RDO Blog - October 2021
The annual BYS North Regional Junior Championships provided a real festival of sailing at Derwent Reservoir Sailing Club and it was brilliant to see so many clubs from across the region not only entering teams but in some cases doubling their participation numbers.
We had nearly 140 children on the water, which is a real testament to the hard work of club volunteers, parents, instructors and coaches, whose dedication has seen the junior sailing scene thriving in 2021, with young sailors developing their skills or discovering the sport for the first time.
Host club Derwent Reservoir SC won the Club Trophy for having the biggest team of sailors from the RYA North East region, with more than 20 junior sailors competing plus others in the OnBoard fleet, while Scaling Dam SC won the RYA North East Club Trophy for the largest growth in number of junior sailors taking part with a team of 14, up from 4 when the championships were last able to take place two years ago. A special mention also goes to Ripon SC, which increased its entry from 14 to 21 sailors, and to Tynemouth SC, who weren’t represented in 2019 and had six sailors this year.
I helped to coach the Regatta fleet on the Sunday which this year saw a large number of first-timers and it was lovely to see their racing skills develop over the weekend and to hear that many of them are now looking to progress into the Championship fleet in 2022.
Likewise we had many young sailors inspired by the OnBoard fun fleet who are now planning to continue their own sailing journey. As one young participant, Michael Boatman, summed up: "It was fantastic at helping me get better at sailing and hiking. I enjoyed meeting new friends the best and developing my boat handling skills. I can't wait to do it again next year!"
Mum Sam added: “Overall, it was a brilliant weekend. The coaches and all involved ensured that all the sailors not only got out on the water (in some interesting conditions) but were able to have fun and socialise in a safe sailing environment.”
If you haven’t already seen it, you can read our round-up from our 2021 championships here. Next year’s BYS Junior Championships for the North region will be 18-19 June at Ullswater Yacht Club. With camping available on site, hopefully the time of the year and location will make it a perfect opportunity for a family/club weekend away. Please save the date!
North East Youth Championships
For our youth sailors in the region, we have the North East Youth Championships – also known as The Big One! – to look forward to at Yorkshire Dales Sailing Club over the bonfire night weekend of 6-7 November 2021. Great racing and a warm welcome is guaranteed complete with social, fireworks and hot tub on the patio, so please do share the details with your youth sailors and any contacts you have in the ILCA, RS Aero, RS200, 29er and 420 classes. For more information and to enter visit: yorkshiredales.sc/ne-youth-champs-21
Racing management courses
We have a number of regional courses coming up for anyone in the North region who is keen to learn about race management or becoming a race official, and it’s been pleasing to see lots of interest from would-be participants already.
We have a remote Regional Race Officer Course taking place over three evenings on the 9-10 November and 16 November 2021, with International Race Officer Adrian Stoggall, and Ella Ashcroft, a National Race officer and also a member of the RYA Race Officials Academy.
A Regional Mark Laying Course at Yorkshire Dales SC, 13-14 November 2021, is already full for non YDSC members but please get in touch with our regional communicator if this is something you would have liked to take part in so we can plan ahead for further opportunities.
For would-be race officials, there is an Introduction to Umpiring Course at West Kirby SC on Saturday 27 November. There will also be a fun and interactive Judges Course held remotely in the New Year: if this course is of interest please register your interest in the first instance here.
Take your race coaching to the next level
Also coming up soon is a Race Coach Level 3 course, running over two weekends at North Yorkshire Water Park, starting 27-28 November. Find out more and book for this course here. This is for sailors with two years plus Race Coach Level 2 experience who wish to take their coaching to the next level.
Personal Watercraft Instructor Course
For anyone interested in becoming Personal Watercraft Instructor, there is a course at Lockoffice, Hartlepool, over the weekend of 24-26 November 2021 for those who have at least two years’ experience of driving personal watercraft and would like to be able to teach others.
Instructors - Save the Date!
The Instructor Training Day for the region will be on 12 March 2021, venue to be confirmed, but please add the date to your calendar to keep it free in the meantime. As ever it will be a great opportunity for instructors to upskill and get set for the new season with all the latest updates.
Affiliated Clubs Conference
Finally, a big thank you to those who have already booked to attend the 2021 RYA Affiliated Clubs Conference! In addition to the national online evening hosted by double Olympic gold medallist and broadcaster Shirley Robertson on Monday 8th November, I am really looking forward to seeing you all in person at our RYA North East event at Catterick Race Course on Saturday 4 December.
Clubs from across Yorkshire and the North East are looking forward to catching up with each other and we have five workshops lined up with a focus on planning for a successful future, volunteering, facilities, membership and legal, with lots of useful know-how and a chance for us to share ideas.
The conference is ideal for anyone involved in managing your club and its activities, including committee members, flag officers, staff and volunteers. Book your free ticket here and keep up to date with all the latest announcements with @RYANorthEast on Facebook and/or Twitter.
Until next time,
Sam.