Dorset School Games at Rockley Watersports

Dorset School Games at Rockley © Rockley Watersports

Dorset School Games at Rockley © Rockley Watersports

Dorset School Games at Rockley © Rockley Watersports

Thirteen Dorset schools have completed two days of competition as part of the Dorset School Games sailing events run by Rockley Watersports.

For the third consecutive year Rockley, working in collaboration with Active Dorset has hosted the sailing event at Rockley's Poole Park centre for county Primary and Secondary schools. Primary school pupils from years 4, 5 and 6 and secondary school students from years 7 to 10 represented their respective schools in teams to compete in the sailing event on Poole Park lake.

As part of the Sainsbury's National School Sports Week and now in its fifth year, this year's Dorset School Games two-day event held across Thursday 30 June and Friday 1 July saw more than 200 young sailors get on the water taking part in 20 races.

Rockley Poole Park Centre Manager, AJ Windsor commented on the success of the event: "These events would not be possible without the help and support of the school teachers. It has been fantastic to watch the school children progress their sailing skills and be able to competitively sail alongside their classmates, representing their school."

Day 1 saw children from Lytchett Matravers Primary School, Baden Powell & St Peter's CE Junior, Bournemouth Collegiate Preparatory, St. Martin's Primary, Bincombe Valley Primary and Talbot Heath School compete in pairs racing with a teacher's race before lunchtime. A very well sailed event by the children of Lytchett Matravers Primary and a win for Mrs Cotterill saw them take the overall Primary School gold medal with Baden Powell & St Peter's CE Junior and Bournemouth Collegiate Preparatory taking second and third place respectively.

As the nine Secondary school teams took to the water on day 2 the wind picked up and provided great conditions for some excellent sailing on the lake. The grand final was won by Matthew of Poole Grammar, Oliver of Dorchester Schools took second and Harry from All Saints School sailed into third. With these final results the overall Secondary School gold medal went to Poole Grammar, silver to All Saints and Dorchester took the bronze.

The Dorset School Games, organised by Active Dorset is part of a nationwide initiative to motivate and inspire millions of young people across the country to take part in more competitive school sport.

The Games are made up of three levels of activity: Level 1 - competition in schools; Level 2 - competition between schools; and Level 3 - competition at county/area level. Active Dorset's School Games is an annual programme which provides an opportunity for young people to take part in competitive school sport. Active Dorset work in partnership with the Local Organising Committee (LOC) and the School Games is delivered by working with partners across the County including the School Games Organisers, Local Authorities and National Governing Bodies of Sport (NGB's).

This week (Monday 4 and Friday 8 July) Poole Park will again see visitors from several Dorset Schools as Rockley hosts the Can Do Festival sailing events.