Please select your home edition
Edition
2024 fill-in (top)

D-One Regatta at Lymington

by Giles Chipperfield 13 Jul 2020 13:14 BST 11-12 July 2020
Lymington Dinghy Regatta 2018 © Peter Fothergill / www.fothergillphotography.com

Robust, energetic and exciting single-handers like the D-One are the perfect escape vehicle from recent troubles, so we were delighted to be able to co-ordinate ten boats for a great weekend's sailing at Lymington, in complete compliance with all regulations and with visitors taking advantage of the recent re-opening of B&Bs in the beautiful New Forest area. Even most mark roundings kept 2 metres between boats, although it did get a bit noisy at times, mostly with helms cursing themselves as they tried to remember how to sail.

With Keith and Liam Willis providing an excellent family race team from their own yacht, we ran 5 races in a chunky sea breeze running against the tide on the Saturday, followed by a 6-mile single-lap to Hurst and back home for those who did not hurt enough already. On Sunday a lighter and shifty sea breeze gave some respite, albeit with a lot of place changing as the tide and wind confused everyone, and another 5 races.

With limited resources and with the local clubs unwilling to get involved, we happily dispensed with most of the normal pointless complications. No Sailing Instructions, with the course given at the briefing. Minimal mark laying, with courses set so they could be finished at the start line on every lap. On Sunday with the shifty winds we just set a single windward mark and hooked back up through the start/finish line each lap. This may be shocking to the purists, but the course could be relaid easily by one person in a RIB before the last boat finished, so we reliably managed repeated 25-minute races with zero waiting around.

In the evening we gathered at Lymington Town Sailing Club, where there seemed to be a great backlog of beer to be drunk, friends to catch up with and rubbish to be talked at a safe distance. It was fabulous weekend, and we are very grateful to those who summoned the nerve to travel, and to our very few volunteers who did an excellent job. For those who care, Nick Craig won, but not all the races, so even he must be a bit rusty.

We look forward to doing more of this, and recommend the approach to other classes who wish to sail with friends within the rules. Welcome back to D-One sailors and D-One sailing.

Related Articles

D-One UK National Championship in Plymouth
Nick Craig collects a string of bullets The D1 Nationals were held jointly with the 4000s and ISOs at the Royal Western Yacht Club in Plymouth from 28th-30th June. Many boats arrived on the Thursday and set up in bright summer conditions although still a little cold. Posted on 9 Jul
Devoti D-One Gold Cup 2024 at Imperia, Italy
On the glorious Italian Riviera, east of San Remo The D-One has always specialised in a very international travelling circuit to pleasant locations around Europe, so was hit hard in the Covid era. It was great to see it bounce back with a wonderful championship at Imperia, on the Italian Riviera. Posted on 12 Jun
4000, ISO and D1 Nationals to be held in Plymouth
Three day event to be held in June for the classes The 4000 Class will be joined by National Championships for both the D1 and ISO Class Dinghies to compete over a three-day event. Posted on 5 Mar
Great North Asymmetric Challenge preview
Enter now for this ever-growing September event Bassenthwaite Sailing Club's Great North Asymmetric Challenge (known as the GNAC) will be held on the 16th and 17th September. For those who like a gybe this is a firm favourite in the northern sailing calendar. This years event is sponsored by Trident. Posted on 19 Aug 2023
Battle of the Hikers preview
No trapeze? Get to Rutland this May! The very popular Battle of the Hikers will take place on the 27th and 28th May 2023. 30+ boats are expected. The Graduates were the biggest class last time. Nick Craig sailing his OK was the overall winner. Posted on 18 Mar 2023
Multi-class open at Oxford preview
April event for Contender, D-One and K6 has new sponsor Oxford Sailing Club has partnered with Sailing Chandlery to sponsor the Club's multi class open meeting on 1 and 2 April this year. Posted on 3 Feb 2023
Finn and D One Open at Warsash
Thirty-five boats sailed in absolutely perfect conditions What a wonderful time of the year the Autumn is for dinghy sailing! Thirty-five boats sailed in absolutely perfect conditions at Warsash Sailing Club for the British Finn and D-One Open event. Posted on 11 Oct 2022
11th Great North Asymmetric Challenge
74 boats ignored the forecast and headed to Costa del Bass 74 boats ignored the forecast and headed to Costa del Bass for the Great North Asymmetric Challenge. This popular event attracts the who's who of asymmetric sailing in the North, with this year's entries over double what they were pre-Covid. Posted on 20 Sep 2022
D-One Nationals at the Lymington Dinghy Regatta
Joining many, many other dinghies over the weekend The D-One fleet joined many, many other dinghies over the weekend to enjoy the combined hospitality of Royal Lymington Yacht Club and Lymington Town Sailing Club for their annual dinghy regatta. Posted on 15 Jul 2022
2022 D-One Gold Cup at Lake Como
The class specialises in great championships in beautiful European locations The D-One has always specialised in great championships in beautiful European locations, so, after two years of very little international sailing, D-One sailors from all over Europe are delighted to have finished a fantastic Gold Cup on Lake Como. Posted on 7 Jun 2022