Craven Sailing Club hosts inaugural Junior Invitation event
by Alastair Cass 30 May 2016 18:18 BST
28 May 2016
Like many small clubs, Craven SC always has a few juniors between the 'going out with mum and dad' stage and being fully-fledged racers. This prompted Colin Aldred and Craven Sailing Club to organise their first Junior Invitation Event with Halifax, Otley and Denholme Sailing Clubs sending a few of their own young sailors to take part in a day of guided and coached racing. It is hoped that the Clubs will take turns to host similar days.
Embsay, near Skipton in the Yorkshire Dales, boasts an attractive reservoir nestling below a crag. The facilities are simple but homely and a warm welcome awaited the young sailors who participated in the inaugural event. Volunteers from the club helped out with safety cover, launching, recovery and race control. Being an introductory activity, it was possible to have some on-the-water coaching from visiting instructor Charles Watson from Halifax SC which made a noticeable difference to boat speeds and tactical awareness.
The Results? 15 very happy sailors who enjoyed the competition and felt their skills enhanced. Two races were held in the morning and one in the afternoon. Light winds, but blue skies and sunshine added to the atmosphere.
Top Boy: Matt Alred (Craven SC)
Top Girl: Ellie Young (Otley SC)
Most Improved: Fergus Hodgson (Halifax SC), Hannah Davison (Otley SC)
1st U12: Laurie Trevor (Halifax SC)
The event was enhanced by the very kind support of Optima Watches and Crewsaver who generously donated prizes for the event. The pleasure and surprise on the faces of the winners was evident! Books were also supplied from the RYA with a copy given to each competing club.
Filling that gap between Club sailing and the Regional Squads by staging informal guided racing with other clubs. This could be a great boost to young sailors themselves and provides a way for those small clubs looking to provide opportunities for their junior members. Why not give it a try?
www.cravensailingclub.org.uk