Please select your home edition
Edition

Countdown to GJW Direct SailFest 2013

by Brenda Hoult 16 Aug 2013 08:33 PDT 24-26 August 2013
Fireball National Championships at Looe © Neil Richardson

Shaping up for a fabulous Bank Holiday weekend in Weymouth

Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy is in the final week of count-down to the inaugural edition of GJW Direct SailFest, inspired by the legacy of the 2012 Sailing Events held at the venue. Alongside the WPNSA Annual Handicap Regatta, there are activities ashore and afloat - something for everyone from 8 to 80, from novice to world champion.

100 mixed dinghies will be competing for the WPNSA Handicap Regatta title in a series comprising of 6 handicap races over Saturday and Sunday, concluding with the Raymarine Long Distance Pursuit Race on Bank Holiday Monday. Every boat will be fitted with a GPS tracker throughout the event with the action screened live at the Academy and via the internet to the armchair sailor worldwide.

The Byte Class are holding their National Championships as part of the regatta and there are strong contingents from a number of other classes, notably the Fireballs and Phantoms but also a significant group of RS300s, Isos and Javelins. As ever at such an event there is a strong representation by the Lasers, with standard, radial and 4.7s taking part.

A coaching day on Friday precedes the racing, a fantastic opportunity for competitors to gain a head start on making the best of the Olympic waters. Led by the massively experienced Peter Aitken and in conjunction with Raymarine this is also the time to learn to really use your Micro Compass to its full potential.

Again for the racers, boat building legend Richard Woof will be at the Academy over the weekend, ready to pluck a (willing) boat owner from the water at the end of the racing day to run a seminar for all on how a boat that appears perfectly fit for racing has plenty of potential to improve with careful planning and maintenance.

For everyone there are the Sports Activity Tasters. A chance for a full session in a choice of a selection of sports hosted by the on-site partners at the Academy.

Paddlesports, windsurfing and sailing will be based on the water at WPNSA for 1½ to 2 hour sessions whilst mountain-bikers and rock-climbers will be taken off site to explore the natural playground of Portland itself for a 3 hour experience.

The activity sessions will take place throughout the whole 4 days of the event with the racing specifically scheduled so that regatta racers don't miss out on the fun with their families. Particularly on Sunday afternoon there should be plenty of time for sailors to have a go at something a little different.

Fancy something a little larger? The team from Key Yachting will be at SailFest from Friday afternoon through to Monday with the J/70, the new 7m, car towable sportsboat that was only launched last year. Stable and manageable across the full range of wind speeds, and with cockpit space for 4 to 5 people, Key Yachting are making the J/70 available for visitors to sail every day, irrespective of age or experience.

On Saturday evening a Hog Roast hosted at the Academy will feature guest speaker Peter Allam, new CEO of WPNSA with memories of the 2012 games as Deputy Manager for LOCOG, with a disco to follow. On Sunday the evening meal is at RYA Portland House, home of Team GBR during the games.

Next year will see another great new event taking place within SailFest, for which the pilot will run between racing and the Hog Roast this year on Saturday evening. The Will Mackaness Trust Charity Duathlon is a race from the OTC slipway at WPNSA by windsurfer to Overcombe Corner and back to the slipway by bicycle. Next weekend the pilot will be demonstrated by some of the top RS:X development squad... Can you rise to the challenge to take them on next year?

If you haven't done so already, enter or book activities now at sailfest.sailracer.org

And a date for the diary, the next edition of SailFest is already scheduled for the same weekend, 23rd to 25th August 2014.

Related Articles

RORC centenary Rolex Fastnet Race
All set for another record-breaker Less than two months now remain until the start of the 2025 Rolex Fastnet Race, this year coinciding with the Royal Ocean Racing Club's centenary. Posted today at 10:06 am
Team Racing Worlds at Newport, RI, overall
Corinthian Yacht Club puts on top notch performance to win Sustained winds in the low 20-knot range and choppy seas brought on another challenging day in the final stretch of the 2025 Team Racing World Championship. Posted today at 4:19 am
The call of the mighty
See the words Admiral's Cup and you immediately think approachable, real, hardcore action See the words Admiral's Cup and you immediately think approachable, real, hardcore action, braving the elements, and glory for the victorious. As an Australian, you have King Louie (the late Lou Abrahams), and the late Sir Jim Hardy as the poster boys. Posted on 1 Jun
Southern Wind Rendezvous overall
A Perfect Conclusion to a Perfect Event The horn sounded right on time for the fourth day of the Southern Wind Rendezvous and Trophy. Blue skies, warm sun, and 6-7 knots of breeze with gusts up to 10 knots accompanied the fleet on a 15-mile course rounding Monaci and Secca Tre Monti. Posted on 1 Jun
Snipe Class looking for a new Executive Director
To provide administrative and financial services to the SCIRA Board The Snipe Class International Racing Association (SCIRA) is seeking applicants for a part-time Executive Director position. This position will provide administrative and financial services to the SCIRA Board. Posted on 1 Jun
16th 151 Miglia-Trofeo Cetilar concludes
Mylius 60 crossed the finish line to win the IRC Over 60 maxi class It has been a long time coming after spending much of the 2024 season finishing second and even continuing this in the recent IMA Maxi European Championship, but finally Guido Paolo Gamucci's Cippa Lippa X has won a race. Posted on 1 Jun
5.5 Metre German Open in Warnemunde overall
Bent Christian Wilhelmsen's Otto takes the win Bent Christian Wilhelmsen's Otto (NOR 68, Lasse Berthelsen, Sam Haines, Kyle Gundersen) has won the 2025 5.5 Metre German Open in Warnemunde after only one final race was possible on Saturday in very light winds. Posted on 1 Jun
Casa Vela Cup 2025 at St Francis Yacht Club overal
Pauline Courtois and her Match in Pink Normandy team claimed a decisive victory French match racing skipper Pauline Courtois and her Match in Pink Normandy team claimed a decisive victory on Saturday at the 2025 Casa Vela Cup, held in the iconic waters of San Francisco Bay and hosted by the St.Francis Yacht Club. Posted on 1 Jun
Team Racing Worlds at Newport, RI, Day 3
Epic breeze cuts racing short; clear division between teams sets scene for final day Sunny skies met big breeze on Day 3 but by 12:30 p.m. racing was postponed, and as the wind built to 25+, the Race Committee abandoned racing at 3:00 p.m. Posted on 1 Jun
Giorgio Armani Superyacht Regatta overall
Southern Wind 100 Agapi Mas awarded the Willy Persico Trophy The 2025 edition of the Giorgio Armani Superyacht Regatta and the Southern Wind RendezVous concluded today with another outstanding day of racing. The event is organised by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda with the support of title sponsor Giorgio Armani. Posted on 31 May