Jenny Wilson steps down as Principal Race Officer for Lymington Youth Week
by Shireen Crowe 2 Sep 2016 15:06 BST
2 September 2016
Jenny, Pippa and Roger Wilson © Wilson family
Jenny Wilson steps down as Principal Race Officer for Youth Week, the Royal Lymington Yacht Club's flagship regatta for young sailors after a record 18 years of delivering excellent racing and fun on the water, in safe conditions.
Now in its fourth decade this annual regatta for local sailors aged 8-18 attracted over 180 competitors this year. Around 7,500 young sailors have enjoyed the fun of what was originally called the RLymYC Junior Regatta. Competitors come back each year to enjoy sailing often progressing to help in support boats as they reach 16 years.
Jenny has been helping at Youth Week since 1993 taking on the PRO role in 1999.
Whilst she is retiring from Youth Week, Jenny will remain a stalwart of the RLymYC sailing programme including RO for Thursday night racing and other major Club Events.
Jenny has been Captain of Juniors since 2012. Juniors have been a very important section of the RLymYC with strong fleets delivering great results in Optimists, Teras, Fevas, 420s. Lasers and, 29ers. It is no surprise that many of the Club's 17 Olympians started sailing in the Royal Lymington Juniors. Jenny sat on the RLymYC General Committee from 2010-2013 and joined the membership subcommittee in 2010. Wednesday Junior Sailing, supported by Lymington Yacht Haven, was run by Jenny from 2000 to 2009.
The Wilson family came to Lymington in 1982 and joined the RLymYC in 1990, having previously been members at Keyhaven. Jenny's own sailing background is Enterprises, Wayfarers, XODs and Scows. In recent years she has been involved as a Race Officer at three Laser World Championships, four Sail for Gold Regattas, 2007 Cadet Worlds, ten IRC Nationals five Commodores Cups and 2012 Paralympics win Weymouth.
Jenny and Roger were in Beijing in 2008 to see youngest daughter Pippa win her gold medal in the Yngling class, with Sarah Webb and Sarah Ayton.
Jenny is a dynamic force within the RLymYC race management team helping to deliver professionally run races for all major Club events. She and Roger are credited with continuing the Club's reputation for professional race management developed by Nick Potter and Tony Blatchford. The Club is most fortunate to benefit from 'buy one get one free' – this summer the Royal Lymington Cup and J80 Nationals hosted by the RLymYC enjoyed the RO expertise of Roger and Jenny Wilson.