Author: Andrew Dowley

Marconi Features in RYA Affiliated Clubs Conference 2021 The video used at the RYA Affiliated Clubs Conference in 2021 has been launched and you might see some faces you recognise around 16 minutes in.

Marconi Helm of the Year 2021 Six competitors arrived at the sailing club on Saturday 25th September to compete in the Helm of the Year competition. Each year, the winningest helm from the spring/summer points series for the Fast Cats, Medium Cats, Sprint 15s, Solo, Handicap and Short Course fleets are pitted against each other in a series of short races.  Its just like Sail GP – but in Picos – the craft of choice because none of the participants regularly race a Pico so it levels the playing field. After each race, competitors swap boats – so no-one is advantaged or…

Raiding the Borders – Sprint 15 Style Words and pictures by Jenny Ball Some of you may have followed the travels of Fleet Commodore Nigel and I in our Sprint 15s last year – which took us the length and breadth of the River Blackwater as well as longer voyages up the Colne to Colchester and round to Burnham on the River Crouch. This year, we wanted to extend our range further afield and developed a fairly extensive wish list which included the River Stour, River Orwell and the Walton Backwaters. All to be found around the Essex and Suffolk…

Racing to the Ends of the River Article by Jenny Ball A glance at the sailing schedule or pages 12 and 13 of the Year Book will tell you that in addition to the “round the cans” racing we do on weekends – we also have a number of “one off” races each year. Most, if not all, of these races have a long heritage and are cherished by dinghy/cat sailors as races which are “a bit different” from the norm. Having not been able to sail them last season – it has been great to get these events back…

Wednesday Night Racing Starts Tomorrow, Here is How It Works With the lighter evenings arriving it only means one thing, the Wednesday night pursuit races are starting. The first of this season is on Wednesday 12th May and they run all the way through to August with one race every Wednesday evening. The race is organised as a pursuit race where the slowest boats go first and then depending on the speed/size of your boat you get an allocated time to start the race. The faster you are the later you start. The ultimate goal is to be at the…

Pandemic Paddleboarding from Marconi Sailing Club In the last few years, paddleboarding has blossomed in popularity. Requiring only a board, paddle, leash and a buoyancy aid, It’s a fairly straightforward way of getting out on the water and exploring the rivers, lakes and coasts in a low-impact way. Over the past year, the pandemic has made us all slow down and take in our local surroundings, so it’s easy to see how paddleboarding has become such a popular sport. At Marconi we’re lucky enough to have the perfect spot for paddling, with plenty of creeks, bays, spits and islands to…

2021 Camping Fortnight Application Open The application form to camp at Camping Fortnight in 2021 is now open. Please complete your application as soon as possible. The two weeks available for camping are: Week 1: Saturday 31st July to Sunday 8th August (midday) Week 2: Sunday 8th August (midday) to Sunday 15th August Apply now Applications for other camping events at Marconi will follow soon.

Open Day to Sailing Secretary An introduction to Lee Garton, our new Sailing Secretary. The 21st of May 2016 was the first time I’d set foot on a Sailing Boat. The Club was holding the annual RYA Push the Boat Out and a friend suggested we go. It was a great day out and after a blast up the River on Dave Hitts’ Dart 18, I was well-and-truly hooked. I joined the Club soon after and attended Cadet week 2016 as part the Adult Turtle group. It was here my sailing journey began. The week started with four-up in a…

Camping at Marconi Sailing Club Throughout the year members of Marconi Sailing Club are allowed to camp on site for a certain number of nights allowed by the local by laws. Here is a video from Charlotte, Tiegan and Mia showing the camping side of the sailing club and their adventures during the summer of 2020.

Marconi Sprint 15s 2020 – Part Two Tiers and Targets The first instalment about the Marconi Sprint 15 2020 season concluded at the beginning of November when we had just entered a second lockdown, bringing sailing to a halt again as the club was obliged to close. If you have read the first instalment, you can jump ahead. If you missed it, here is a brief recap. Thank you to Jenny Ball for providing this write up. Recap of 2020 Sailing Season up to November By that point, the Marconi Sprint 15s had already had a full sailing season which…