The Old Gaffers are going up the river to the famous Folly Inn for their 55th birthday bash; they tried Cowes for the 50th (and warned the good folk there that they do like a bit of beer…) but the beer engines ran dry about halfway through the second day… and the gaffers don’t like to be going thirsty…

We got this from their website – it looks to be epic (as always!!)

Medway is a great sailing venue and the club are aiming to beat their attendance record of 23 boats set at the 2012 Nationals so get it in your diary now!

Website: www.sonata.org.uk

The Hunter Sonata 7 – Iconic Pocket Cruiser/Racer

Designed by David Thomas in 1976 and built by Hunter Boats, the Sonata rapidly became a huge success. In 1977, a windy and very rough Cowes Week saw the Sonatas fill, 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th, 5^th, 6^th, 7^th, 8^th and 9^th positions in the level rating system. The year ended with a panel of experts from the Sunday Times deciding that the Sonata was the best One Design Cruiser Racer of her size in the UK.

Numbers passed the 300 mark by 1979 with 220 being sailed in the UK and by 1982 over 400 boats had been sold.  The Sonata attained National Stature from the RYA and provided the class with solid credentials for the future.
The RYA chose the Sonata for their Youth Sail Training scheme, the same year.

Scotland will hold the Scottish Championships over the Bank Holiday weekend of 25^th – 28^th May on the Clyde.

www.corsica-classic.com

The Herreshoff Classic Regatta is an annual event drawing participants from around the world. Classic yachts, many of them Herreshoff designs, gather for a weekend of racing and social events. Social Events are open to both Competitors & Spectators.
The Herreshoff Classic Yacht Regatta (HCYR) and the Newport Classic Yacht Regatta Presented by IYRS, International Yacht Restoration School (NCYR) will again be scheduled back-to-back creating a four-day celebration – THE NARRAGANSETT BAY CLASSIC YACHT RENDEZVOUS, of classic yachts, both power and sail.

Important Note: The Herreshoff Classic Yacht Regatta and the Newport Classic Yacht Regatta are separate events and require separate entries.

The Herreshoff Marine Museum, located in Bristol, RI, USA, is a maritime museum dedicated to the history of the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company, yachting and the America’s Cup. The Herreshoff Manufacturing Company (1878-1945) was most notable for producing sailing yachts, including eight America’s Cup defenders, and steam-powered vessels.
Host: Herreshoff Marine Museum (Bristol, RI – USA)
Founded: 1996

Herreshoff event:  www.herreshoff.org

Newport event:  www.nbcyr.com

The Royal Torbay Yacht Club regatta has been taking place for more than 200 years

t: 01803 292006

rtyc.org

Three days of round the buoys and round the islands racing over the August Bank Holiday weekend With three race courses in action for keelboats and dinghies, racing classes include IRC, CYCA, RC35 and Dinghies.

t: 01475 675333  e: secretary@largssc.co.uk

Fairey Marine Atalanta Owners’ Association

 AOA 60 – Sixtieth Anniversary Events

On 21^st May 1958, there was a meeting in London of Atalanta boat owners, at which it was decided to form an Association.  Sixty years on, and with a healthy number of these iconic boats still regularly sailing, a number of activities are planned.

On the water events –

• Bank holiday weekend Saturday 25^th to Monday 27^th August 2018, a rally of boats and all those people with an interest in Atalantas at the Suffolk Yacht Harbour, Levington, just upstream from Felixstowe on the River Orwell. A series of water themed and shore-side events are planned.
• Tuesday 28^th to Friday 31^st August 2018, a cruise in company from Suffolk Yacht Harbour to West Mersea.
• Saturday 1^st September 2018, the East Coast Race held under the auspices of the West Mersea Yacht Club.
• Locally organised events, both afloat and ashore, wherever there is a concentration of boats or like-minded people.

Other events –

• An Atalanta themed quiz.
• The production of a commemorative brochure which will have sixty short anecdotal articles about sixty boats, people or events that members will contribute to reflect sixty years of the Association’s history.
• The launch of a virtual round-the-world mileage accumulator which will record the achievements of these remarkable boats in today’s world.

Details of all these events and up-to-date information of the events can be found on the Association’s new website www.atalantaowners.org , or by contacting the Secretary Richard James at sec@atalantaowners.org

Image courtesy of Dinah and Trevor Thompson

Burnham Week is arguably the longest running annual yacht regatta on the mainland of the UK.

It’s organised by the Joint Clubs’ Committee, comprising representatives from the four clubs in Burnham together with other members who have a specific responsibility during the week.

Burnham Week raises funds for and support Essex Air Ambulance and RNL

burnhamweek.com

Royal Corinthian Yacht Club
The Quay
Burnham on Crouch
CM0 8AX
03300 969 819
info@burnhamweek.com

Largs Regatta Week has been running successfully for over 25 years at the end of August, and is unique in that it is the only event in Scotland where both keelboats and dinghies race on the same race course – around the buoys and also around the islands. It also incorporates the Firth of Clyde Coastal Rowing Club annual regatta, and a new event for 2016, the RNLI fundraising ceilidh on Friday 26 August.

Website: www.largsregattaweek.co.uk

Hosted by

Poole Week is in its 71st year!
For 2018, Parkstone Yacht Club is hosting an action-packed six-day event with plenty of activity on and off the water!

Poole Week is an open event with racing over six days supporting a wide variety of classes, a mixture of racing formats in our beautiful harbour, and this year competitors will be able to experience the stunning new clubhouse.

Racing will be offered for:

• Wayfarers
• Lasers & Laser Radials
• Flying Fifteens
• Cornish Shrimpers
•  X One Designs
• Poole Dolphins
• RS100, RS200 & RS400
• Darts
• Handicaps

Poole Week is open to sailors of all dinghies and small keel boats, offering a great opportunity to experience some of the best harbour and sea sailing on the south coast. 

Website: www.pooleweek.org

Mersea Week is an extremely popular sailing regatta organised jointly by West Mersea Yacht Club and the Dabchicks sailing club on Mersea Island in Essex.

With an organising committee that has many years of experience and expertise in race management, the event is steadily increasing in popularity. Last year there was a record entry of nearly 200 vessels, coming from many different UK clubs, travelling far and wide to take part. The boats ranged from dinghies and ancient fishing smacks, to classic historic sailing craft, Sonatas cruisers and open fishing boats, with appropriate courses for all.

Remember 1st September 2018  WM Town Regatta

In addition to the daily prize giving’s there will be a points overall presentation on Friday 31st at WM Yacht Club. Entertainment will be provided every evening.

Free mooring, for competitors, is very kindly provided by Mersea Moorings Association for the duration of the week. Contact WMYC launch (call sign YC1 on Ch. 37) on arrival to be allocated a mooring.

The week will conclude with a spectacular firework finish to celebrate the week.

www.merseaweek.com

Jackie Stubbs, Mersea Week Secretary – 01206 381656

Start of the Fishing Smack racing

Families, local residents and sailors are all welcome to come to the Yacht Station at Fambridge Yacht Haven for an action-packed day on and off the water.

10am – 4pm, Yacht Station, Ferry Road, North Fambridge, CM3 6LR

FREE ENTRY!

Classic & historic boats, live marine demonstrations, village fayre, arts & crafts, live music, food & drink and much more!

For entertainment, there will be live music and The Ferry Boat Inn pub will be providing refreshments with an outdoor bar and BBQ.

For more information, visit www.yachthavens.com/fambriverfest or call 01621 740370

or email fambridge@yachthavens.com

The famous Southend Sailing Barge Match has been cancelled.

The committee of volunteers released this statement in early 2018:  “We regret that to announce that our Committee have come to the realisation that it is no longer viable for us to continue running the Southend Barge Match.

“Sailing barge races (matches) were any early part of the early Southend Regattas, which began in 1867 with locally owned barges taking part. These continued until 1904 with a few matches at odd times after this.

“The current series of Southend Barge Matches began in 1964, as part of the town’s Golden Jubilee celebrations. it has long been run in association with the Council, with councillors chairing the committee.

“The current committee Is mostly comprised of sailing barge enthusiasts, who have been trying to rebuild the event and try to keep up with many changes that have been directed us. Naturally the event has been relied on working with the Council, especially as the event   has made good use of the pier as a focus for the event and a means by which members of the public can follow the event without going afloat. This has made it a unique barge match.

“We have had no direct contact with Council officials for many years, being left to manage our event in cooperation with the Pier staff, making use of facilities the match has depended on in the past, and taking advantage of other options offered. This has enabled us to create an event with wider appeal for the people of Southend and beyond. More recently we have created a concurrent exhibition over the whole weekend.

“However, we have gradually come to the realisation that the Council now consider the event is independent of the Council, which has left our small committee of volunteers very exposed and personally liable for anything arising from the match. We have tried to alleviate this situation as much as we can, but need additional funds, to properly protect the event and committee. In addition, we now become liable for charges from the Council levied to all events, for facilities it provides, in addition to costs we have had to cover for facilities that have not been replaced when withdrawn, defunct or unsafe for us to use.

“We do not operate for profit, nor to raise money for charity from our event, although we have a long association with the Southend RNLI who have benefitted to some extent to monies raised through the event. We are grateful to them for providing access to their facilities and accommodation free of charge.

“Most of our income comes from our connections within the sailing barge community and from participating barges, and we have been grateful for their loyalty and support. We have found it difficult to raise finance from other sources.

“It is now clear to the committee that we no longer have the manpower or finance to properly overcome the immediate obstacles, and since we believe we need more financial input to create a better event this will be compromised by these other demands.

“Our committee members have a variety of other demands on our time in actively working to preserve sailing barges and keep them sailing. We would also like to thank all those who have supported the event in the past, in so many ways.

David Renouf
Chairman, Souithend Barge Match Committee
sbm@thamesbarge.org.uk

The most beautiful boats in the world, a true museum with leading lights that constitute in themselves a symbol of naval art, that evokes the history, the tradition and the exploits of ancient sailors, are the heart and strength of this regatta, in which a total of 144 boats have participated, as emblematic as Agneta, Alba, Altaïr, America, Amorita, Astarte II, Avel, Bonafide, Cambria, Calima, Capricia, Creole, Eleonora, Emeraude, Galvana, Gipsy, Giralda, Giraldilla, Guide, Ilex, Marigan, Mariquita, Mariette, Mercury, Orion of the Seas, Outlaw, Pesa, Rosalind, Rowdy, Sonata, Stella Polare, Stormvogel, Thendara, Veronique, Yanira, … to name a few…

XV Copa del Rey, Vela Clásica Menorca, Mahon

Club Marítimo de Mahón,
Moll de Llevant, 287
07701 Maó
Illes Balears – España
Phone: (+34) 971 36 50 22
E-mail: regatas@velaclasicamenorca.com

www.velaclasicamenorca.com

Dartmouth Royal Regatta Sailing Week   Radio:

With fiercely fought local rowing competitions, yacht racing, classics, dinghy sailing, stand up paddleboarding, water polo in the Boatfloat and the WEARA championship, the 2018 Regatta is a true celebration of the water. Come and join us – and join in!

Classic Craft Review

The River Dart Review of Classic Craft started over 35 years ago and has been a popular spectacle ever since. The boats vary in age from 10 to 100 years old and range from working boats through classic motor boats to yachts of all sizes. 

This is a combined event with on and off the water activities and entertainment.
See WWW: dartmouthregatta.co.uk  for all non sailing events – rowing, waterborne tug of war etc

and see WWW:  dartmouthsailingweek.com  for all sailing activities

Dartmouth Royal Regatta Sailing Week Office,
RDYC, Priory Street, Kingswear,
Dartmouth, Devon, TQ6 0AB
Telephone:  +44 1803 752704
e: info@dartmouthsailingweek.com