Pwllheli Sailing Club - Racing prep
by Vicky Cox 28 Mar 2023 07:40 PDT
The crew of Finally getting ready for the year ahead © Paul Kitteringham
Despite the cold winds and snow over the last few weekends the boat yards around Pwllheli have all been a hive of activity with the sounds of grinders, sanders and polishers in action.
Last year's camaraderie and banter was very much evident in the yards, as trays of cup cakes, along with the odd spanner, screwdriver or wire cutters, were passed between boats.
With Pwllheli Sailing club invited to compete in the Royal Yacht Squadron's invitational regatta in July, this weekends warmer weather saw plenty of enthusiasm amongst the newly arrived J70s, with masts being stepped in preparation for training.
Speaking with crews and skippers there is an enthusiasm for the year ahead and talk of more J70s to follow. We welcome the fleet to Pwllheli Sailing club and look forward to seeing them compete in club racing.
Pwllheli club racing offers a good selection of early scheduled races, giving opportunity to get in some practice in preparation for the IRC Welsh Nationals 12th to 14th May. Entries have had a surge in the past week and it is shaping up to be a great early season event.
The racing season starts with the Easter weekend, billed as Pwllheli's 'Tuning Weekend'. In recognition of skippers still needing a certain amount of boat prep, plus crews gradually arriving, Good Friday is set up as self timed events around the Tremadog Triangle course (start, 2, 8, 10, finish), allowing a trial of boat set up before competing against others. No doubt everyone will reconvene in the club to discuss the winter break over refreshments and compare the years plans. Feel free to come and chat with the skippers as they may well be looking for crew for the season or a chance to have an impromptu race and tune up against another boat before competing in a larger fleet.
Saturday allows more time for practice before a light hearted race lined up against other boats. The warning signal will be at 1130 to allow those attending the AGM to join in with the racing.
Sunday and Monday brings more structure to the days, with 2 races a day and first warning signals at 10:30. The emphasis though, will still be on light hearted racing to ease crews and boats into the busy year ahead.
For more information check out the club website, pwllhelisailingclub.co.uk or email