SWYSA Winter Race Coaching at Saltash Sailing Club

SWYSA Winter Race Coaching at Saltash © Peter Solly

1st October 2023 saw the first of SWYSA's Winter Race Coaching series, hosted by the friendly Saltash Sailing Club. SWYSA has organised a series of 9 winter race coaching events, hosted by different clubs through the SW, and aimed at experienced sailors who are looking to to hone and develop their racing skills.

Oversubscribed, and with significantly more applications than ever before, there are 41 sailors signed up for the winters program, including the SW Tera Squad run by the Tera Class Association.

As well as 12 RS Teras, a fleet of 14 Toppers and a separate fleet of 9 ILCAs trained at Saltash. The Toppers were coached by Head Coach Stuart Jones, and the Lasers by experienced coach Izzy Cramp.

The morning session, in relatively light winds, was spent working on boat speed with various different exercises; the fleets able to choose separate areas of the river to sail in.

After lunch ashore, the fleets launched again for an afternoon off exercises and racing. The falling wind and building tide sent everybody ashore for a planned finish at 4pm.

The next SWYSA Winter Race Coaching event is planned for Sidmouth on the 5th of November.

A big thank you to Saltash Sailing Club, for hosting the event and providing so many friendly and helpful volunteers.

Thanks also for the parent volunteers who helped man the safety and coach boats, and to all of the coaches.

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SWYSA Winter Race Coaching at Saltash - photo © Peter Solly