Celebrating the 60th birthday of the RYA Volvo Dinghy Show

The RYA Volvo Dinghy Show will be celebrating its 60th birthday in 2011 © RYA

Over the weekend of 5-6 March 2011 Alexandra Palace, London once again becomes home of the RYA Volvo Dinghy Show, in association with Yachts and Yachting and Suzuki; the only show in the world dedicated to dinghy sailing.

Alongside the hundreds of exhibitors, the boats, books, kit and super star sailors the show boasts a packed agenda of talks and master classes from some of the dinghy sailing world’s elite.

Come through the doors of the show and you will be greeted by the spectacular Invictus C-Class Catamaran, the only wing sail Cat of its kind in Europe. You’ll also get the chance to hear from the team on the main stage later in the day (Volvo Main Stage 14.30) talking about their challenge for the 2013 Little Americas Cup.

Also over on the Volvo Main Stage you will hear from Fran Gifford who gives us a sneaky peek into her adventures sailing around the UK in a Wayfarer (10.30). There will be top tips from the ‘Boat Whisperer’ (11.15); the fundamentals of foiling (12.00) and advice on staying warm and winning (12.45). Chris Watts provides a very useful look at start line rules and tactics (15.15), and Skandia Team GBR’s Sarah Gosling (nee Webb), who won Gold at the 2004 Athens and 2008 Beijing Olympics, will be talking Olympics in the lead up to the 2012 Games (13.45).

It’s not just talks on the main stage either. Throughout the day there will be prize draws, a special surprise for one show goer (14.30) and winners presentations, including: Topper National Series (13.15), Volvo Eco Challenge (13.30), Diamond Treasure Hunt (16.15), Volvo Champion Club award (16.30) and the prestigious RYA Club of the Year (16.45). We’ll also be launching the brand new Sail for Gold programme (13.45) and the fantastic new Go Green! book (16.00); with a little help from round the world sailor Mike Golding who assisted in writing the book.

If you fancy being a bit more hands on then pop over to the Coaching area in the Panorama Hall. Here you can get top tips on: basic rig tuning (12.00), setting the spinnaker (14.15) and trapezing (13.30), learn how to put a new boat together with RS Sailing (12.45) and build your core stability (15.00) and if you fancy trying your hand at something completely different then don’t miss the windsurfing for dinghy sailors talk with Tris Best (11.00).

If that isn’t enough to whet your appetite there are plenty more things to see and activities taking place over the weekend.

Try out Volvo’s Towing Workshop (outside) offering hands on training for experienced and inexperienced towers; pick up some new boat building and repair techniques at the Boat Workshop (Great Hall) or join in the Cherub Class celebrations (West Corridor) who are also celebrating their 60th birthday and will be showcasing a selection of Cherub’s from across the decades.

There’s also plenty of entertainment for the kids to. You can hunt down the clues in the great Diamond Treasure Hunt and win some fantastic prizes or build your own boat from straws and paper and race your mates in the Holt Blow Boat Challenge.

The RYA Volvo Dinghy Show has something for all dinghy sailors, young or old, novice or pro, cruiser or racer. It’s the perfect way to take the wraps off the 2011 season.

Get your ticket now

Tickets bought in advance cost just £11.00 for adults (£9.00 for RYA members and £8.00 for RYA Gold members), children 16 or under; accompanied by an adult, just £5.00 a ticket and go free on Sunday (maximum two free of charge child tickets per adult). Children who are RYA members go free of charge all weekend.

Tickets can also be purchased on the door for £13.00 adult and £7.00 child, but if you want to beat the queues and save money then book online now at www.dinghyshow.org.uk or call the ticket hotline on 0844 811 0409.

Win great prizes

Once again by booking in advance you could also help your club win some fantastic prizes. Anyone buying a ticket in advance up until midnight on 4th March 2011 will be able to nominate their sailing club to be in with a chance of winning.

Thanks to show sponsors Volvo plus Suzuki, Rigiflex, Mersea Trailers and Rooster Sailing, clubs will be placed into one of the three prize draw groups depending upon the number of tickets sold and nominations made.

Clubs could win:

Just nominate your club when you book your tickets (for group bookings please use the telephone hotline) and you could help your club win one of these great prizes.

Don’t worry if you’re not a member of a club. If you’re passionate about dinghy sailing or simply want to find out about getting started, then book your tickets now and come visit the show; there really is something for everyone.

“For the price of your ticket, you get far more than just a show. Free advice, free workshops and free talks are available at your fingertips, and the halls are packed to the rafters with dinghies galore, from timeless classics to the very latest in design. There are also hundreds of exhibitors filling the show so you’ll find everything you need to improve your sailing or get you started”, concluded Paul Bayliss, RYA Volvo Dinghy Show Manager.