28 keen young sailors turned up at Bristol Corinthian Yacht Club in sub-zero temperatures, aware of the forecast for strong northerly winds blowing in from the Arctic. Conditions were eerily calm as the boats launched, but virtually as soon as they had they left the shore the promised wind came in over the Mendips in style.
The strong, gusty conditions and huge wind shifts were enough to test the best of them, with the newer sea sailors quickly appreciating one of the key differences between sea and inland sailing! After warming up with a hearty home-cooked lunch, sailors chose between a chance to get in some more valuable heavy wind practice and the opportunity to take part in a shore session on the finer points of starting.
Sunday was just as windy, with downwind starts creating a lot of entertainment for the spectators! Entertainment turned to respect as the shore crew watched the sailors practising the hovering techniques they had been discussing in the classroom, with a noticeable improvement from the previous day.
After a final afternoon of race practise, the prize for technique went to Alice Edmonds and Louis Gibbs for playing the main and keeping the boat flat. Hugo Broad won the prize for endurance after taking big hits on both days and the prize for improvement during the weekend went to Ellie Hill and Toby Dawkins.
Thanks to coaches Alex Mothersele, Mikey Dennis and Jon Webster and to all of the volunteers at Bristol Corinthian Yacht Club. Next stop Chew Valley on 28th Feb/1st March.
