Cadet Half Term Training Camp at Waldringfield
by Andrew Nunn 3 Jun 2015 07:53 BST
28-29 May 2015
Twenty Cadets attended the Half Term training camp organised by Waldringfield SC Cadet Squadron on 28 & 29 May, encompassing Gold fleet boat handling technique, Silver Fleet racing improvers through to Bronze fleet basic racing skills. The 40 sailors who took up the opportunity of coaching from Sam Barr (Gold Fleet), Alex Corby (Silver) and Ed Harris (Bronze) experienced some really exciting sailing with plenty of time to practice their heavy weather skills.
Thursday's sailing was in a moderate F3-4 with glorious sunshine, but Friday turned uglier with rain showers and gusts of up to 30 knots... the bronze and silver fleets excelled in the windy conditions with only a few capsizes on the day. The coaches kept all the sailors busy with starting technique exercises, gut busters, riverbanks and the like. Fixed grins were the order of both days!
On the final afternoon the wind had really got up and while some Bronze fleet wisely decided to stay ashore, the Gold fleet headed up river for some extreme 3 sail reaching and gybing practice. Inevitably there was also some swimming practice involved as well, but all this was forgotten when a friendly River Deben seal made an appearance to watch the fleet's skills.
A big thankyou to all at Waldringfield SC for supporting and hosting this excellent training event on one of the most beautiful sailing rivers in the country. We now look forward to the Waldringfield Cadet Open on 18/19 July which will be the last big event before a huge contingent of UK Cadets head for Lake Garda in Italy for the 2015 World Championships and Promotional Regatta.