Earlier this year, thanks to our member donations and commercial sponsors, Marconi entered a team of sailors into the British Keelboat League (BKL) Cardiff leg. The event will be sailed next weekend (10-11th September) and we wish our team of Dan Nickalls (helm), Jack Wardell (main), Hannah Bard (bow) and David Nickalls (trim), every success as they try to repeat their win of 2021. The British Keelboat League format is sailed in a fleet of RS21’s in full sight of the spectators on the veranda of the Cardiff Bay Yacht Club. There’ll be 12 teams racing this year and all teams…
Author: Peter Ward
Peter Ward
Kicking pebbles on the beach wishing he was sailing!.
Day 1: It was a very, very, early start from Essex on Saturday as our Ladies Keelboat Team headed to the Royal Southern Yacht club to take part in the British Keelboat League. On the journey as, sleepiness gave way to excitement, our team who hadn’t fully sailed together before, used the trip to Southampton to plan their roles within the boat. As soon as they arrived they found that they had been scheduled to race in race one, which meant that they would have a short familiarisation period as they sailed the RS21 keelboat out of the River Hamble into…
A sponsorship campaign led by our younger Keelboat sailors in the spring has received significant support from both Marconi members and commercial sponsors that now makes it possible for them to represent our club in the British Keelboat League. This weekend sees Mia Morgan, Anna Collis and Jemma Clarke led by Fia Southgate, head for the Ladies leg of the competition at the Royal Southern Yacht club, where they will race in RS21 Keelboats as part of the Womens Open Keelboat Championships. Ladies Keelboat sailing at Marconi’s is strong, as only last weekend Isabella Ferneyhough was part of the winning…
7 teams of Marconi sailors were supported by 7 other members acting as race officers, umpires and rib transfer crew on 9th July. In total 26 members had a fantastic day of windward leeward, short course racing in the clubs fleet of SB20’s in St Lawrence bay. Teams of sailors from across the club with differing levels of experience gained from dinghy, skiff, catamaran and offshore cruiser racing, set out to become 2022 champions and in the process, aimed to give stiff competition to the Marconi Ladies & Youth Teams, who are set to represent the club in the British…
This course is open for members of any yacht club. Prerequisites Experience as a racing sailor, and specifically experience of fleet racing is desirable. No prior knowledge of umpiring is assumed. When on the water the umpires helm the rib, so you must be an authorised rib helm to participate in the practical dates of this training. Course Outline This course aims to provide an introduction to umpired fleet racing suitable for experienced sailors who have no prior experience as umpires. The course will begin with an introduction outlining the need for umpires in fleet racing, and the qualities…
Marconi Make their Mark in British Keelboat League Final Report: David Nickalls Images: RS Sailing Over the weekend of 24th Sept – 26th Sept Marconi sent a team to compete in the British Keelboat League national final at Poole Yacht Club. Our team consisted of Daniel Nickalls, Jack Wardell, David Nickalls and Hannah Bard (stern to bow). The event lasted three days, with 12 teams taking part. All competitors had either finished in the top two at a qualifier event or had been selected as a wildcard, we got our place by winning the preceding event in Cardiff. Day 1:…
Report: David Nickalls / Jack Wardell Photo’s: Richard Mills, Cardiff Bay YC / British Keelboat League The 4th and 5th of September was the weekend of the Cardiff Bay Yacht Club British Keelboat League regatta. The event promised close, competitive racing at a very fast pace and potential qualification for the National Finals in Poole. The team that Marconi had put together consisted of (from stern to bow) Daniel Nickalls, Jack Wardell, David Nickalls, and Hannah Bard. On the Friday before the event the host club offered visiting teams a chance to familiarise themselves with the boats – a fleet…
The Marconi SB20 Saturday Series culminated with a regatta where 4 teams of frequent SB20 Saturday sailors did battle over a short 300 metre windward/leeward course similar to that used in the British Keelboat League. The SW breeze seemed to hold back the tide as our teams waited for sufficient water to launch and head up to the course that had been laid by Bryan Spencer in Steeple Bay. Race one was won by the youngest team in the fleet, (Anna Collis (helm), Ethan Walker, Alex Maloney, Sam Featherstone) closely followed home by one of our more experienced teams. (Mick & Lana…
A team of Marconi Sailors travelled to Cardiff Bay this weekend to compete in the final leg of the British Keelboat League. With ambitions of a ‘top half’ finish in a highly competitive event against 14 other teams, Daniel Nickalls (helm), Hannah Bard, Jack Wardell and David Nickalls found themselves in 2nd position overall after day one. They had started the day steadily but finished off with three wins in their final three races but there were five teams all within just a few points of each other at the top of the league. Into day two and Marconi started off where they had left off, winning…
A busy day of 12 British Keelboat League (BKL) style races were presented to the six competing teams in St Lawrence Bay last Sunday. Each team swapped boats throughout the event and with 5 SB20’s in the club fleet, there was also a short rest period for the sixth team onboard cruiser Steorra anchored on the line. Those rests were needed. Team X – Jason Clarke, Sam Featherstone, Mick Jones Team T – Andy Perks, Dave Hewes, Peter Ward Team Z – David & Dan Nickalls, Hannah Bard Team V – Fia & Oli Southgate, Tom Clayton Team Y – Anna Collis, Mia Morgan, Charlotte Ferneyhough…