No Autumn Blues at Sailingfast!
by Mark Jardine 2 Nov 11:01 GMT
Sailingfast on site at Draycote Water © Duncan Hepplewhite
It may be November, but things haven't slowed down for Duncan Hepplewhite and the team at Sailingfast. Hot on the heels of the WASZP UK Nationals at Draycote Water, which attracted an entry of over 50 boats, it's the ILCA Inland Championship at the same venue, this time with a whopping 180 boat entry.
I caught up with Duncan this morning, where he'd already left Sailingfast HQ in Scotland to pop into Ovington Boats to load up the van with yet more ILCA goodies, before heading down to Draycote.
Two of the classes Duncan has a major involvement with are the WASZP and the ILCA, and both seem to be bucking the trend when it comes to open meeting circuit attendance.
Usually after an event as huge as the WASZP Games you'd expect a bit of a dip, and numbers were down at the Nationals compared to the year before, but taking into account that it happened in late October in high winds, the 50-boat entry was massive.
The Green Fleet - aimed at those new to the class - is an initiative that Duncan is particularly happy with, which has allowed sailors getting to grips with foiling to do so at major events, but without the daunting prospect of lining up for a big fleet start.
"It's great to see all the new sailors in the class as some move on to other things," said Duncan. "The green fleet allows newcomers to learn from the top sailors, but in a far less pressured environment. They move on to the main fleet quickly, but it's a great stepping stone."
The class organisation also progressed at the well-attended AGM, held on Saturday during the Nationals, which particularly pleased Duncan, as he's been Chair since the WASZP Games earlier in the year: "Seeing new members on the committee and the enthusiasm they have about the future is great. I was happy to hand over the Chair and continue supporting the class."
There are a couple of big WASZP announcements set for later in the year, so watch this space!
The ILCA classes seem to be going from strength to strength, with high turnouts at the last two National Opens in October, both held at the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy, with 186 and 182 boats respectively. This is at a time when open meeting attendance is generally down in most classes, with sailors picking and choosing which events to travel to, and doing more club sailing.
"I'm particularly happy with the age range in the ILCA classes," said Duncan. "We go all the way from the Youth through to the Masters, who have Legends sailing into their late 80s and 90s. It's quite incredible seeing the older contingent still hiking hard in the final race after a big weekend!"
The Sailingfast team are on site this weekend at Draycote and are once again supporting the event. The knowledge that Duncan is there, ready to help get sailors back out on the water if something breaks, or to deliver an ordered part, reassures them that they're going to be able to make the most of their weekend. With 182 sailors it's another big one!