Busy racing programme for 2019 at Ullswater Yacht Club
by Sue Giles 31 Jan 2019 06:22 PST
Lord Birkett Trophy start in 2018 © Tim Olin /
www.olinphoto.co.uk
Ullswater Yacht Club launches into the 2019 racing season with a packed sailing programme for club members and seven major open events for visiting racers.
The opens include the iconic Lord Birkett Memorial Trophy and a brand new weekend, The Ullswater Ultimate, which is part of the Great British Sailing Challenge.
"It promises to be an exciting year for racers at UYC," said UYC Sailing Secretary, David Clarke. "We are delighted to be part of the innovative new Great British Sailing Challenge and expect our new event, the Ullswater Ultimate, to become another 'must-do', just like the Birkett."
The award-winning Lord Birkett Memorial Trophy will be held, as usual, on the first full weekend of July - 6 and 7 - and the Ullswater Ultimate, again open to all classes, is on August 17 and 18.
And there will also be a warm welcome for visiting competitors at five other special opens held throughout the sailing season. The competitive year kicks off with the Daffodil Regatta on April 20 and 21, which is open to all classes. There'll be daffodils galore at the prizegiving as UYC joins in Ullswater's spring celebrations featuring Wordsworth's famous poem.
The Daffodil Regatta is followed by four more events - the Flying Fifteen Northerns on May 11 and 12; a Laser Lakeland Travellers day on August 10; the Tempest Nationals on August 31 and September 1; and Asymmetric Weekend, open to all asymmetric classes, on October 5 and 6.
The Lord Birkett Memorial Trophy is UYC's most prestigious event, winning the Cumbria Tourism Event of the Year in 2016 and voted number eight in the world's top 50 regattas by Yachts & Yachting Magazine. It has become so popular that for the last few years entries have been closed at the 230 limit well before the event. This year entry is online only via SailRacer and organisers expect it to again be oversubscribed so early entry is advised.
Two ACH races cover the length of Cumbria's most beautiful lake with one on Saturday and one on Sunday and ample space for camping and campervans and on-site catering and entertainment all weekend makes the Birkett a true Festival of Sailing.
Club officials are expecting the new Ullswater Ultimate, a handicap event for all classes and with entry via SailRacer, to become another iconic UYC event. The Great British Sailing Challenge series is being held at clubs throughout the country during 2019 and the top 100 sailors will take part in a grand final at Rutland Water SC in the autumn.
All the open events offer the usual UYC hospitality with excellent food, camping on site, and great racing in lovely surroundings.
For more details contact David Clarke on or visit our website www.ullswateryachtclub.org
UYC Opens for 2019:
- Daffodil Regatta, open to all classes, April 20 & 21
- Flying Fifteen Northerns, May 11 & 12
- Lord Birkett Memorial Trophy: July 6 & 7
- Laser Lakeland Travellers, August 10
- Tempest Nationals, August 31 & September 1
- Asymmetric Weekend, open to all asymmetric classes: October 5 & 6