Over fifty hardy members took part in the Christmas Winter Walk on Sunday 22nd December 2024. A bright dry day with 30 – 40 knots WNW breeze made for “bracing” conditions! The group set off along the sea wall towards Stone with the wind helping everyone along. Destination was the aptly named Breezy Point at Stone where the group paused for a team photo before heading back into the teeth of the wind, descending to the farm track behind the sea wall for a little respite. On arriving back at the club, everyone adjourned to the nice warm bar to…
Author: Jenny Ball
The club’s AGM and Prizegiving gave the usual annual opportunity to reflect on the key club activity for the year across the club management, site, equipment and the wide range of water based activity enjoyed by our members: rowing, windsurfing, cruiser racing, cruiser cruises, keelboats, cat and dinghy racing, cat and dinghy cruising, RYA training, sail training and events such as Cadet Week and East Coast Piers Race. Following the AGM, our annual prizegiving celebrated the winners of the cat and dinghy racing activities across the year. These include the Spring, Summer Morning, Summer Afternoon, Autumn, Bank Holiday and Wednesday…
On Sunday 1st December, club members sat down to a wonderful Christmas Dinner provided by our galley team, Nick and Tracey. The festive decorations created the perfect setting and guests were treated to a wonderful three course dinner. What a great way to kick off the Christmas season!
Twenty-one rowing gigs arrived at Marconi on Sunday 17th November for the latest round of Harker’s Yard Gig series. These beautiful rowing gigs are based at rowing clubs around all the Essex riverways and are a real sight to behold. Teams braved blustery conditions to compete in three races – Men’s, Women’s and Mixed Crews. The all-in start format made fantastic spectating for everyone ashore whilst the choppy and breezy conditions made the racing challenging for coxes and rowers alike! Marconi’s home team – Elettra – competed in all three races and posted their highest ever Mixed crew result coming…
It was a Marconi 1, 2, 3 at the Gill Dart 15 Inland Championships held at Grafham on 26th and 27th October. The event was the final TT in the Dart 15 Summer Series which took place at five different venues over the course of the summer, starting at Marconi back in April. Six boats represented Team Marconi at the event. The prolonged period of high pressure over the UK meant uncharacteristically mild and light wind weather compared to what Grafham in October usually provides. Lack of wind stopped play on Saturday, but there was enough to get four races…
Each year, the Helm of Year competition takes place between the winningest helm from each racing fleet in the Spring and Summer Series. This hotly contested battle of the fleets takes place in Picos to help level the playing field. This year, representatives from the Fast Cats, Dart 18s, Dart 15s, Cadets and Monohulls completed a regatta of five races in glorious sunshine with gentle winds on Saturday 14th September. The racing took place over a short committee boat course off Osea Island, out of the strongest part of the Blackwater tides, given the light wind conditions. Following each race,…
Marconi SC was pleased to again support the 2024 Bart’s Bash Race in aid of the Andrew Simpson Foundation and in honour of Andrew “Bart” Simpson. Around 25 cats and dinghies took part in the annual Barts Bash charity race on Sunday – a global sailing event in memory of Andrew “Bart” Simpson, an Olympic sailor who sadly lost his life in the run up to the 2013 America’s Cup. The race raises funds for Andrew Simpson Sailing Charity set up in his honour which helps young people across the UK take to the water. Race Officers Bryan and Julie…
Over 70 Cadets enjoyed a stellar Cadet Week at Marconi thanks to the support of dozens of club members ashore and afloat. The Cadets ranged from the very young in Starfish Group up to adults in the Flying Fish and Turtle groups. The Sealion Group had tutors in the boats with them, whilst the Dolphin Group were sailing independently supported by a team of tutors in the RIB. The more experienced Sharks spent the week honing their racing skills and trying out cat sailing too. The weather could not have been more perfect with sunshine, warm temperatures and gentle breezes…
Marconi Sailing Club is all set to welcome visitors and home sailors alike for the 35th East Coast Piers Race on 13th and 14th July. A long distance race for catamarans and fast dinghies which attracts competitors from all over the UK – the event also raises funds for The Cirdan Trust and Essex Air Ambulance. We are grateful to our supporters including Mighty Oak Brewery, Essex Spirits Co, Majestic Crystal, Allen Performance Sailing, Sailing Chandlery, GP Sails and FunkyMonkey Boat Names for helping us to raise money for these two great charities. Saturday comprises two inshore races for competitors…
The Dart 15 National Championships were held at WPNSA, home of British Olympic Sailing from 7th to 9th June. A total of thirteen Marconi sailors made the trip for a fantastic weekend of champagne sailing, including a number who are new to the fleet and competing in this type of event for the first time. The event comprised nine races over three days in Portland Harbour in sunny but fresh breezes of between 15 and 25 knots. Racing was tight and competitive across the fleet with forty five boats on the start line. Marconi are pleased to have brought home…