RYA Scottish Zone Championships to be held at East Lothian Yacht Club
by Sue Simpson 17 Sep 2013 18:16 BST
28-29 September 2013
Topper nationals at North Berwick day 4 © Alan Henderson /
www.fotoboat.com
On 28 September, around 100 young sailors will arrive in North Berwick to compete in the Royal Yacht Association Scottish Youth and Junior Championships. East Lothian Yacht Club are delighted that the RYA has been chosen to host this prestigious event - the first time in years that it has been held on the East Coast. Those registered for the Zones this weekend are sailing Optimists, Toppers, RS Fevas, Laser Radials, 420s and 29ers. There will also be Pathway Windsurfers.
The competition lasts for two days and those competing must have completed RYA onBoard sailing schemes. The John Merricks Sailing Trust will be loaning 50 boats throughout the UK and they will be either Optimists or Toppers. The Trust is looking for young people displaying enthusiasm, drive, talent and commitment to the sport, but who may not have the opportunity or financial backing to achieve their goals.
East Lothian Yacht Club was established in 1928 and now has almost 500 members. The club runs training courses for young people and for adults through the summer, together with additional sailing 'clinics' a weekends and Fun Fridays for beginners from age 11. For those children from age 8 we also run Bass Rock Bandits for those youngsters who just want to get the feel of dinghy sailing and gain a little confidence on the water.
As well as our annual Regatta in June (numbers currently capped at 140) we ran the RS400 nationals in August. Over the past decade, ELYC had held at least one and sometimes two, national championships each year, and has been the venue for practically all dinghy classes from Optimists to Skiffs. Some classes have been here more than once. The Toppers held their Nationals here in 2007 and 2011, and have already booked to come again. In 2011 there were 330 boats in their fleet which meant, together with rescue teams and sailors' families, the Club was host to around 1,500 people for a week.
All racing takes place on the Firth of Forth. ELYC's club premises are at North Berwick Harbour, with boats able to launch from the adjacent beach on the West Bay. Club dinghy racing is held every Saturday throughout the year and yacht racing from April-September.