Busy racing programme at Ullswater Yacht Club in 2022

by Sue Giles 3 Feb 06:15 GMT

UYC Birkett 2021, the Sunday start © Tim Olin / www.olinphoto.co.uk

Ullswater Yacht Club launches into the 2022 racing season with a packed sailing programme for club members and ten major open events for visiting racers.

The opens include the 60th Lord Birkett Memorial Trophy, the traditional April opener the Daffodil Regatta and the first 2022 heat of the prestigious British Keelboat League.

"It promises to be an exciting year for racers at UYC," said UYC Sailing Secretary, Graham Donkin. "We are offering something for all racing visitors and are delighted to be hosting the RYA Regional Junior Championships."

The award-winning Lord Birkett Memorial Trophy will be held, as usual, on the first full weekend of July - 2 & 3. This year will be an extra special diamond celebration as it is the 60th event - it was first held in July 1963.

And there will also be a warm welcome for visiting competitors at nine other opens held throughout the sailing season.

The competitive year kicks off on the club's opening weekend, March 19 & 20, with a heat of the national RYA Winter Match Racing Series when a fleet of RS21s will be battling it out on the water. This is followed by the SB20 and RS21 Northern Championships on March 26 and 27. Then it's UYC's traditional Daffodil Regatta on April 23 & 24, which is open to all classes with separate starts for VX Ones, Musto Skiffs, and Waszps/Moths and a Handicap Fleet. There'll be daffodils galore at the prize-giving as UYC joins in Ullswater's spring celebrations featuring Wordsworth's famous poem.

UYC Daffodil Regatta - photo © Sue Giles

Daffodil Regatta entries are through the UYC website, ullswateryachtclub.org/event/642547

The Daffodil Regatta is followed by five more events - a regional heat of the British Keelboat League on May 21 & 22; the Birkett, July 2 & 3; Ullswater Ultimate Regatta on August 20 & 21; Laser Borders Travellers Open on Saturday, September 24, and Keelboat Weekend on October 22 & 23.

The Lord Birkett Memorial Trophy is UYC's most prestigious event, winning the Cumbria Tourism Event of the Year in 2016 and voted number eight in the world's top 50 regattas by Yachts & Yachting Magazine. It has become so popular that for the last few years entries have been closed at the 230 limit (160 in 2021) well before the event. Entry is online only and organisers expect it to again be oversubscribed so early entry is advised.

UYC Birkett 2021, Saturday racing - photo © Tim Olin / www.olinphoto.co.uk

Two ACH races cover the length of Cumbria's most beautiful lake with one on Saturday and one on Sunday and ample space for camping and campervans and on-site catering and entertainment all weekend makes the Birkett a true Festival of Sailing.

The club's thriving fleet of young sailors are looking forward to the RYA NW Junior & Youth Junior Travellers event on Thursday and Friday, June 2 & 3. And just two weeks later it's the big one - the RYA Junior Regional Championships for budding racers aged six to 16 years from all over the North on June 18 & 19. It is one of five Regional Junior Championships being held across the country on the same weekend.

Visitors are also welcome at the club's annual Open Holiday Week, a mixture of leisure sailing, racing, training, coaching and courses, with family fun on and off the water, which is from Monday to Friday, August 8-12.

The busy UYC season rounds off with the Open Winter Series from October 30 to December 18 - handicap racing over eight Sundays with three races per day.

All the open events offer the usual UYC hospitality with excellent food, camping on site, and great racing in lovely surroundings.

For more details contact Graham Donkin on or visit our website ullswateryachtclub.org. Entry to the RYA events is through the RYA website.

This year's open events: