King George stands in for Queen Mary
by Andy Rice 15 Dec 2017 06:50 PST
6 January 2018
King George Sailing Club all set to host the King George Gallop © KGSC
Following the reluctant but necessary cancellation of the Bloody Mary due to low water levels at Queen Mary Sailing Club, King George Sailing Club in North London is to host a replacement event on 6 January 2018. The newly-titled King George Gallop, named after the famous horse race the King George VI Chase, becomes a temporary replacement for the Bloody Mary in the GJW Direct SailJuice Winter Series.
"It's sad that the Bloody Mary had to be cancelled," said Series founder and co-organiser Andy Rice, "but having raced at Queen Mary Sailing Club recently in a smaller fleet, it was clear that there was no way of sensibly holding a multi-class handicap event for two or three hundred visiting boats. We're looking forward to seeing the Bloody Mary back at full strength in 2019. Meanwhile, however, we wanted to keep the GJW Direct SailJuice Winter Series at a seven-event series, and particularly for those who had already entered for the Bloody Mary."
Fortunately a white knight arrived in the form of King George Sailing Club, the North London club which has offered to stage a pursuit race on 6 January. Simon Lovesey, co-organiser of the Series, commented: "It's great that King George were prepared to step in at such short notice. The format will be one pursuit race, open to all monohull centreboard dinghies with a PY number equal or lower than the Topper. Anyone who has already entered the Bloody Mary will have their entry automatically carried over to the King George Gallop, although of course anyone who wants a refund can request that if they prefer."
Club commodore at King George, Tony Cooper said the club is excited at the prospect of holding the event, which has an entry limit of 100 boats. "With 232 acres of water and one of the largest sailing venue in London, we are looking forward to welcoming a diverse range of dinghies for what we expect to be an annual event."
King George is located close to where the North Circular meets the M11, just 10 minutes from J26 of the M25 and ideally suited for anyone looking to spend a weekend in London, with trains from Chingford or Ponders End taking less than 30 minutes to get to Liverpool Street.
Entry for the King George Gallop is now open, and you can secure your spot at this brand new event by going to www.sailjuiceseries.com
The Events:
The following regattas constitute the GJW Direct SailJuice Winter Series 2017/18):
- Draycote Dash, Draycote Water Sailing Club (18 & 19 November 2017)
- Datchet Flyer, Datchet Water Sailing Club (9 & 10 December 2017)
- Brass Monkey, Yorkshire Dales Sailing Club (27 December 2017)
- Grafham Grand Prix, Grafham Water Sailing Club (30 December 2017)
- King George Gallop, King George Sailing Club (replaces cancelled Bloody Mary) (6 January 2018)
- John Merricks Tiger Trophy, Rutland Sailing Club (3 & 4 February 2018)
- Oxford Blue, Oxford Sailing Club (17 February 2018)