Itchenor Sailing Club honour Swallows at Seventy at annual Points Week
by Louisa Green 15 Jun 2016 08:19 PDT
20-24 June 2016
This year marks the 70th anniversary of the National Swallow and to celebrate Itchenor Sailing Club have planned an action packed season of first class one design racing.
The Swallow is a keelboat that was designed by Tom Thornycroft as an improvement on Charles Nicholson's Bembridge Redwing. It was originally created for the 1948 Olympic Games where Itchenor member Stewart Morris took home Gold in the Swallow Class. Itchenor is also currently home to the largest collection of Swallows with a 30 strong fleet, making the Swallow an important part of the Club's past and current sailing programme.
This year will see over 100 class races including fifteen major events contested in Chichester Harbour, and between the 20th and 24th of June, Itchenor will be holding their annual Keelboat Points Week.
A highlight in Itchenor's summer calendar, Points Week is a five-day series of harbour races with longer than usual courses, making the best use of Chichester Harbour at high tide. In addition to the Swallows, large fleets of XODs and Sunbeams will enjoy their own racing programme. The Sailing Club also host numerous socials every evening, meaning this event is not only about first class sailing, but also a fantastic opportunity to get to know keelboat sailors from other classes.
Over 60 classic keelboats took part in last year's event for a week of competitive racing. It was attended by sailors ranging from those in their early 20s to the winner in the Sunbeam fleet aged 85, demonstrating the appeal of this form of racing for all ages.
With the 70th anniversary of the Swallow, Itchenor are expecting an even better attendance at this year's Points Week.