The Marconi Keelboat Championships are to be held on Sunday 29th August in our fleet of SB20’s. Six teams of both younger sailors and adults will race throughout the day following the British Keelboat League format and the winners will be presented with the prestigious Osea Cup and the youth Keelboat Championship trophy. It’s going to be interesting to see who comes out on top as the summer regatta highlighted just how much progress some of our Keelboat sailors have been making. Team X – Jason Clarke, Sam Featherstone, Mick Jones Team T – Andy Perks, Dave Hewes, Peter Ward Team Z -…
Author: Peter Ward
Peter Ward
Kicking pebbles on the beach wishing he was sailing!.
8o Marconi members enjoyed an evening BBQ in glorious sunshine at the Festival of Sailing last weekend. The day had started early with club members treated to the majestic sight as the barge and smack fleet raced off their start line at Osea pier in numbers. The cruisers of the BJRC fleet followed, and soon after Marconi’s flotilla of dinghy’s, cats, and support boats went out with the tide to enjoy a picnic on Thirslet spit. On their way back upriver in the afternoon the dinghy’s were dwarfed as they got close up to the barges with some experiencing their huge wind shadows…
A crew of 5 Marconi members set out from Oban for a week of cruising in late June. Each crew member, having made a prediction of how many islands they’d catch in the imaginary string stretching from the stern of their Sun Odyssey 37, spent the first morning sitting in Dunstaffnage marina waiting for a weather front to pass. By early afternoon, skipper Lydia Coffey (15 Islands) made the call, and Hebridean Flame II sailed up the sound of Mull with reef one in, to spend the first night at anchor in Loch na Droma Buidhe in the lee of…
SB20 keelboat sailing at Marconi Sailing Club restarted this Saturday with all 5 boats taking to the water, in what turned out to be just glorious conditions for the first of our planned SB20 Saturdays. Twenty club members participated, some with just a few sailings onboard from two seasons ago. and some with very little sailing experience on any type of boat. All joined crews with someone more experienced on board and enjoyed sailing all points of the wind in a ‘follow my leader’ sailing day between the Doctor buoy off Osea Island and Ross Revenge (Radio Caroline). By early afternoon, after mastering the…
Marconi Sailing Club gratefully accepted the impressive Osea Cup this week from Frank Burgess, a member of over 26 years. At the official hand over ceremony, Frank, who started sailing at Thamesmead in S.E. London in 1974 on a Fleetwind before moving to Erith Yacht club to sail and race cruisers, recalled the many impressive and historical silver trophies that he’d come across in his many years of sailing. Listen to the interview, kindly recorded by Dan Shenton, of Frank as he hands over the Osea Cup to the club. We know that Franks name is engraved on some of those trophies…
Marconi SC organised the final cruiser race in the BJRC Sprint series last Sunday. With a very high spring tide and a NE breeze the RO operating from club launch JackB set a course to start at the Doubles Buoys and take the fleet up towards Maldon. It was a reaching start for the five boat fleet to Southey turning mark, and then closer on the wind to Shambles with Silver Fox (Charlie Ball MSC) leading the way. (image above) Kite hoists for all but Rocket (BSC) who chose not to use one for the series, with Easi Rider (BSC) hoisting…
Cruiser Racing is Back at Marconi SC Marconi SC acted as race organisers for the first race of BJRC’s 2020 Short Course Sprint series on Sunday. The weather was perfect as boats approached the Southey line from Maylandsea Bay SC, Blackwater SC, Maldon LSC as well as Marconi. The four clubs were represented by just six starters, with the COVID-19 restrictions making it difficult for others to participate. The Marconi fleet of 5 x SB20 keelboats were amongst those missing but it was great to see the Sandhopper of Kevin Whittle (MBSC) mixing it with the bigger boats. Race Officer…
Did you sail our SB20’s last season? Do you have experience of asymetric spinnaker sailing, or crewing on racing cruisers? If you answer yes to any of the above questions then this is the event for you. After a blast down from Marconi’s into St Lawrence Bay, a full day of short windward / leeward racing will take place. You’ll be supported by Jack B and all the club ribs, with a dash ashore for a galley lunch back at Marconis, before returning to your SB20’s for the afternoon racing. We’re looking to crew the SB’s for this event with…
A full day of 12-15min races for teams of 4 to battle it out to become the Marconi Keelboat Champions. Will it be a team of youth sailors that are crowned this year, or will some of our slightly older more experienced sailors wrestle the title back? (you know who we’re talking about!) Last season we sailed this event at Queen Mary’s Reservoir using the j80 fleet of our friends at the Royal Thames Yacht club. This year we’re hoping to have just as much fun and competition using our newly acquired fleet of SB20’s, without of course the poor…
In the 2nd week of camping we’re once again organising an SB20 event right under the sea wall. This year the tides are timed for early afternoon, so each day after lunch we’ll have the opportunity for 5 different teams made up of similar sailing ability, doing battle for a place in the grand final on Thursday. During cadet week, you’ll be able to add your name to the crew lists in order to join in the fun of the Camping Week SB20 Fleet Racing. image: Graham Cross