Please select your home edition
Edition
Crewsaver 2021 Safetyline LEADERBOARD
Product Feature
Crewsaver Crew Holdall
Crewsaver Crew Holdall

YachtsandYachting.com Newsletter: AC news, participation webinar, Paris 2024 decisions

by Mark Jardine 10 May 2018 14:00 BST 10 May 2018
Fun in the sun at Eric Twiname Junior Championships © Nick Dempsey / RYA

UK sailing has woken up since our last newsletter! With the cold weather out of the way, hopefully we can now settle into a long, hot summer with beautiful sea breezes and great events across the nation. The key element in my opinion is FUN – a word I'll continue to focus on.

The biggest news in April was INEOS Team UK's challenge for the 2021 America's Cup. Yes, this started as INEOS Team GB, but the BOA pointed out that 'Team GB' is their trademark, so a quick name-change was in order. The dropping of previous sponsors Land Rover and 11th Hour Racing for one of the world's largest manufacturers of chemicals and oil products has raised a few eyebrows, but the £110 million that INEOS chairman Jim Ratcliffe has committed proved too hard to ignore for Sir Ben Ainslie and his team.

As we've all seen, the new AC75 design is radical to say the least and the research and development is going to be key to a successful bid to finally bring the America's Cup back to the UK. None of this comes cheap, and this kind of funding is what is needed to mount a successful challenge. Now the team needs to learn from the Kiwis, and carefully analyse the rules and design to come up with a winning, and - most importantly - sailable, yacht.

The most striking point about Emirates Team New Zealand's win in Bermuda was how the roles on the boat were divided up amongst the sailors, while all the other teams had put so much into the hands of the helmsman, and I'm sure this division of tasks will be key again in the 36th America's Cup.

On the 1st May I joined Alistair Dixon and Liz Rushall to present the 'The Future of Dinghy Sailing Webinar'. Liz and I both presented talks at the RYA Dinghy Show, which we found complemented each other in findings and approach. Participation in sailing and keeping young sailors in the sport is an ongoing challenge and we addressed many points in the webinar, and had excellent feedback, questions and ideas from the viewers. You can view the webinar here.

Our belief is that sailing needs to adapt to changing lifestyles and ensure that youth and junior events have fun at their core. Many clubs are getting this right, but if we can help all clubs learn from the good ideas that are being implemented, and make sailing more welcoming to all, then we are sure participation can grow.

Sailing is a superb sport which can be enjoyed by the very young, the very old, and everyone in-between. We need to make sure kids are hooked on it early and realise just how much enjoyment can be had on the water.

We are aiming to follow-up with another webinar on 7th June to keep up the momentum.

London is hosting World Sailing's mid-year meeting which starts today at Chelsea Football Club. The biggest point on the agenda is the selection of events for the Paris 2024 Olympic Sailing Competition. The men & women's windsurfing (RS:X), men & women's two-person dinghy (470) and men's one-person heavyweight dinghy (Finn) are up for review. Hard lobbying, petitions and strong opinions have been voiced by those at the top of the Olympic chain down to grass-roots club sailors.

The developed nations can adapt to change relatively easily, due to the money which is pumped into Olympic sport, but for emerging nations change is extremely hard. While I believe sailing does need to adapt in these changing times, I have one point which I believe is very important relating to sailing's place in the Olympics: name me one sport which changes its equipment as often as sailing does? Food for thought as the World Sailing's Events Committee and Council vote in the coming days...

Richard Gladwell has written a superb article on the matter on our sister site, www.Sail-World.com.

Elsewhere there was a nail-biting finish to Volvo Ocean Race Leg 8 in Newport, 32 teams battled it out in stunning conditions at the 69th Wilson Trophy and there was little wind, but a lot of fun, in the Eric Twiname Championships at Rutland. As always there are a plethora of reports coming in from events up and down the county and around the world. We welcome them all!

Whatever you do on the water, remember to have FUN!

Mark Jardine, YachtsandYachting.com and Sail-World.com Managing Editor

Related Articles

The Proving Ground
Why the Trofeo Princesa Sofia Mallorca by FERGUS is such an important regatta The end of an Olympic quadrennial cycle often brings sailing campaigns to an end. Some partnerships in doublehanded classes split, with helm and crew going their separate ways, while others use the time to reflect on their future. Posted on 1 Apr
The most important job in sailing
How Nick Scott is delivering radical change to competitive sailing pathways in the UK I am putting forward that falls to Nick Scott and his team. Namely to secure its competitive future by addressing challenges and delivering radical change while bringing people on that journey with him. Posted on 31 Mar
Revealing the Secrets of the 'Impossible' XR 41
An out and out race yacht, but also a sporty cruiser, thanks to its modular interior The XR 41 from X-Yachts was quite a departure from what they'd been doing for the last 15 years: concentrating on high-end Performance Racing Cruisers. This is an out and out race yacht, but it's also a sporty cruiser, thanks to its modular interior. Posted on 27 Mar
Going to publish the 'F' word – Again!
Clearly, there are lots of young sailors out there looking to add a load of fun to their sailing Now we published the first one back in June last year. It did really well, thank you. Very much appreciated. Clearly, there are lots of young sailors out there looking to add a load of fun to their sailing, and are keen to get into the foiling world. Posted on 23 Mar
RYA influences MCA's changes to regulations
Interview with Niall McLeod to see how Sport and Pleasure Code of Practice affects us The RYA have been working closely with the the government to make sure that new regulations for leisure vessels are not too restrictive. It seems that any group which operates a "coded" vessel should be thankful. Posted on 18 Mar
No more excuses
2025 is all about the club sailors, the weekend warriors, the open meeting stalwarts I was wondering if things were going to slow down in sailing after the huge events of 2024, namely the Olympics, America's Cup and Vendée Globe but, if anything, they've speeded up. Posted on 17 Mar
The oldest video footage of sailing in Ireland
A look back into our video archive, from 1926 to 1980 As we prepare for St Patrick's Day tomorrow, let us direct our exploration of the video archive towards anything Irish. We have discovered several videos from Ireland, starting as early as the 1920s! Posted on 16 Mar
Two boats. Same Direction.
You know the deal… It means there's a race on. You know the deal… It means there's a race on. So, the second South Pacific Superyacht Rendezvous is set for August 26 to 29, 2025. If it is even half as much fun and interesting as the first one, then it will bolster its burgeoning reputation. Posted on 9 Mar
The 600 Sweet Spot
The world of offshore racing is booming around the world The world of offshore racing is booming around the world. Record entries, some of the world's fastest yachts and highest profile campaigns, and a plethora of Corinthian teams have the 'classics' on their bucket list. Posted on 4 Mar
Inaugural Fast Women's Switch Training Camp
Some of the best sailors in the world gathered in Thailand The first ever Fast Women's Switch Training Camp took place at the Royal Varuna Yacht Club in Thailand, attracting some of the best sailors in the world, fresh from competing in the Australia Sail Grand Prix. Posted on 4 Mar