Supernova 2023 preview
by Chris Hawley 14 Jan 11:28 GMT
Alistair Goodwin was third overall in the Supernova National Championships at Paignton © Peter Mackin /
www.pdmphoto.co.uk
As the winter storms are lashing the UK it is time to look ahead to sunnier times and start thinking about getting your boats out of hibernation.
The Supernova Class Association has been busy building an exciting programme for 2023, featuring a mix of travellers events, Championship events and 3 FREE (for Association members) training days with RYA coaches.
The Class also provides FREE access to a brand new £10K+ epoxy Supernova for anyone who would like to try a boat. This loan boat can be booked for events including the Championship events.
The Association is grateful to its sponsors, Craftinsure and Hartley Boats for their continued support and commitment to the Class.
Travellers Events
The 2023 travellers events are shown below - a great mix of some established clubs as well as some new venues like Cardiff Bay who have a growing fleet.
Looking ahead to March we have two powerhouses of fleets - in the last few years both Cotswold and Bartley have had National Champions and won the coveted team prize (currently held by Bartley). Both clubs have had turnouts of over 40 boats for opens within the last few years so we expect these to be popular events to kick the year off.
- 11 March - Southern circuit - Cotswold
- 26 March - Combined circuit - Bartley
- 14 April - FREE training day - Chelmarsh
- 15 April - Combined circuit - Chelmarsh
- 20 May - Northern circuit - Attenborough
- 3 June - Southern circuit - Cardiff bay
- 17 June - Northern circuit - Winsford Flash
- 15 July - FREE training day - Girton
- 16 July - Northern circuit - Girton
- 29 July - Combined circuit - Blithfield
- 11 August - FREE training day - Burton
- 12 August - Combined circuit - Burton
- 16 September - Combined circuit - Ogston
- 30 September - Northern circuit - Bolton
- 14 October - Southern circuit - Haversham
- 28 October - Southern circuit - Bowmoor
Championship Events
There are three Championship events this year, with the big event of the year being the Nationals at the amazing Paington sailing club. What is great to see is the return of the Class to Grafham - it has been many years since we last visited Grafham, the former home of our Nationals. We expect this to be a popular venue for the Inlands. Get the dates in your diary now!
- 25 February - Winter Championships - Bowmoor
- 30 June - 2 July - National Championships - Paington
- 2 and 3 September - Inland Championships - Grafham
Expect to see more details about the Nationals soon with online entry expected imminently.
Other events
The Association will be supporting Hartley Boats at the upcoming RYA dinghy show on 25 and 26 February. This is a great event to meet old friends and make new ones, we expect there will be the usual impressive offers from the team at Hartley Boats. Note the first day of the show clashes with the Winter Championships, so Sunday may prove to be the more popular day for Supernova members.
We expect to see some Supernovas at the various popular events, such as the SailJuice series and Rutland's "Battle of the hikers". One event we do expect to be popular for those looking to get some pre nationals practice is the POSH open at Paignton on 20 and 21 May.
The Supernova
The Supernova is an exciting single handed dinghy with competitive fleets through the UK. The Class is very friendly and is known for welcoming new members making this a popular dinghy choice amongst all ages - Nationals attendance for the last 5 or so years has been over 100 - one of the most popular dinghies in the UK!
One of the great characteristics of the Supernova is its ability to adjust the rig for conditions and sailor preference. The 2022 Nationals were one of the windiest in many years - the winner was one of our larger sailors but second place was one of our lightest.
For more details on this exciting Class and how to book the loan boat visit the Class website, www.supernovadinghy.org