MYA IOM UK National Championship at Fleetwood Model Yacht Club - Preview
by Derek Priestley 14 Aug 2023 12:33 BST
25-28 August 2023
IOM Nationals at Fleetwood © Sue Brown
The cream of the IOM fleet will be gathering on Friday 25th August on Fleetwood's sea front at the world famous Fleetwood Model Yacht Club for this year's MYA IOM National Championship.
With three World Champions and countless National Champions racing, and a sprinkling of successful dinghy racers joining in, some for the first time, it promises to be a fantastic spectacle of racing for this ever popular r/c class.
Overseas entries from CRO, NED, NOR, and USA are also in the 70-strong list of competitors, most of whom have raced at Fleetwood before but for a few newcomers it could be a "baptism of fire" if Fleetwood's famous westerly wind, of 20+ knots, blows down our long lake building up the foot high waves at the leeward end.
Friday 25th is practice and training day, followed by three hard days of racing.
The 70 boat fleet can expect to race between 14 and 18 races, each consisting of 4 heats (A B C D), with promotion of the top 6 and demotion of the bottom 6, boats after each heat. If the wind behaves and blows down the lake (prevailing) each heat will be 2 laps of a 200 metre-long windward/leeward course with a short beat or reach to the finish. Each boat will be covering approximately 1000 metres. Each heat should last approx 12/14mins. Winner of A heat scores 1st (1point) last in D heat scores 70 points. Two discards after 8 races, three after 16 races.
Even if you're not racing it will be a great event to watch. Come and see it!