Busy summer for Midlands offshore sailors

Cruising and racing get underway once again

04 Aug 21

Yacht sailors from cruising and offshore clubs across the Midlands have been making the most of the season after more than a year of disruption to activities because of the pandemic.

Activities following the easing of restrictions have included both coastal cruising and competitive racing, with a number of boats from the region taking part in the 90^th anniversary Round the Island Race, while others are looking forward to tackling the Rolex Fastnet Race.

After months of get-togethers and training taking place on Zoom or Teams – and ‘land cruises’ in the form of countryside rambles – there has been a huge appetite to get back to sailing.

Judy Lambourne, Cruising Rep on the RYA Midlands Regional Volunteer Team and a member of the Heart of England Offshore Cruising Association (HOEOCA), said: “Our Midlands cruising clubs are mainly made up of individuals, who meet up to go sailing with other like-minded individuals, and it was really difficult last year because lockdowns and then all the social distancing requirements made it almost impossible to charter or sail yachts together, so it’s great to see people back on the water!”

Looking forward to the Fastnet

HOEOCA’s activities so far this season have ranged from a spring rally on the Solent and a canal cruise in Wales, to taking part in the Round the Island Race and competing in Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) offshore races to qualify for the Rolex Fastnet Race.

The club will have a crew of 10 aboard a chartered First 40 named HOEOCA Sfida in the Fastnet on Sunday 8th August as part of the competitive IRC2 division, and it will be the fifth time the club has taken part in this 600-mile biennial race.

Skipper Simon Dipple said: “There will be 16 First 40s from the UK and overseas and our goal is to get line honours as the first 40 boat. That will be a tall order, but we're up for it and hoping to show the rest of the field that you don't have to live by the sea to be competitive and love sailing. That said we'll be following the HOEOCA racing motto which is to enjoy the racing and don't come last!”

Although unable to fit in practice weekends earlier in the year due to social distancing, the team made the most of lockdowns and downtime with online coaching sessions looking at expedition software, sea survival and first aid and tactics.

The team has since completed three RORC qualifying races: The Myth of Malham (Cowes- Eddystone Lighthouse-Solent), Cowes-St Malo and at the end of July, the Channel Race (Cowes-Solent), which saw them finish ahead of the rest of the First 40 fleet.

Simon added: “While I was able to race a little bit in 2020 because I also do two-handed racing, a lot of the HOEOCA crew hadn’t been on a boat at all last year, so we were pleased with our performance in the Channel Race and for a bunch of Midlanders who couldn’t be further from the sea we’re doing ok!”

To follow the Fastnet, visit the Royal Ocean Racing Club where there will be a tracker for the race, or visit HOEOCA on Facebook for updates. HOEOCA’s other upcoming activities for the year include more cruising trips and a Sunsail racing weekend in October, find out more here.

Shustoke offshore sailing

Members of Shustoke Offshore Sailing Group (SOSG) have been seizing the opportunity to get back to the coast for both cruising and racing.

Part of Shustoke Sailing Club in north Warwickshire, SOSG has around 80 members whose activities so far this season have included a barbecue social evening, a week’s sailing in company on the south coast and two boats competing in the Round the Island Race.

Skipper Alan Skitt, a founding member of SOSG, said: “It has been hard during the pandemic and pretty much, things came to a halt, so there’s a huge pent-up demand with members bursting to get offshore. It was the last bank holiday weekend in May when we really got going again and it was so busy, I think virtually every boat in the Solent was out!

“Our job as a group is to put members in touch with skippers and vice versa, and particularly to help new members. It’s all about getting people on the water enjoying themselves and we’re very relaxed, we just try to bring people together so they can go sailing. We also run an active social programme.”

SOSG runs two sailing programmes - cruising and racing - and in addition to the Round the Island Race, members have competed in this season’s RORC races and the Sunsail Racing Series in the Solent, while a six-strong crew aboard Elan 450 Emily of Cowes will be among the 450+ yachts competing in the Fastnet.

Cruising activities meanwhile include ‘try yachting’ and ‘boat handling’ weekends and sailing in the Solent and across the Channel, plus some members are heading to the West Country this summer and to Greece in October. Training has seen 10 members starting the RYA Day Skipper course and eight going on to complete RYA Coastal Skipper.

Les Collier from the cruising section, who runs RYA courses for SOSG, added: “Although we’re landlocked, Birmingham is an equal distance from all seas, so we have a greater variety of opportunities for sailing than anyone who lives on the coast!”

Find out more about Shustoke SC’s offshore section here.

Pandemic recovery for Penguins

The Penguin Cruising Club, which originated in the Malverns, has managed to have a busy year despite the pandemic and has been back on the water with enthusiasm in 2021 in its favourite cruising grounds on the west coast of Scotland.

As club communications officer Simon Morton explains: “Founded in 1970, our 50th anniversary year was memorable for all the wrong reasons! A two-week cruise around the Hebrides had to be abandoned, as did two other cruises for 2020.

“However, desperate to get back on the water, with the Scottish restrictions only just permitting crews of eight in bubbles of four max, the anniversary cruise did take place in June/July 2021 with three chartered yachts from Dunstaffnage, making as far as Ullapool. It may be cold but the scenery is fantastic and the ‘wee dram’ makes it all worth the trip!

“Plans for a week's cruise from Plymouth to the Scillies in September are in place and a re-arranged (from 2020) cruise around the Canaries is planned for November. We haven't been idle during the pandemic – we have revised our club rules and launched a new club website on MyClubhouse. You can't keep a good Penguin down!”

For more information about the Penguin Cruising Club and all its activities visit penguin.org.uk

Find your local cruising club

Other cruising clubs which have been getting their activities underway again in 2021, including training, socials and yacht charter weekends and holidays both at home and abroad, include:

Cruising clubs offer a warm welcome for would-be members of all experience levels, whether complete novices, dinghy sailors wanting to try something new, or experienced yacht sailors. Find out more about opportunities in the Midlands here.