A letter from the Chairman of the Squib Owners Association
by Jenny Riley, Chairman, National Squib Owners Assoc 31 Aug 2010 10:27 BST
I have recently taken part in another wonderful championship week at the Royal St George Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire, near Dublin, where I also started my term as Chairman of the National Squib Class. In this letter, I am delighted to give you a quick taster of why the Squib is such a great boat and why the Squib Fleet continues to go from strength to strength.
Bryan and I bought our Squib “Brimstone” in 1986, when our children were so small that they regularly sailed with us as extra crew. We first raced at Aldeburgh, then Lowestoft and then joined in with the winter racing at Oulton Broad. We were hooked straight away – competition was keen and challenging in all wind strengths and weathers and as we progressed to sailing at National level, we realised that the camaraderie and fairness of the Squib Fleet is second to none. Even after competing in 23 championships, we still love the challenge and fun of sailing in a big fleet with some of the best and most experienced sailors in the country at some of the finest venues in Britain and Ireland.
Brimstone is now 40 years old and it is a strength of the class that both old boats and new ones can be equally competitive. New Squibs, (built by Bruce Parker) fitted out and ready to race, offer great value for money and there are always plenty of people ready to offer help and advice if need be. The Squib is an easy and forgiving boat to sail; it is competitive with a wide variation of crew weights, is extremely seaworthy and has proved itself in all conditions.
However it is also tricky to sail fast and the closeness and high standard of racing continues to attract a number of world and national champions from other classes. Major events are well supported, with area Championships and the Inland Championships at Rutland regularly attracting 50+ entries. In 2009, the National Championships at Weymouth achieved a record 108 Squibs on the start line. There are Squib fleets throughout the UK and Ireland and we are hoping to build up new fleets in the future.
Most of all, I recommend the Squib to anyone who is looking to enjoy competitive, fair and safe sailing with like minded, helpful and fun-loving friends. I am delighted and honoured to be chairman of this great Class.
Jenny Riley
Chairman
National Squib Owners Association