Vernon Stratton Memorial Regatta to be held on Saturday 10 March
by Rudy Jurg 5 Mar 2012 16:55 GMT
10 March 2012
The Vernon Stratton Memorial Regatta is to be held on Saturday 10 March © Mike Samuelson
Finn Gold Cup winner Vernon Stratton passed away at the young age of 83 last September. In this Olympic year we like to remember just how much of Great Britain's current success in Olympic sailing is a direct consequence of seeds sown by Vernon's strong leadership back in the 1960s, 70s and early 80s.
Vernon Stratton was in charge of British Olympic sailing for the successful 1968 and 1972 Olympic Regattas and was on course to do a similarly good job as team manager in 1980 - before UK authorities bowed to peer pressure and withdrew a strong British Olympic Sailing Team from the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow. Vernon knew only one approach to managing sportsmen: pick only winners and then back them as hard as you can.
A fine sailor himself, and married to another fine sailor - Pepe Stratton who was a rather magnificent Firefly and Finn sailor in the days when such things were not usual. They would form a formidable partnership on and off the water.
In 2010 the Princess Royal presented him with a RYA Lifetime Achievement Award. When not sailing Vernon worked as a leading advertising manager and photographer for many famous brands.
In the 1980’s he founded the Illusion Class in Bembridge. The Illusion is a one-design keel boat, based on a scaled version of Lionheart, the British 12 Metre Class yacht and designed by Jo Richards and Neil Graham in 1981.
These performance single-handed boats offer superb racing in nearly any conditions, by sailors of all weights and ages - with tested racing performance up to Force 6! Vernon Stratton raced these boats up to winter of 2011. The class has attracted and fine tuned the skills of many top Solent and International sailors.
To celebrate Vernon’s legacy the class has organised a regatta in his memory. This event will take place on Saturday 10 March, start at 1030 in Bembridge Harbour and consists of two races and a sail past Bembridge Sailing Club to salute Pepe Stratton and spectators alike around the harbour.
So far 47 (!) boats have entered which will make it very crowded in the harbour and lead to a magnificent spectacle. Viewing can be enjoyed from many vantage points around the Bembridge Harbour.