Wanderers and Wayfarers join forces for racing in 2025
by Sam Pygall 20 Jan 2025 07:35 GMT
Start of Race 2 during the Wanderer Open at Whitstable © Sam Turner
We are delighted to announce details of the Wanderer and Wayfarer racing partnership for 2025. We share a common heritage, with both classes originally designed by Ian Proctor, renowned for his significant contributions to both sailing dinghies and cruisers.
His daughter Jill Davies still actively maintains close ties with the Wanderer Class Owners Association.
The Wayfarer, designed in 1957, became popular for its versatility and seaworthiness. The Wanderer was made available in 1981 as a result of veteran Wayfarer cruiser Margaret Dye's request to Ian Proctor for a smaller dinghy that she could launch and sail single-handed!
Since then, both class designs have been sympathetically modernised by Phil Rowsell for the boat builders Hartley Boats Ltd, who actively support and liaise closely with both Associations.
To begin our racing development partnership in a very tangible way, we are holding three joint open meetings in 2025 at the following fantastic inland and sea venues: West Oxfordshire, Datchet Water and Whitstable.
These locations have been carefully chosen to provide a diverse set of racing venues and a welcoming atmosphere for all participants:
- West Oxfordshire Sailing Club: May 10-11
- Datchet Water Sailing Club: April 5-6
- Whitstable Yacht Club: June 28-29
Datchet Water will be special for the Wanderer Class Owners Association as it marks their 40th anniversary, With the expectation that past champions and rank and file racers will attend, it promises to be an event filled with celebration and nostalgia. Prior to the main event, there is an opportunity for both classes to race at the venue as part of the Datchet Water SC Winter Warm-up series, which provides an ideal opportunity for contestants to familiarise themselves with the waters and hone their racing skills.
West Oxfordshire has held joint open meetings for both fleets in previous years with great success, and we are delighted to see this continue in 2025 with a joint event in May.
Whitstable will host the Wayfarer Open and the Wanderer Nationals on the 28-29th June. This is a prestigious sea venue that will hopefully attract top sailors of both classes from around the country. Whilst the Wanderers have a rich history of sailing at Whitstable, this will be the first trip for the Wayfarers in many years.
Beyond these joint open meetings, we will support two long-distance races that are well suited to the cruiser-racing characteristics of both the Wayfarer and Wanderer, namely the Isle Of Sheppey Round The Island Race and the Medway Yacht Club Medway Marathon. These races offer a unique challenge, pushing sailors to their limits whilst showcasing the robust capabilities of both class designs. For 2025, the Medway Marathon will be on the 2nd August and the IOS Round The Island Race will be held on the 7th September.
As part of our partnership, we plan to promote live training sessions tailored to encourage new class members and cruising members to race with confidence. These sessions will be led by experienced sailors and will cover a range of topics, from safety on the water to advanced racing techniques.
If you are a Wanderer or Wayfarer sailor who is interested in joining the racing community, we want to hear from you! Together, we can make 2025 a year of unforgettable racing experiences in these great dinghy classes!