Marconi-SC have entered a team in the British Keelboat League for the first time this year and the club is not taking its involvement lightly.
A small group of our elite racing members have been invited by the sailing sub committee to compete for a place to represent the club in the regional league, that will see the winners competing in the national final in September and in with a chance to represent UK clubs in the Sailing Champions League finals in Switzerland and Italy later in the year.
Our members competing for a place to represent the club are:
Team Cat 1
Steve Glynn, Tom Duckmanton, Michaela Dowley, Jenny Ball
A1 (30) Sailing
Sophia Barnes, Luke Lazell, Andrew Dowley, Oliver Southgate
Racky Racers
Tom Clayton, Bryan Spencer, Tristan Walker Hutt, Jack Collis
The selected members will participate in the Keelboat Race Training Day at the club on 30th April, which will be facilitated by RYA L3 Keelboat Race coach Ian Patience, and then compete in a full days racing on the Blackwater on Sunday 7th May.
The race day will replicate the way that the league is to be run, involving teams of 4 sailors racing against each other in fast and furious 15 minute races before switching boats to do it all over again until a winning team is determined. Onboard each boat will be an observer and their evaluations of the sailors performances will be used to select a 5th sailor who will join the winning team of 4 to represent Marconi at the Royal Corinthian YC on 3rd and 4th of June, participating in the British Keelboat League.
Marconi’s team selection racing will be done on closely matched Robber 3e’s which will help to develop teamwork, crew positions and keelboat familiarity within the teams, almost all of which are made up of dinghy and cat sailors. The successful team will race Hunter 707’s in the regional BKL and then if they make it successfully through to the British final, J70’s will be raced in the Solent. Both designs, unlike the Robber, are planing keelboats so our teams dinghy and cat experience will become most valuable.
Here’s the progression route our team might take if they are successful in the National final.
We wish our representative team eery success.