Saturday, March 12, 2011

COLUMBIA 56

Boat: COLUMBIA 56

Builder: Columbia Yachts

Designer: William H. Tripp Jr.

More: COLUMBIA 56 Specifications

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Mudhook Yacht Club Schools & Cadet Races Overall


Author: Al Green

Firth of Clyde
Scottish National Watersports Centre - Cumbrae


The annual Mudhook YC Schools & Cadet Race series was held from Monday 7th to Friday 11th August 2000, on the Firth of Clyde at the Scottish National Watersports Centre - Cumbrae.

Many dinghy competitions are offered for cadets, but the Mudhook Yacht Club Schools and Cadets Week Series continues to be the only event of its kind in the British Isles in which young people can compete on their own in keel boats.

The Mudhook Yacht Club, which was founded in 1873, has a restricted membership of 41 and is by invitation - predominantly to yachtsmen who have provided outstanding service to the sport. His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh was elected to membership in 1948 and is one of its longest serving members. It is a fitting tribute to the esteem in which the club is held, that in 1998, the club was privileged to welcome Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, President of the Royal Yachting Association and her husband to there ranks.

The Club has always been at the forefront of innovation and as long ago as 1933, instituted the Cadet’s and School's Races to give young people the chance to race in keelboats. This year of the Millennium they decided to make a change in the venue but hope to maintain and improve both the quality of the event and its social agreeability. They have decided to move to the exciting new facility available at The Scottish Watersports Centre at Cumbrae. This, allows more and better racing and will also allow all of the teams to camp together in the grounds of the centre and to take advantage of the excellent facilitates that they offer. Racing in Largs Channel will not suffer from the wind difficulties, which were often encountered in the Gareloch.

This regatta is raced in 3 man Piper OD keelboats and has participants from the Firth of Clyde Sailing Clubs and Schools and outlying areas. Participants are aged 14-18 or over and the teams are both men and mixed or all female crews. The week has so far been run successfully with all 72 participants being contained at the centre either camping or staying in the Watersports Centres chalets. This has been a success in containing such a large group of as the Watersports Centre is on an island and is a couple of miles away from the nearest town. The advantage of the Watersports Centre has been the ability of the participants to use the facilities on and of the water with post-race sailing in Buzz's, Dart 16’s and Windsurfers being very popular. The Championship is decided through a series of 10 Rounds each with its own 3 Heats which see 24 Teams split through 8 boats and the crews not only alternating boats but there competitors also, this has each team racing a maximum of three races per day.

Final Report:

Friday saw the drawing to a close of the Mudhook Yacht Club - Schools & Cadets Regatta, with 4 Heats being run in near perfect F2-3 winds from the South, so ending the Series after 8 Rounds. The racing was held close to the Cumbrae shore proving to be ideal for the ashore teams to spectate the final Heats.

Largs SC A team, helmed by Daniel Smith, local Laser Radial sailor, proved to be successful, winning the Championship by a 2pt over close rival Clyde Cruising Club’s, Stuart Frize, a member of the British 420 Squad, after a full 8 Rounds. Daniel managed to keep a cool head throughout the week to never drop below the top 3 places until his final race, where he scored a 5th . Dunoon Grammar proved also to be successful by pulling away from Cove SC to achieve 3rd place overall.

The girls positions have been the most interesting with Loch Lomond Sailing Club's, Gemma Cassels, a Regional 420 Squad sailor, keeping ahead of her rivals on Friday, Day 5, to pull up to 8th place overall and 1st Girl. This weeks success should help to boost confidence for next weeks 420 Nationals at Weymouth & Portland Sailing Academy.

The final night's entertainment's involved a BBQ and impromptu disco in the centres main lounge.
Great fun was had by all and plans are already afoot to make next years regatta even better, after this inaugural visit to the Scottish National Centre - Cumbrae. All are invited to attend and entries are open to any School or Cadet team from the UK.

Final Positions, after 8 Rounds:



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