GJW Direct Abersoch Dinghy Week 2019
by Selina Collinson 6 Aug 2019 14:40 BST
22-27 July 2019
Abersoch Dinghy Week once again served up a week of great sailing for the 13 fleets of dinghy and catamaran sailors. This was the 48th year of the event hosted annually by South Caernarvonshire Yacht Club and sponsored by GJW Direct Marine Insurance.
With entry numbers up on 2018, the 2019 event featured three new fleets with Catamarans and low rider Moths having their own starts for the first time. Additionally the club introduced a Coached Regatta Fleet aimed at youngsters and beginners with a mother hen rib coaching and encouraging the flock around a separate inshore course. This proved very popular and is set to remain a fixture of the event.
With the exception of the Monday, which was a drifter, overall the week was sunny and windy, classic Abersoch conditions and the sight of the F18, Nacra 15 and A Class Cats screaming around the bay kept the shoreside spectators amused.
SCYC upped the ante on the social side this year with two sets of two hour "happy hours," an Alternative Prize Giving where if you weren't there to get your prize it was arbitrarily given to someone else and the ever popular band night featuring regular competitors Elephant Juice packing the club late into the night.
The racing format was split into six morning starts for single handers with healthy fleets of Solos, Phantoms, Low Rider Moths, Laser and Laser Radials, mixed handicap and an Intermediate Fleet for improvers. The afternoon fleets had seven starts being Catamarans, Asymmetrics, RS200's, RS400's, Fireballs, Fast Handicap, Slow Handicap, with the Rookies - aka Coached Regatta Fleet - being on a separate course.
Clubs from the length and breadth of the country were represented with Low Rider Moth sailors from Loch Lomond to the Isle of Wight enjoying the windy conditions and an International Canoe from Poole YC winning the Asymmetric fleet whilst host club member and winner of the Dragon Edinburgh Cup Mike Budd won the fast handicap fleet in his Merlin Rocket.
Additional sponsorship from Musto, Abersoch Boatyard and Gwynedd County Council meant there were plenty of prizes and goodies given away at the end of week prize-giving.
With the event building towards its 50th anniversary in 2021 South Caernarvonshire Yacht Club is already preparing for the 2020 event - registration Saturday 25th July and optional orientation race Saturday afternoon, followed by the main event racing Sunday 26th July till Friday 31st July.
Fleet Results Links: