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    Posted: 10 Jul 18 at 11:01am
Which places have you stumbled upon, which you think would make a great sailing venue in terms of sheltered launching, variety of sailing areas and all round scenery, but just lack onshore infrastructure or a little bit remote? 

It seems abroad they make more use out of event tents and local bars plus fields for boat parking. I know some small sailing clubs dothis very well, but do you think there are other venues which could be made great with a bit of event planning? 

A few I particularity like the look of: 
Chanonry Sailing Club (Fortrose, Moray Firth). Quick to get out past Chanonry head for more open sea, or sheltered waters on the inner Moray Firth. Nearby clubs at Nairn and Findhorn too. Is the inner Moray Firth sail-able at low tide though? 

Then then the west coast is littered with what look like amazing places to sail, but I particularly like the look of Loch Fyne. You have to drive past many excellent championship venues on the Clyde to get there though, so you can see why it's not got much sailing.  


Down south I think Hope Cove could host an awesome event. Sheltered bay with breakwater for launching. Loads of local accommodation... 
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Posts: 245 		Post Options Post Options   Quote KazRob Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Jul 18 at 11:13am
Loch Fyne is notoriously fickle for wind - just ask anybody who's done the Scottish Series there in a big boat. It works well for that as everybody ends up in one small village and has a great party, but it's also a few hours drive on windy roads to get there from even Glasgow. Chanonry has an excellent reputation as has Prestwick but I'm biased to the latter as I grew up in Troon next door to it and it's some of the best open water sailing you will find in Britain as the RS300s can attest.
If you really want to go to an amazing place a dinghy event in Tiree would be fun. Windiest and sunniest place in the UK with amazing beachs and not all of them with big surf. Only trouble is it is hard enough to get some fleets further north than Rutland!
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Posts: 1345 		Post Options Post Options   Quote davidyacht Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Jul 18 at 11:35am
Originally posted by mozzy

Down south I think Hope Cove could host an awesome event. Sheltered bay with breakwater for launching. Loads of local accommodation... 



Sadly no club ... and desecrated pub ... Hope and Anchor ruined by St. Austell 

Carantec in Brittany struck me as a pretty venue with a sailing club and easy access to the Roscoff ferry 
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Posts: 189 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Fatboi Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Jul 18 at 12:14pm
Hope Cove looks beautiful. I guess you would be competing with Looe and Lyme though, which hold some good champs.
I did some North West Norfolk Weeks growing up and always enjoyed Hunstanton, although when the tide goes out it is a long walk down the beach and if high tide you come in onto the breakwater, but I am sure you could pick a week that made that not an issue. 
Also did an event at Southwold, launch in an estuary and short sail out onto the sea. That was great!!

There must be some North Devon spots that would be good. I have never done a champs there. The i14's did one from Padstow though, which looked nice!


Edited by Fatboi - 10 Jul 18 at 12:23pm
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Post Options Post Options   Quote Guests Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Jul 18 at 12:29pm
Originally posted by KazRob


If you really want to go to an amazing place a dinghy event in Tiree would be fun. Windiest and sunniest place in the UK with amazing beachs and not all of them with big surf. Only trouble is it is hard enough to get some fleets further north than Rutland!
Tiree would be cool. The lands pretty flat though and I like a few gain features on a championship course to make the racing interesting. 

Which reminds me, Calgary Bay... maybe to much break for launching? But Tobemory could be good with racing in the Sound of Mull for shelter or round to the north for more open seas. 

Oban has a sailing club, but it's my impression from the look of the water that the sailing area would be hugely tidal. 
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Posts: 189 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Fatboi Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Jul 18 at 1:09pm
Do you not find a gain feature makes it too one sided and then boring?

ie Garda - Send it into the cliffs and tack below layling and get lifted up. Great for fast trapeeze boats, not so much for hiking or slow boats. Extreme example maybe....
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Post Options Post Options   Quote Guests Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Jul 18 at 1:53pm
If it's a single very reliable gain feature then yes. but if it's a mixture of features that come in to play with different wind / tide directions and strengths then I think that's nice. 

A couple of headlands, some interesting bathy making for variable waves and currents (but not too tidal that starting and mark rounds become bedlam). Add in a few options for different race areas to provide a bit more shelter, and good launching with less than 30 minute sail out would be ideal. 
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Posts: 749 		Post Options Post Options   Quote H2 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Jul 18 at 2:00pm
Lossiemouth has a great beach either side of town - personally would go to the one to the West of Lossie where there is a small sailing club but you could do a pop up venue on the campsite that is walking distance on the links!

What about Findhorn as well, great sailing there!
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Post Options Post Options   Quote Guests Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Jul 18 at 2:35pm
Ha, it's actually Lossiemouth which inspired this thread. I've been working on a project at spey bay for the last 18 months. 

The only issue is, if you get a strong northerly, it's scary! Lossiemouth has a nice little marina though which could help launching if you get a northerly.... like many of the Moray towns the harbours are very small and you'd struggle to get a big fleet off the slip quickly (but not impossible). 

Findhorn you'd of course launch out of the river.  At other end of Spey Bay there's cullen too, which would be excellent with a little harbour. I opted to start the thread with Chanonry on the inner Moray Firth  as they appear to have a good race area in sheltered waters as a back up option. 
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Posts: 1345 		Post Options Post Options   Quote davidyacht Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Jul 18 at 2:38pm
Originally posted by Fatboi

Do you not find a gain feature makes it too one sided and then boring?

ie Garda - Send it into the cliffs and tack below layling and get lifted up. Great for fast trapeeze boats, not so much for hiking or slow boats. Extreme example maybe....
Having sailed a hiking slow Solo at Riva Del Garda last week, despite having to head for the cliffs, there is nothing remotely boring about sailing in this spectacular venue, the grind upwind was a price to pay for the exilarating downwind legs in big waves and F4 - 5 winds, under the cliffs and blue skies.  One of my top three venues from over forty years of dinghy racing.  Cannot wait to return.
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