RYA Female Scorpion Project 2025 - Camp 3 at Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy
by Nick Lightbody 16 Jul 2025 05:04 PDT
11-13 July 2025
Fortune favours the brave and Camp 3 enjoyed yet more champagne sailing at Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy in Dorset with the final day blown off just as people needed time to pack up for their first regatta at Lymington.
Sailor coaches Courtney Bilbrough, Andy Service & Graeme Bristow rounded off the fifteen day coaching scheme with Arwen Fflur, Hattie Connolly, Lucy Street, Liz Hill-Smith & Matty Evans showing their capabilities in a "power hour" for three Scorpions in 18-30 knots from the West.
This final Camp enabled the rod-rigged Scorpions prepared by the sailors to be successfully tested to the limit.
The Scorpion Foundation's 1905 Syruptitious was particularly impressive so Millie Irish & Tim Evans can look forward to great championship sailing in her on Mount's Bay. They will be powered by the new suit of sails, kindly donated by P&B, when they return from the 470 Junior Europeans in Porto.
The project's medical advisor Dr James Morrow spent a couple of days observing the team and then lead an open discussion on the way in which hormonal cycles impact female sailors. It was agreed that this is a subject on which the RYA could lead improvements in the essential support of female sailors of all ages.
Veteran sailing legend Keith Musto stopped by to chat to the sailors and told them how pleased he was to see wooden boats being given this level of attention.
After the Lymington Regatta the project sailors and coaches will travel west to Penzance SC for the Scorpion Nationals on Mount's Bay in early August.