 March at HISC and will be restricted to 6 boats due to the challenge of securing top coaches - it will be lead by Phil Walker. Priority will be given to those signed up for the cancelled weekend.
Click the heading to enter the 2013 World Championships. Note that you MUST be a 2013 member of the UK 29er Class Association and have your International Membership number before entering.
See attached note re: event dates confirmation versus ferry options from Harwich to Denmark.
Harken has agreed to sponsor the Grand Prix series until 2016 which secures the future of the series with attractive prizes and other additional support to be detailed later. Harken have sponsored the series for the past 5 years and will now take this support to the next level. The new sponsorship agreement will generously reward success at each event and overall, whilst also supporting junior sailor involvement. Details of the package will be disclosed later. For the full release Click the heading
Check out the report from the International Class Association and membership statistics, confirming GBR as the largest country association (by some way) for the second year running. Click the heading.
Membership fees for 29er members are due from 1st January 2013. Online 2013 membership is available from midnight tonight. Please follow the link here to renew.
Ed Connellen and Matt Rhodes won the first race and came third in the 2nd race in champagne sailing conditions at the Grafham Grand Prix.
How far will your committee go to find new 29er venues? Click on the title link to find out!
New Advanced Open Training in Torquay, please enter here.
Get your orders in now for the DVD of the the 2012 Zhik National Championships. Apologies for the delay in gettig this produced, but order fast if you want a copy for Christmas. Click the heading for details.
Congratulations to Vicki Payne and Stephi Orton for being top girls and 6th Overall in the EuroCup 2012 Series. Click heading for final results
General statement re: Mast Head Floats being used at UK 29er Class organised events. Click the heading.
Updated guildelines including revised scoring that will be used for squad selection; updates made following the flighted 2012 Inlands; Click the heading to see the RYA Guidelines.
The report and results from the inland championships are now available on the event results website. Thanks to Owen Bowerman for the report
Now available - click the heading.
Congratulations to Owen Bowerman / Morgan Peach (1st), Matt Venables / Will Alloway (2nd), and Vicki Payne / Stephi Orton (4th) - an almost clean sweep at the last Eurocup of 2012 at Lake Garda. Great for GBR!
Now posted on the Results Section.
let me know of any queries tom@29ersailing.org.uk
Congratulations to the 29er team at the 2012 RYA Eric Twiname Team Racing champs ... 2nd overall - a great result for the 29er class. Well done Will, Matt, Owen, Harry, Morgan and Alice. Report to follow.
Advanced open training 3 & 4 has now been organised at Hayling Island sailing club. Please see the event list to book your place. Spaces limited to 10 boats only.
Introducing your new committee for 2012 / 13 ... click the heading for more details.
So much to say and not enough space - so read the article and in the meantime congrats to Owen Bowerman & Morgan Peach with their maiden GP victory, Charlotte Hooper & Molly Brown for their brilliant final day to nail the Ladies prize, Luke Berry & Henry Morley for wrapping up the U16's and most importantly of all - all the new talent in the class who help set the place ablaze with intent, fun and wonder.
Revised dates have been announced for the 2013 World Championships in Aarhus, Denmark. So please update your calendars. Tom
New Advanced Open Training at Rutland Sailing Club to replace Royal Torbay. Please enter online here.
Photos are now available for purchase from this years Nationals ... click on the heading for details on how to view the pictures, and order.
for more information please click the heading
To help understand the different training events and squads available to 29er sailors, please see the Training policy by following this link.
Just click and read
Results posted; click the heading
As a trial for this weekend we have got the Event Blog working again - click the heading to keep up with the news from Torquay.
Online entry and more details for the second advanced open training at Royal Torbay Yacht Club on 10th and 11th November are now available.
Online entry and more details for the first advanced open training at Weymouth Sailing Academy on 13 & 14th October are now available.
Report now posted; click the heading
Results posted - click the heading
A maiden GP victory?? for Rob & Emma Loveridge. Roan Edwards & Daniel Blight and Ed Connellan & Matt Rhodes join them on the podium. Big Northern turnout with a shed load from Scotland. 21 different clubs represented I think. Bring it on... Great stuff!
The Class Association is looking to create a series of Advanced Open Training events to support more able and competent 29er sailors.
These events are aimed at able sailors in the class, including older sailors and those who have not been selected for the National Youth Squad (NYS). The class has grown enormously over the last 12 months and it has become inevitable that there will be more such sailors not in squads but still seeking suitable advanced level training – many of these will be seeking entry to the NYS during 2013. Please follow the link for more information.
We're you there ... are you in the video? Clck the heading.
Click the heading
Now live - click the heading!!
In advance of next weeks Annual General Meeting, the 2011 Accounts are now available for viewing; Click the heading.
Results all available under the Events and Results Tab.
Reports to Follow
For all GBR Youth and Junior Sailing. Click the heading
Click the heading for the full selection policy for the 2012/13 RYA Volvo National Youth Squad; The closing date for applications is 23rd September. Applications must be made viw the RYA Website.
The International Class rules section C.1 have been modified and reissued on 4 July 2012 to clear up confusion on implementation of RRS Appendix P5 (Rule 42). Accordingly the UK Class Assocaition MESI's have been amended to take out our own clarification of this (Section 16). The new rules are posted in the Technical Section here, under Class Association.
Report now posted; click the heading.
A brilliant battle between the flying tigresses. Ruth & Alice win it from Joan & Abbie with both teams scoring only 1&2's. Hugo & Elliot round of the podium. Great weather (heard that often this year?) and terrific racing. Well done Lymington Town.
The new 12/13 training policy explains the training available for 12/13 including RYA squads, open training and regional training, with guidance and the syllabus for the different events including "newcomers" and "experienced" events. Click on the title to read more.
trainingofficer@29ersailing.org.uk
After an epic weekend in Bournemouth Bay, full results are now posted under Events and Results (click the heading); Well done to everyone to make the event a hiuge success. Report to follow.
Hard to piece together at the moment but the final day results look as if they are quite topsy turvy. In Gold Fleet Rob & Emma won the battle within the race ending up 24th whilst Vikki & Steffi were one behind in 25th. 12 races and only one discard is hard! That makes Ben & Tim's effort pretty noteworthy given they had to count 2 DNS's due to Tim's regatta unfriendly last exam! Not sure if Silver results are up to date as they seem to have 3 races fewer so at this point it looks as if they pulled up to 2nd.
Hard racing, gusty offshore breeze. Ben & Tim ripping up the Silver fleet. Loveridges steadyness itself in still keeping ahead of the charging (at times - well put in a 3rd in the days 2nd race out of 4) Vikki & Steffi. Current published results - click title.
2 days of Q series with 2 flights racing then 2 days of Gold & Silver. Tough job for Ben & Tim as they missed day1 with Tim still in the exam hall. Rob & Emma were pretty solid and are 15th. Vikki & Steffi were trying to remember the squad session when they were told not to gybe whilst airborne... but couldn't quite recall it - still 26th out of 80 mind you! Click on title for day 1 results. ps James Peters (2008 ISAF Youth Worlds winner was 6th here last week in the 49er (2nd in the medal race)
If any older 29er sailors are now interested in progressing to the RYA / UKSA Keelboat Academy, see the attached press release from the RYA (click the heading).
As to help you organise for the Nationals, please let us know if you are planning on bringing a rib with you. Pleaee contact Martha on:
membership@29ersailing.org.uk
These have now been emailed out to lucky recipients .... but very few have responded. Click the heading for more info.
The Scottish 29er scene is developing nicely and the East Lothian event testifies nicely to that. Burns & Calder set a blistering pace. 2nd was hard fought with Munro & Harris just prevailing over Team Hunter.
Photos from the Harken GP at Queen Mary by Tim Anderton
Nothing like a report from on the water. Read John's perspective here.
Batten & Gratton sail beautifully on Sunday. But so did Payne & Orton as well as the 'Time Lords' Walker & Mather. All scored identical points and finished in that order overall. Just outside the main choccies were Hooper & Brown in 4th. So if you exclude the coaching staff just for a moment then 2 of the top 3 were ladies - looking good for our female skiff sailor talent pipeline! Top U16 were more ladies, newish partnership, Jane Furness and Ellie Hide.
Follow link for Report from Dabchicks GP as well as results and photos
See note now posted on the Events Calendar for information about Campervans and Motorhomes at the 2012 Worlds in Travemunde.
Ovington have announced a deal to sell off the 29er's which will be used for one week at the 2012 ISAF Youth Worlds at a heavily discounted price ... interested, then click the heading to see the full details?
Jack and Chris follow up their 2nd place at the RYA Youth Nationals with a win at the Irish Youth Nationals. Good performance by Owen Bowerman & Morgan Peach as well.
72! yes 72 boats for the Youth Nationals. All 4 seasons thrown at the event. Congrats to ISAF Youth Worlds Reps Ben Batten & Tim Gratton (almost rhymes!) in first overall and Ladies Champs Vikki Payne & Steffi Orton. Special mention too for the first mixed boat Rob & Emma Loveridge and top juniors (both aged under 16) Curtis Means and Jamie Catchpole; well done to them all.
Well done to Ian Payne and Chris Berry winning the first GP of the 2012 series on count-back from Phil Walker and John Mather. Very tight at the top!! Please click on the heading for the full report from this event.
At last your Chairman is allowed to publicise the fact that he will be a Torch Bearer for the London 2012 Olympics. Click the heading for the full story.
As per last year, we are again making available a small number of travel grants for members of the class association, specifically for the World Championships and the Garda Eurocup event; These are not available to members of the RYA Volvo NYS or TS who will be eligible for RYA grants in due course. Click the heading for full details.
Event Report including link to results and photos
The NOR for the worlds and Euros have been published on 29erworlds.org and 29ereuropeans.org. or follow the links on the events page
Sailing Sec
Click on the heading for full results.
The 2012 Class Rules have finally been approved at ISAF and take effect as of 1st February 2012. The two key changes relate to Daggerboard Packing and Sail Number positioning. New class rules are posted in the Technical Section via the ‘Class Association’ Tab, and can also be seen on the ISAF website. Click the heading to find out more.
As we enter this exciting Olympic year, we are very pleased to announce a new initiative whereby any member who goes on to represent Great Britain at either an Olympic Games or Paralympic Games will automatically be Honoured with Lifetime Membership of the UK 29er Class Association. Click on the heading for the full story.
We are pleased to announce that Harken are the sponsor of this years Grand Prix Series which includes a number of new venues and more events (8) than previous years.
Sailing Sec
Huge thank you to Rob Allen who steps down as Marketing Officer, being replaced by Pete Bucktrout, and welcome to Ian Hunter who is formally co-opted onto the committee to support the growth of the 29er class in Scotland. Click the heading for full details.
Ben Cooper. Chairman
Having trouble remembering which events you have signed up for?
Did I remember to pay?
Tired of typing in your entry details every time you enter another event?
THEN CLUBHOUSE IS FOR YOU.
Clubhouse is an additional functionality being offered to all 29er sailors who regularly use
EventAssistant for entering Sailing Events.
How do I enter Clubhouse
Membership for 2012 is now due.
Membership is required for everyone who will want to take part in all 29er events and all 29er open training. Please click on the link to apply.
Any questions, please contact Martha Berry
membership@29ersailing.org.uk
Report from Pete Bucktrout on the Grafham Grand Prix. Next event Bloody Mary next weekend. Enter now to avoid late entry fee.
25 boats enjoyed good wind for the last Open Training of 2011
It's been a while since we had any news - this still isn't but it's a good watch!
Now with confirmed Eurocup dates. (NOR on the events page. Please complete revised poll with confirmed Eurocup dates. - Many thanks to everyone who has completed the poll It's really useful. The RYA are now analysing the results. Still waiting for NOR for worlds and Euros. Sailing Sec
For one lucky boat in the UK 29er Fleet ... but you have to explain why it should be you. Click the heading for more details.
Very popular and windy training weekend...
Open training is going fantastically well this autumn with regularly 40 or more boats attending. 45 going to Rutland this w/e. Top line coaches for every session!
Photo's from the 2011 Inlands, free to download, thanks to Ovington.
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Ovington-high-performance-sail-boats/185540661494452
As we may recall - a bunch of boats went to Garda. This one has come via a link from Ian Payne we think. Loads of good stuff but particularly impressive gybe drop at approx 5.50.
Excellent final event of 2011....
The racing was intense. Plenty of BFD's and the wind was causing FF crews to fall out of their boats so well done everyone. Ian Payne & Chris Berry ended up pretty dominant, Ollie Cooper & James Poyner were very solid in 2nd despite a last race Black Flag and Vikki Payne & Steffi Orton were 3rd and top girls with all 3 at the top well clear of the chasers.
If you have attended the Open Training this Autumn as a sailor or parent/guardian, we would like your feedback via this online survey. Your feedback will help us to improve the training to better meet your needs. Click on the title to go to the survey. Thank you.
Martin
Congratulations to the whole team but in particular to Ian Payne & Chris Berry for their 4th overall here and to Jack Hawkins & Chris Thomas for third overall for the whole Eurocup series. Other results for the event are great for the team and NYS as a whole with Jack & Chris coming 8th, Vikki & Steffi 9th & 1st Ladies, Ollie & James 11th, Rob & Emma 27th and Maddy & Dominick 29th. There is a lot to build on there!
Now avaialble - click the heading.
Ian Payne & Chris Berry take it by 1pt from TK Jack Hawkins & Chris Thomas. Ollie Cooper & James Poyner keep 3rd from top Girls Vikki Payne & Steffi Orton. 7 races counting in our first ever flighted GP event and top 5 all 20 points or lower? That's tight!
For the June 2011 Committee Conference Call; September Meeting to be posted soon. See members section of Class Association Tab.
Penultimate Harken 29er Grand Prix at Dabchicks.....
Results now online from Dabchicks. Report and photos to follow. Plus the GP overall results table. Check back soon!
James Peters, ISAF Youth World Champion in 29ers a couple of years back is leading the Endeavour trophy overnight. Cool going as every single competitor is a national champion in their own right. Good luck for the final races tomorrow!
Oww!! Down the coal mine on summat bigger.
Novel camera angle, quite amusing - particularly towards the end. Austrians who came 21st in the Bronze fleet. Maybe not typical conditions, but it happened!
Video isn't of 29ers but surely the tips are just as applicable!
Still no consistency but event won through not panicking. Very tight with only 10 points separating the top 7. Cooper and Poyner do it. Link to 'official' photos posted on the Results page.
Tough, tight, tense and girl powered. Beautiful day with 4 different race winners and extremely close racing. Not bad for record breaking sized fleet.
Document posted on the Membership Section, under Class Association link explaining our membership structure and 2011/12 subscription costs.
Fast, furious, biblical, exhilarating, pumping, welcoming, mad, competitive. And a whole lot more. Read all about it! Also at http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/news/?article=159495
Under Class Association / Technical
The class is looking for a new volunteer to help with the website, google apps, and operational systems.
16 countries represented
80% male or mixed teams
20% all female teams, 2/3 of which were Youth
71% all Youth teams
Big skiffs require high tech methods! Click the title for the video on how.
Click the heading to see the announcement about your new 2011/12 Committee.
Click on the title link to re-read the fantastic blog from the event - from committee boat, course and shore.
Follow the heading to read two proposed Resolutions, which will be presented for vote approval by attendees at the 2011 AGM, in line with the Class Constitution.
Perfect event, in a wonderful location ....
Details about the new 29er forestay fitting...
Giles
25 boats enjoyed a glorious weekend at Pwllheli
Provisional results posted by Giles
Notice is hereby given of the 2011 Annual General Meeting of the UK 29er Class Association; Agenda via the heading.
Details for the premier UK 29er event of 2011
Posted by Ben Cooper
You need this if you are wanting to get into the 2011/12 Transition Training Squad.
Excellent day had by all, with perfect hosts..
Six British crews travelled to the South of France over the Easter weekend dreaming of an early summer tan, and warm water sailing on the French Riviera .... (click the heading for full report).
Over 65 pople attended the Special General Meeting at Rutland SC on 26th March, at which a new Class Association Constitution was approved with no votes cast against the proposals; minutes of the meeting are here
Close racing at the Youths....
We set out to do it and we’ve done it ...
Ben (4th April 2011)
The first Harken Grand Prix for the year.......
The Antilles Sailing Federation has submitted a proposal for the 29er to be adopted as the women's Olympic skiff in 2016. The submission will be considered during the ISAF Conference in St Petersburg on 4-8 May. The submission is not likely to be adopted, but underlines the degree to which the 29er has been adopted around the world.
Our team (Chris, Charles & Jerelyn) will be attending this conference again to promote the adoption of the XX.
Giles
The last winter Open training session...........
Robert
All members should check out the Grand Prix Event websites accessible via the Events and Results to read the latest Notice of Race for the series, and now published, our Major Event Sailing Instructions 2011 which will be used as a base for all events organised by the Class Association this year. Members should note specifically that entries for events MUST be made via the event website prior to the event, as we will not be accepting entries on the morning of an event.
Ben
14th March 2011
We hope to start a small joint Scottish and Northern England circuit to encourage 29er sailing in these areas. The initial idea is to select a small set of existing events that other youth classes or the Scottish Skiff fleet are attending. If enough 29ers are identified we would also like to set up some training events with the support of the 29er assocation.
Can anyone who would be interested in joining in either racing or training events please get in touch ASAP with Emily Robertson (Scottish sailor rep) through the 29er group on Facebook, or with Sarah Robertson (parent rep) via Martha. We would like to find out how much interest there would be and where the 29er boats and sailors are.
As the new season beckons, we are very pleased and excited to announce the launch of our new UK 29er Class Association branded kit, organised in association with Adam Larvin, and his business, Wave Clothing (www.waveclothing.co.uk).
Members now have the opportunity to purchase class branded Polo shirts and Oxford shirts, and our range will extend later in the year to cover Hoodies (and maybe Rash Vests) for the National Championships, plus Jackets and Trackies in the autumn.
Furthermore, as part of your membership benefits, we are offering all members one discounted shirt (either Polo or Oxford), per membership year at a price of only £10 – a discount of £6.00 off the normal price.
The shirts, which are available in both male and female fit, and in a whole variety of colours, are embroidered with a new UK 29er Class Association logo, plus (on each arm), Ovington and Noble Marine logo’s; they are finished off with a Wave Clothing logo on the back below the collar.
Ovington of course are our builder and supplier, whilst Noble Marine provide discounted insurance to 29er owners, which, based on the number of policies that members place with them, then generates an annual commission payment back into our class funds which we can then plough back into the development of the class.
So how do you order the kit …??
First have a look at the range – the website address is here – www.waveclothing.co.uk , and the Class Association kit is accessible via the ‘Club Kit’ tag. You may recognise a few faces on the website, not to mention the good looking models wearing the kit at the recent RYA Volvo Dinghy Show!
Before ordering your discounted shirt, contact our Class Administrator, Martha Berry, on email – membership@29ersailing.org.uk and ask for your unique, ‘once only use in 2011’, discount code. Use the code when placing your order to get your £10 shirt, and Wave Clothing will do the rest and your purchase will be delivered within 12 days.
Presentation and vote on the proposed new Class Association Constitution
The elected members of the UK 29er Class Association Committee give notice that there will be a Special General Meeting of the Class Association at Rutland Sailing Club on Saturday 26th March 2011.
At this meeting, a proposed new Class Association Constitution will be presented and discussed. This will be followed by a vote of the membership in attendance, to accept or reject this proposed new Constitution. Any such vote to adopt the proposals will require a two thirds majority to be successful.
Given the potential significance of this, two documents have been prepared for the membership to download, read and consider prior to the Special General Meeting. These are:
1. An explanation document detailing why a revision to the Class Constitution is proposed, and what the proposals seek to address. This document also presents the existing Constitution clause by clause with details of amendments that are being suggested in the new proposed constitution. The document also explains the second document.
2. The second document is the proposed new Class Constitution, presented in a way that should help readers understand the proposed changes.
3. Lastly the Agenda for the meeting can be seen by clicking on title link.
The elected members of the Committee believe that this proposed new Class Constitution represents a major step forward for the Class as a whole, encompassing best practice from other similar classes, whilst also making provision for the 29erXX Class – a necessity now especially given that it seems likely that there will be a Women’s Skiff event at the 2016.
Ben
An excellent Open Training weekend at Draycote SC
Giles
Sant Carles De La Rapita in Spain held the first round of the 29er Eurocup series, Jack Hawkins (Restronguet SC) and Christopher Thomas (St Mawes SC) were the only team from Great Britain to join teams from 14 other Nations. The duo aimed to start their first ever Eurocup Series in the top ten.
The three day event opened on Friday 18th in a modest 9 knot wind, and a relatively smooth sea. The first day recorded a mix of fortunes, a first race win set the pace, however a 2nd was then replaced by an OCS. The next two race results of 18th and a 3rd positioned the team in 7th place on day one. Saturday the teams spent 3 hours on the water waiting for the wind to increase above 5 knots to enable a start but the wind remained light and no racing could take place.
Sunday was going to be the day to determine the final results. The first of the four races started in light airs, three results in the middle of the pack and the disqualification on the first day would mean that the final race had to be good to give them a top ten placing. The last race was a battle of tactics in an increasing breeze, a second place was held until the last leg of the two lap race when GBR were passed by the team from Tenerife and 3rd place had to be. This gave our GBR team a respectable 11th place overall and in a good position for the series. Last years champions JULE GÖRGE, LOTTA GÖRGE proved once again true form and controlled the fleet with seven of the eight races in the top four, Champions of the event and current leaders of the Series.
James
Report from sailor Maddy Anderson
Another good turnout of 29ers turned up this bitterly cold morning eager to get out sailing in the decent 10 to 14 knots of breeze. The 16 boats were expertly coached by Phil Walker & Rob Partridge, who had all sorts of starting formats going on. The group focused on trigger starts and transits.
Sunday was thankfully a much milder day, however the wind had dropped, with only around 5 to 8 knots most of the day. The session consisted of a straight 4 hour session on the water, with a short “play” session in the middle, with some boats having from one to three sailors at a time on their boats. The day finished with a two lap race to bring all they had learnt together.
Rob
Sailors/parents/guardians, we are very keen to hear your feedback on the open training for Dec & Jan, and your thoughts on the syllabus we are using as a guide for the sessions through to the end of March. Please take a few minutes to complete the 6 question survey by clicking on the article title.
Thanks
Martin
This was the first full on residential weekend for the 9 boats in this years TT squad, with Ian Martin the head coach and Chris Rashley ensuring they had the maximum time on the water, over the weekend
With a good brisk wind, time was spent improving boat handling, with special emphasis on leeward mark rounding’s, finishing off with a few races at the end of the day, with over 5 hours sailing under their belts.
Sunday morning started with running & core fitness joined by the 420 squad also staying at the same venue, before a hearty breakfast. Then back onto the water for “V” course exercises, outside boat tacks, with a couple of pursuit races with the 420 fleet. Finally a couple of 29er only races finished off the weekend, and most of the sailors, as they all seemed exhausted but happy.
Rob
This weekend, Draycote Water hosted the second of the open training events of 2011, with 13 boats attending.
The subject of the training was Roles and Communication.
Saturday morning started with a briefing by Phil Walker and Rob Partridge, we talked about properly defining roles in parts of the race course e.g. Pre-start; Post start; Beat; Windward mark; Downwind and Leeward gate. After that we got changed and headed onto the water.
We quickly got into a few ‘rolling starts’, which helped us on ‘pre-start’ communication.
Then we did a few short races, where we were to establish roles in the boat around the course.
In what seemed a very short time, it was time to come in for lunch.
In the afternoon we did more racing to put into practise what we learnt in the morning, this was slow because the wind was tailing off. It was quite a relief to come off the water because of this fact.
On Sunday, we had an earlier start, with a short briefing. When on the water we went straight into a windward/leeward course, where we were to practise anything we were uncertain about from Saturday. Once we were ready, we did some hunter-hunted starts, where we learnt about protecting our leeward gap. Although they didn’t go quite to plan, we got the gist of what was needed by the exercise.
On completion of that, we went into having 2 top marks, where we practiced quick sets and settling down before having to drop, and go back up for the second time and finishing on a longer run to the finish line. This got quite congested around the 2 marks, but quite good fun.
After having come in for lunch, the wind increased, and Phil set up a few races to finish off the weekend I do believe we are yet to hear the results of those.
All in all a good weekend and looking forward to Grafham.
Adam
The first squad weekend took place this weekend at Grafham Water Centre, with sailing on Saturday and the Land day on Sunday, including the dreaded fitness tests !.
With winds around 20+ knots, and gusting around 30 knots, the sailing was postponed to the afternoon, where 4 boats went out to try the conditions. Going downwind seemed great and lots of fun, however turning and hardening up to come back seemed a different matter, one crew member did perform a perfect dive through their jib, which has been captured by Ian Martin on video, which will be shown on many occasions in the future I am sure. Keep an eye on Youtube.
Sunday was very informative with talks from Nutritionist, Psychologists, Coaches & Sport Science experts. All of the sailors took part in a logged trial, which tested all of the fitness attributes you need to be a good sailor, which showed in their red and sweaty faces at the end of the day.
Next weekend is back to Grafham Water Centre for a residential weekend.
Rob
The current list of reps are:
Jeremy Williamson – South Area Rep (Elected Committee Member)
Nicola Smith – South East / London Area Rep
Ian Payne – Midlands Area Rep
Tom Bucktrout – East Area Rep
Catrin Drake – Wales Area Rep
Emily Robertson – Scotland Area Rep
Vacant – South West Area
Vacant – North Area
Contact Sailor Reps via Facebook Group “29er UK” in the Members List
Ben
Hi all ... a final post-script has been posted on our Worlds Event site; just a few thank you's and a final wrap up to our Adventure. To see the whole blog, go HERE .
To read, or re-read the Blog from the event itself go here http://www.29erworlds.org/ and click on the Replay button in the middle of the page.
To view all the official event photos from an amazing photograper go here truely inspiring pictures. We will certainly be looking to get hold of a few.
... and the next Worlds (2012) are in Travemunde, Germany ... its a whole lot closer, and you won't get those waves!!
Congratulations to Henry Lloyd Williams and Sam Batten - 2nd Youth Boat (13th Overall in the 25 boat Gold Fleet), Ollie Cooper and James Poyner - 5th Youth Boat (8th overall in the Silver Fleet), and Jack Hawkins and Chris Thomas - 6th Youth Boat (9th overall in the Silver Fleet), and huge huge thanks to the RYA for their support, and specifically, Coach, Ian Martin, for all his support and advice out there (and for being great company).
Ben
The Class Association have an exciting programme of Open Training for the New Year through to the end of March. There are a variety of venues with training led by Phil Walker, and aimed at all levels including recent newcomers to 29ers through to more experienced or older sailors (Team Dave).
While the events are open to anyone to join in for one or more, there is also a plan or syllabus to cover a range of topics over the 5 events to the end of March based on the syllabus used for the RYA Transition Squad. Details of the syllabus are in a new training policy document, which we have developed with the class coaches to set out the aims of the class training and to try and make it clear to 29er sailors what is available. We would welcome any thoughts and comments on the policy which is available through the title link.
Please note that bookings should be done 21 days prior to the events to allow arrangement of coaches and safety boats etc. The booking conditions, which are required to allow time to arrange the resources for each event and provide financial safeguards, are also detailed in the new training policy.
Martin
Marketing and Publicity Officer – Into this role I am pleased to announce the appointment of Rob Allan. Marketing and Publicity are a key aspect in the promotion of the class to the wider sailing audience, presenting a strong image of a healthy and developing class, and indeed a class that is attractive to new sailors, whether at Youth level or older sailors. Rob will take a lead in ensuring that we have a regular flow of information going out to publications / websites such as Yachts and Yachting, that our own website and the class Facebook page has a regular flow of news items, notably both pre and post events. In addition, Rob will assist in developing other key promotional opportunities and media such as the Dinghy Show. He will be supported in this role by Valerie Clabburn.
Publicity ultimately is something that we can all assist with, so Rob and Valerie will be seeking support from sailors and parents alike to generate a regular flow of material, which will almost certainly mean a continuation of the unwritten rule that the sailors finishing 3rd at events produce an event write-up … you have been warned!
Sailor Reps – I am also very pleased to announce that Tom Bucktrout has volunteered to be the Sailor Rep for the Eastern Area … essentially East Anglia, Herefordshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire, and Emily Robertson has volunteered to be the Sailor Rep for Scotland. Tom and Emily join Jeremy Williamson (South), Nicola Smith (South East including London), and Ian Payne (Midlands). Great to have you all involved … we’re still looking for Reps for the South West, Wales and North … anyone interested, please contact Jeremy Williamson via the 29er UK Facebook page.
Ben
It can sometimes seem like there is not much going on in the Class at this time of year however you might be surprised just how busy it gets. Over the past few months there has been a lot of activity as the new acting committee members find their feet and have resolved a number of issues such as handing over the class finances and administration ready for the New Year.
The 2011 calendar is almost complete with the majority of the Grand Prix events now fixed and the Nationals organized. With the principal events set the next step is to organise regional open meetings. There has been a lot activity on the Class IT front over the past few months especially with the development of the microsites allowing open training bookings and event entries to be managed online. By the 1st of Jan the plan is to also have membership online as well. This has been a real challenge however will add real benefits to the class.
We have a new addition to the Acting Committee and would like to welcome Angie Alloway in the role of Acting Junior Liaison Officer. This is a really key role in promoting growth of the class. Angie’s role will involve coordinating principally with the junior classes that feed into 29er‘s such as Toppers and Feva’s.
Finally a lot of work has gone into sorting out the Class ET rib. The trailer needs some remedial work being undertaken and the intention is to have the trailer modified so it’s easier to carry two 29ers. We are also looking at multi boat transport options as a way reducing the cost of competing at European events. We are getting greater European participation at our UK events, so its time team GBR took up the European challenge!
Martha
I am very pleased to announce that, with the help of Jeremy Williamson, we now have two additional Sailor Representatives who are being co-opted onto the Committee. These are Nicola Smith and Ian Payne.
In line with a proposed new ‘structure’ for the Sailor reps, we would like to have a representative from each region of the country, so Nicola is kindly representing the South East (including London), and Ian will represent the Midlands. Jeremy as an existing elected sailor rep will represent the South. Splitting the country up into sensible regions is a challenge, but my suggestion is that we have eight regions, and therefore we are still looking for reps to cover the South West, Wales, East, North and Scotland. If you are interested, please could you contact Jeremy, Nicola or Ian via the Facebook page "29er UK".
An immediate task that we would like to get off the ground is a Social Event for the evening of the Dinghy Show, at Alexandra Palace, London over the weekend of 5th/6th March. We will be looking for sailors to assist on the stands at the show over the weekend, so why not combine a good social event with helping out the class at the show. There are lots of potential new members out there, especially sailing Feva’s and Toppers at the moment who will be wanting to know more – so come and help convince them to join in.
Another idea we are investigating is a Start of Racing evening event at Rutland for the first of our 2011 Grand Prix events; ideas to the sailor reps please, along with any other suggestions for things to do, both on the water and off?
Ben
Your committee are very pleased to formally announce the appointment of Martha Berry as the UK 29er Class Administrator. As many of you will already know, Martha has been supporting the class in a voluntary capacity for the last couple of months, and we are now pleased to announce her formal appointment to this role.
The intention going forward is that this role is a formal contracted role with a clear description of responsibilities, but it is not a Committee Position. The responsibilities will encompass all Class Administration, including Membership management, admin support in organising our Class Training programme and our Racing Events, and Event support for our National Championships. There is a huge amount of work that goes on behind the scenes to run the class, and we are really pleased to have Martha now in post.
Ben
Congratulations to the following sailors who have been invited to join the 2011 RYA VOLVO Transition Training Squad following a hard autumn of training.
Ruth and Tess Allan,
Maddy Anderson and Hugh Ward,
Ben Batten and Luke Burywood,
Rob and Emma Loveridge,
George Meredith and Ashley Greenhall,
Rob Morris and George Shelley,
Gavin Page and Thomas Scott,
Vikki Payne and Stephanie Orton,
Sam Smith and Dominick Burke
Good luck to you all with the forthcoming Training Camps.
For those who missed out on selection, the Class Association will now be looking to organise tailored training specifically for your needs in line with the training that this new squad receives, using much of the same syllabus and exercises, and with a team of coaches who will work specifically with you. In due course we will also look to develop this group into a 29er Class Squad with its own identity and some allocated funding from the class. Details will be announced in the new year.
Adrian
This year, the Grand Prix forms Round 1 of the SailJuice Global Warm-Up. The Warm-Up brings together four of the biggest winter handicap racing events into a unified series, with its own generous prizes. The four events of the Series are the Grafham Grand Prix, the Bloody Mary, the Steve Nicholson Trophy at Northampton Sailing Club and the John Merricks Tiger Trophy at Rutland.
Adrian
26 boats made it to Draycote for 27/28 Nov Open Training and the last Transition Squad selector. Snow dusted the hills surrounding Draycote providing a very scenic backdrop, perhaps more appropriate to a Christmas card.
Martin
Looking for Christmas present ideas or just fancy some warm stuff to wear? Take a look at the hats, shirts, t-shirts, jackets & bags available from the Merchandise page on the international site. I’ve confirmed with Jen & Jerelyn that they are happy to ship items to the UK and they can be purchased with a UK credit/debit card. The current exchange rate makes these items good value for money, shipping is very reasonable and they expect to deliver to your door within a few days.
Giles
I’m pleased to announce that Harken have agreed to provide a 30% discount on their fittings, clothing range and selected rope & dyneema products for RYA NYS members. They also have a very useful technical backup service if you’re having problems, or just need advice on how to select the correct item for the job. Contact Loretta Cuoghi (Lo@harken.co.uk, 01590 689122) at Harken for details. If you wish to update your entire boat, ask Loretta about their special full boat package! In addition I can occasionally provide a delivery service to the next NYS camp, as we live close to Loretta at Harken UK in Lymington; contact me if you want something picked up.
Giles
The ISAF 2010 Annual Conference in Athens has confirmed the initial line up of sailing events for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, included for the first time is a women's skiff. Although there are still several hurdles to be cleared, this is potentially great news for the 29er Class as the 29erXX will now be a contender in the evaluation process to select the actual boat. Good news certainly for the 29er class and for female sailors sailing the boat now - you have something BIG to aim for!
Charles
Click on the title to read about a busy open training weekend at Grafham on 6/7 Nov. Many thanks to the coaches Phil Walker and particular thanks to Dave Hall, who after many years of coaching with the class has decided to step back from regular coaching at our open training. Thanks Dave, your good work has been appreciated by and benefited many 29er sailors.
Martin
Click on the title link to see where the current saiors are based. Zoom in th see the details. Email the membership secretary if your details are missing.
I’m pleased to announce that Great Britain will be represented by the following 3 teams:
- Henry Lloyd Williams & Sam Batten
- Ollie Cooper & James Poyner
- Jack Hawkins & Christopher Thomas
They will be supported by RYA coach, Ian Martin, plus various parents. The whole team fly out on Boxing Day via Toronto and Chilli but don't get to Mar del Plata (200 miles south of Buenos Aires) until the 29th. The first race is on 1st January. Many thanks to Amy, Roy & Duncan at the RYA for helping with logistics & funding to make this expedition possible.
Giles
The ISAF Conference kicked off last Thursday (4/11/10) in Athens and runs until Sunday (14/11/10). This annual event is where recommendations to the International Olympic Committee(IOC) are formulated, the direction of competitive sailing world-wide is discussed, and hence the format of the ISAF Youth Worlds and the RYA’s Youth Racing Programme strategy are influenced. Our team (Chris turner, Charles Glover & Pippa Wilson) flew out early last Tuesday (9/11/10) to meet up with Jen Glass, Jerelyn Biehl and Lizzi Rountree from the International Association to promote the 29er and XX to the various sub-committees at the conference.
There are a number of interesting conference submissions from the RYA and International 29er Association plus one from the Swedish Sailing Federation requesting separate 29er girls & boys events at the Youth Worlds. The real decisions tend to be made towards the end of this week and then put forward for ratification by the Executive Committee on Sunday. One early recommendation concerning Olympic classes came out on Tuesday.
Giles
Join in, Load up (your 29er Photos) and show the other classes where the action is!
We would really like to get feedback from everyone who has attended Open Training this Autumn. Please click on the link to go to an anonymous online survey. We will use this information to try to provide good quality training to meet the needs of the sailors going forward.
Martin
This 4 day event held on the iconic waters of Lake Garda was the last on the 2010 Eurocup circuit. Sadly due to a clash with the Ovington Inlands, James & Tim were the only UK sailors flying the flag for Team GBR in the 45 strong fleet consisting of mainly Italian and German boats. Despite having two DNFs in the 14 race series, hence having to count all their remaining results, James & Tim managed a very respectable 9th overall, including a couple of bullets.
Next year it’s our intention to get Team GBR on the continent and racing in numbers on the Euocup circuit. We are talking with the RYA and other interested parties to see how this can best be achieved. Next year’s UK event will be at Hayling in September, other events are detailed in the Notice of Race.
Giles
We’ve tried to make it as easy as possible for you to get in touch with those running the class at the moment - click on the title link, or select ‘Class Association’ on the left and then ‘Class Committee & Contacts’ to see who’s doing what. As you’ll see, we still have positions vacant and are looking for more volunteers to help run the class – please let Ben know if you’re interested!
Giles
The final event of the year at Northampton attracted a record number of entries with many new faces coming up from the Junior classes. Looking at the results sheets for the year, there was quite a difference in the number of boats coming to the start line at each event (Rutland–30, Brightlingsea–23, Parkstone–22, Draycote-16, Thorpe Bay-23, Northampton-32). The first and last events seem to have been the most popular, however this may be driven by factors such as location, weather, discard options etc. Draycote gets the best club prize, both in terms of numbers entering, and sailors at the top of the leader board!
Henry & Sam took the impressive looking 29er Harken Grand Prix trophy this year, achieved a clean sweep by counting only firsts towards their final score. James & Tim were second with a score of 13, and relative new comers Ian & Chris were only 2 points behind in third place after a strong end to the season. Alex & Abbie scooped the first all girl prize, and the first junior boat prize went to Ben & Luke (it’s interesting to note that these guys were still sailing Oppies only six months ago!).
I’ll be having a think about what worked & what didn’t for this and the Accumulator series in the next few weeks, if you have any comments or improvements for next year, please give me a call (number on contacts page) or send an email.
Giles
Click on the link to see the presentation given by Ben.
This document (click on the title link to see) describes everything we feel needs to be done to ensure the 29er becomes THE youth boat to sail in the UK. It’s a big document and describes lots of ideas to enhance the 29er class and hence your sailing. Take a look and if you have any questions, why not email them to committee@29ersailing.org.uk, or come along to the talk at Northampton on 23/10/10.
Giles
Following the last event at Hayling, the final results of the Accumulator series are now available on the title link. Going into the last event, Henry & Sam had a 60 point lead, and seemed well placed to take the series. However Arthur & Ed sailed very consistently in the light and shifty conditions at Hayling to win (see Sam’s report below). As a result of the unique scoring system used in the Accumulator, this allowed Art &Ed to finish the series on equal points to Henry & Sam, with the later only taking the title on count-back. Third place went to Jack & Chris who have had an excellent first year in the class. Alex & Abbie, finished in 5th place, scooping both the best newcomer prize and the first all girl team prize.
Many thanks to Simon Hiscocks of Shock Sailing, for helping me dream up this series, and then offering to sponsor it by providing all the prizes. The series was created as a bit of an experiment to generate some extra interest in the non Grand Prix events & try out an alternative scoring system. I would be interested to hear what you thought of it, and if we should do it again next year?
Giles
Phil Walker and John Mather from Wimbledon Park SC maintained their lead from Saturday to win the 29er event ahead of Joan Furness and Will Carlisle from Draycote Water SC. Third place went to Adam Kitchen and Cam Stewart of HISC (click on title link to see the full results)
Giles
This event was the final one in the series, ‘Shock Accumulator’, a first year for this series with each event’s importance increasing as the year went on. The event had a good turnout of 11 boats, all eager to get out on the water.
The first race was a mixture of conditions, with big waves left over from some strong winds sailing out. As well as continually shifting winds, meaning a strong tactical head was needed. During the race positions were swapped regularly, with Henry Lloyd Williams and Sam Batten clinching the first place, closely followed by Arthur and Ed Romano and Jack Hawkins and Chris Thomas taking third.
Race two saw a big wind shift to the left with about 30 seconds to go before the gun. This turned the race in to almost a reaching race, with the left hand side of the course massively favoured. Meaning that great boat speed was required to do well. James Briggs and Chris Peel took the bullet in this race by a considerable margin. Henry Lloyd Williams and Sam Batten finished second, closely followed again by Arthur and Ed Romano in third.
The final race of the day saw the steadiest winds as well as much flatter water, making the light conditions much easier to sail in, and tide becoming the main factor. Taking the bullet this time was Arthur and Ed Romano who had stretched out such a lead that they finished in and amongst the International 14’s that were also racing on the course. Taking second place was Briggs and Chris Peel, followed by Ollie Cooper and James Poyner in third.
The second day of racing saw high winds reaching 40 knots and a big sea. This meant that that there was likely to be no sailing and at 11 o’clock the decision was cast to abandon. This left the overall standings as:
In first place, Arthur and Ed Romano
In second Place, Briggs and Chris Peel
In third place, Henry Lloyd Williams and Sam Batten
Sam
Please click on the title for details of the funding available.
Ben
The Ovington Inlands are rapidly approaching and as always we need volunteers to help with event safety. We need RIB helms, crews and possibly a couple of shore based helpers armed with a VHF for beach duties. RIB drivers would require power boat level 2. Crews should be suitably attired to assist in the recovery of sailors and equipment should it be required. If you could let me know either by dropping me an email or giving me a call I would be very grateful. It does not matter if you can't do both days or only half a day as we can mix and match crew.
Looking to the 2011 season I would like to to create a register of volunteers for on and off the water safety duties. The safety fleet is a great way to get involved with events and an opportunity to see the racing up close. As mentioned above helms do require power boat level 2 as a minimum and have some VHF experience. If you have not been involved in safety before its not a problem as through the season we will have opportunities to move crews and helms around to share experience and knowledge.
email: safety@29ersailing.org.uk
Phil
18 relative newcomers came to the Open Training/Transition squad selector at WPNSA keen to continue their progress with 29er sailing. Click on the title to read more...
Martin
After a bit of digging I came across the rules for this series, here they are:
1. Six events make up the series, with the best four results to count (2 discards)
2. The last event at Northampton is non-discardable
3. The same helm & crew must sail together in all events
4. Helm & crew may change boats during the series
5. A low-points scoring system is used, utilising finishing positions from each event
6. Tie breaks are decided using the usual count-back method
I’ve also made up a few rules of my own since taking over results calculation for this:
1. The first discard is applied after 4 events & the second after 5
2. If you don’t enter an event, you’ll score the total number of entries in the whole series plus 1
The penultimate Harken Grand Prix event brought 23 sailors to Thorpe Bay Yacht Club to conduct what will certainly be remembered as the adrenaline rush of the year. Wind readings for the first day were up to 20-25 knots, with one of the locals convinced that it was blowing a force 7 on the other side of the river. Click on the title link to read more...
Chris
RYA Volvo 29er National Youth Squad 2010-11
Congratulations to all our 29er sailors who have recently gained selection to the 2010-11 RYA Volvo 29er National Youth Squad.
The following sailors have been selected to the squad following their performances in the various recent indicator events including the 2010 European Championships, the Parkstone Harken Grand Prix Event and the 2010 29er National Championships.
Henry Lloyd-Williams & Sam Batten; Callum Ellis & Will Harris; James Bolingbroke & Tim Walton; Ollie Cooper & James Poyner; Ian Payne & Chris Berry; Tom Bucktrout & Will Glover; Jack Hawkins & Chris Thomas; Alice Kent & Lucy Childs
Well done to all those selected to the squad, and good luck for a hard winter's training!
Ben
13 boats, many relative newcomers to the class, and the majority being female crews converged at Draycote Water SC over the weekend of 18th/19th Sept for the second of the scheduled Autumn Open Training weekends. Thanks go to coaches Phil Walker and Dave Hall, ably assisted by Chris Peel and Fin Anderson for their support and advice over the weekend, to Barbara Walker for the organisation, and to Draycote Water SC for hosting. Please click the title to link to the full report.
Click the title link to see the full results.
Click the title link to see photos from the event.
CLick on the title for a link to the DWSC Results page.
Thank you to everyone who came to Datchet 9er open, the turnout was moderate but nevertheless worthwhile ( there was an open training running the same weekend). A special thanks to the race officer who was very welcoming and friendly and provided interesting racing in the light and shifty conditions. No-one was at the front for all races and most of us had good and bad races. The hospitality and organization was very nice and relaxed which we as sailors like. A special mention to James Poyner who landed at Gatwick during the first race and made it into the boat for the third race, this just shows how much we all just like sailing the 29er! Well done to the winners Jack Hawkins and Chris Thomas.