Please select your home edition
Edition
Maritimo M75

New Junior trophy for North East & Yorkshire Youth Travellers (NEYYTS) in memory of John Dowd

by Paula Irish 22 Jun 2021 02:03 AEST
John Dowd worked very hard supporting the North East & Yorkshire Youth Traveller Series © Dowd family

A new trophy for regatta fleet competitors in the North East & Yorkshire Youth Traveller Series (NEYYTS) is to be introduced in memory of dedicated volunteer John Dowd.

John, who died aged 80 from cancer in March, was instrumental to the series getting started in the 1980s and was involved with youth and junior sailing across the region over three decades.

At the first event of the 2021 series hosted by Pennine SC, his wife Jean and daughter Anne were invited to present the prizes. The family is now also looking forward to the final event at Yorkshire Dales SC on Saturday 18th September, when a new trophy will be presented in memory of John for the overall regatta fleet series winner.

Jean said: "A lovely trophy of a boat has been crafted by a friend of John's and we're looking forward to presenting it because John was always so keen to encourage young sailors. I remember John doing such a lot for children and youth sailors.

"He introduced a trophy to the traveller series himself called the Leapfrog Trophy, presented to the most improved sailor, and this one in his memory is similar but would encourage the novices."

John was a secondary school maths teacher at Swinton who became interested in sailing when his son Chris started crewing through school at Ulley SC in Yorkshire. He bought an Enterprise for the family and became involved in club life, the traveller series and then the National School Sailing Association. He was commodore of Ulley SC from 1996-7, and then treasurer, and a member of the RYA Regional Volunteer Team.

Jean, a retired primary school teacher, recalls: "In between taking our own three children to regattas he was organising them and gradually got more and more involved with the National School Sailing Association as well. He was just so enthusiastic with children and as a teacher he was always involved with teenagers and he really loved to encourage them to sail.

"He thought it was such a good thing for them to do and a good discipline for them along with the enjoyment of getting out in the fresh air. He wasn't terribly competitive himself but was always very enthusiastic when it came to organising a youth regatta."

David Staniforth, who worked with John on the committee at Ulley SC and on the regional RYA team, said: "Over the years John's influence in encouraging youth and junior sailors was amazing. He was very patient and had an easy manner, he was friendly and approachable. He was a well-liked and well-loved person with a good sense of humour. You would always hear his laugh before you saw him and he is missed."

He added that John, who was also a Streaker sailor, was among a group of sailing secretaries representing South Yorkshire, Ulley, Viking, Denholme, Rotherham and Pennine, who met on the first Monday of each month in the Fat Cat real ale pub in Sheffield in the early 80s to compare fixtures, which led to the start of the youth and junior series with a programme for school sailing.

Ulley SC was a hub for Rotherham Schools Sailing Association and John worked closely with Andy Rangecroft on NSSA regattas, including two at Bridlington. They also set up an international sailing exchange in 1990 with the Ukraine following the Chernobyl incident and took the children to the NSSA regatta at Rutland that year, where the then Prime Minister John Major handed out the prizes. Children from Chernobyl still sail at Ulley SC each year through an annual visit organised by churches in Sheffield.

John was presented an RYA Volunteer Award for his services to youth sailing by Her Royal Highness, The Princess Royal, who he met again when the NSSA Nationals were the last regatta in Weymouth before the 2012 Olympics. John was NSSA treasurer at the time and later returned to watch the Games, proud that among those who grew up developing their racing skills through the series was Ulley SC's Olympian and 2008 gold medallist Paul Goodison.

Josie Gentry, of Pennine SC, who worked with John for NSSA over many years, said: "He was just lovely. He was very easy to work with but also highly organised and sensible and made sure everything was done properly. He was very well liked and respected by the sailors. John loved working with the children and I really enjoyed working with John."

When no longer able to sail, John continued to enjoy visiting the club and volunteering along with Jean for other organisations, including the National Trust and Rotherham talking newspapers. Their children have followed his interests, with Paul a brewer and Chris and Anne both sailing instructors.

When John first started helping with the youth and junior traveller series it spanned Yorkshire, then Humberside as well, and it now also encompasses the North East and includes a north and south mini-series.

Some of those who remember John from when they competed as children are now introducing their own young sailors to racing through the series, including current organiser Fiona Spence, who said: "We're very touched that the family wanted to honour John's memory with a new trophy recognising the achievement of sailors in the regatta fleet.

"It also very fitting alongside the Leapfrog trophy, which John introduced, for the most improved sailor over the series. We'd like to say thank you to the family for their ongoing support of the series and its continued success in encouraging young sailors from across the region."

For series information please see www.yhysa.org

Related Articles

Celebrating 60,000 Bot Days (and Counting)
Last month, MarkSetBot reached a meaningful milestone Last month, MarkSetBot reached a meaningful milestone: surpassing more than 60,000 Bot days on the water across our global fleet. Posted on 7 Oct
From Nelson's Cup to the 600
The ultimate Caribbean challenge The 17th edition of the RORC Caribbean 600 will start on Monday 23rd of February, 2026. Since 2009, sailors from around the world have enjoyed the spectacular and tactical course around 11 stunning Caribbean Islands and that has not changed. Posted on 7 Oct
SailGP rolls through Cadiz, One Design racing news
F50s in Cadiz, Formula Kites, J/22s, Hobie 16s, and GL52s SailGP has enjoyed a fine tour of the United Kingdom and Europe of late. This wrapped up this past weekend in Cadiz, Spain, where the DP World Spain Sail Grand Prix was contested using the league's 24-meter wingsails and the light-air T-foils and rudders. Posted on 7 Oct
Rolex Middle Sea Race - Accomplishment at its best
Success demands seamanship, perseverance, and the very best strategy For most people, the idea of a week in the Mediterranean evokes a picture of sun-drenched coastlines, shimmering blue water, a relaxed pace and delicious cuisine. For those competing in the annual Rolex Middle Sea Race, the image is very different. Posted on 7 Oct
2025 GKA Kite-Surf World Cup Dakhla preview
Tour leaders seek to build title moment at penultimate stop of Kite-Surf season in Morocco Reigning world champions, France's Capucine Delannoy and Brazil's Gabriel Benetton, top the Kite-Surf rankings as they head to the season's penultimate stop in Dakhla, Morocco, on the Sahara desert's coastline. Posted on 7 Oct
11th Hour Racing sponsors 2025 Transat Café L'or
Sponsorship expands efforts to drive sustainability and gender diversity 11th Hour Racing announced today that it will serve as the Sustainability Sponsor of the TRANSAT CAFÉ L'OR Le Havre Normandie, a premier transatlantic sailing race. Posted on 7 Oct
Inaugural Cannes-Malta Race Preview
A reference time to establish and a legend to write Her name is Charlotte Rousselot and she is competing in the first edition of the Cannes-Malta Race from 8 to 15 October, a new offshore race co-organised by the Yacht Club de Cannes and the Royal Malta Yacht Club, which have decided to join forces. Posted on 7 Oct
Yacht Racing Forum set for an exceptional edition
A truly unique gathering, bringing together key representatives of the yacht racing industry The upcoming Yacht Racing Forum in Amsterdam will be a truly unique gathering, bringing together key representatives of the yacht racing industry under one roof. Posted on 7 Oct
John 'Woody' Winning, 50 years in the 18s
One of the three greatest influencers on the 134-year-old iconic Australian sport Fifty years ago, the 23-year-old Interdominion 12ft skiff champion John 'Woody' Winning joined the 18 footers class in a new skiff which was built by Bob McLeod and raced as Travelodge with the NSW 18 Footers League club's 1975-76 season fleet Posted on 7 Oct
Australian Sailing Team set for Calgiari
Taking on the world's best at the 49er, 49erFX and Nacra 17 Worlds The 49er, 49erFX and Nacra 17 World Championships are set to get under way in Cagliari, Sardinia, from October 7-12, with 14 Australian teams ready to take on the world's best. Posted on 7 Oct
Barton Marine Pipe GlandsHenri-Lloyd Dynamic RangeHyde Sails 2024 - One Design