UKSA Deck Games – Inspiring, entertaining and educating…
by Anna Symcox, UK Sailing Academy 4 Jan 2007 21:36 GMT
5-14 January 2006, Stand N192
UKSA Deck Games is a new feature at this year’s boat show. It aims to engage young people in fun activities designed to inspire and educate them about the exciting career and leisure opportunities the marine industry has to offer.
Cowes based UKSA exists to inspire people of all ages to get involved in sailing and watersports. UKSA Deck Games gives visitors to the Collins Stewart London Boat Show the opportunity to have fun, learn new skills and maybe win some prizes.
Official opening
UKSA Deck Games will be officially opened by UKSA graduate and round the world yachtswoman Dee Caffari. At 10.30am, Friday 5th January Dee will complete each activity setting benchmark times for visitors to the show to try and better.
Special events
Dee Caffari, Shirley Robertson and Ellen MacArthur along with stars of the future, young catamaran sailors Tom Phipps and Jon Cook will be all be spending time on the stand to share their knowledge and expertise with young people as part of their commitment to inspiring the next generation of yachtsmen and women.
Dates and times for your diary
All events are taking place at UKSA Deck Games - Stand N192, North Hall
Friday 5th January 2007
10.30am Dee Caffari officially opens the UKSA Deck Games Area
The opening is followed by the Lewmar Media Challenge where journalists are invited to compete in the UKSA Quick Draw Sail Hoist
2.00pm UKSA Announces Spirit of Inventure Award – a new annual award for the benefit of disabled sailing
3.00pm Shirley Robertson OBE visits UKSA Deck Games to inspire the next generation of yachtsmen and women
Saturday 6th January 2007
10.15am Dame Ellen MacArthur visits UKSA Deck Games to hoist the stand’s sail and pass on a few tips to the sailors of tomorrow
11.00am Raymarine Young Sailor of the Year finalists visit UKSA Deck Games to take part in the fun activities
3.00pm One careful lady owner – UKSA Graduate Mark Richards has purchased Dee Caffari’s record breaking yacht Aviva to start his own expedition business. Dee will formally hand over the keys to Aviva.
Sunday 7th January 2007
11.00am Sail TV’s Phil Williams will host a Q & A session with successful young catamaran sailors Team Phipps and Cook. Questions from the audience are welcome.
Author of ‘Working on Yachts and Super Yachts’, Jennifer Errico will be on the stand from the 5 – 8 January providing careers advice and selling copies of her new downloadable book at a special boat show price.
UKSA Deck Games Activities – designed to educate and inspire
- UKSA Quick Draw Sail Hoist – The stand’s centrepiece, a 9m mast (thanks to Seldon Masts) complete with sail (from North Sails) which can be hoisted with the latest Lewmar technology. People who hoist the sail in good time will be asked to sign it and note their time. The person with the quickest time will win a prize. There will be a ‘Top Gear’ style leader board to show the quickest times.
- Knot Off – A place where people can learn to tie knots and then compete against each other.
- Get in it to win it – Visitors will be given the opportunity to try and get ready to go to sea by getting into Henri Lloyd oil skins, boots and hats as quickly as they can. The person with the quickest time will win some Henri Lloyd clothing.
- Gipsy Moth simulators – A virtual sailor game where visitors to the show can race the historic vessel around a course. Three linked computers will bring the stand to life.
- Spot the difference – Two laser dinghies will have some very subtle differences, visitors to the show will mark the differences down on a score card. Correct entries will be put into a hat and a winner will be selected at the end of the show.
- Feel a Fitting – Six boat fittings and nautical items will be placed in feeling boxes, visitors will be asked to note down what they think is in each compartment. Correct entries will be put into a hat and a winner will be selected at the end of the show. Raymarine has kindly donated a Ray101E handheld radio as the Feel a Fitting prize.
- Rig it race – Visitors will be given a brief demonstration by a UKSA instructor on how to rig the laser dinghies. Two people will then race against each other to see who can correctly rig the dinghy the quickest. The person with the quickest time at the end of the show will win a prize.
- Concept 2 rowers - Three identical rowing machines will be linked to plasma screens. Visitors to the show will race against one another for a set distance. The person with the quickest time at the end of the show will win a concept 2 rowing machine worth over £1000.
The learning will not end for the youngsters when they leave the stand, each child will be given a goody bag containing information on careers in the industry, a length of rope to practice their knots (thanks to Marlow Ropes who donated over 1 mile of rope to mark their 200th birthday), fact sheets, posters and fun giveaways.
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