First Series Event Postponed as Youth Sailors are Becalmed

The first event of the ten event series for Derbyshire’s Youth Sailors had to be postponed because of the lack of wind last Saturday. Over 40 young sailors keen to start their 2005 DYS racing sailing season were frustrated by absolute calm at Carsington Sailing Club – a rare event in itself. It is the first postponement of a Derbyshire Youth Sailing event for a number of years. The event has already been rescheduled for Saturday 25^th June 2005 – the first available Saturday in Carsington Sailing Club’s busy programme of events.

The young sailors took advantage of the lack of wind to carry out some sailing theory training and checking of their sailing dinghy’s rigging and equipment. However, the event organisers soon decided that there was also the opportunity for some alternative fun on the water to be enjoyed. The sailors were divided into teams and then held a ‘rowing’ relay race using the Optimist dinghies – minus their sails. The prize for the winning team was the opportunity to enjoy a high speed trip around the reservoir in the safety power-boats.

David Levick, DYS Representative for CarsingtonSC, observed “Derbyshire Youth Sailing events are always very popular and with the 2005 DYS membership now at over 50 youth sailors they are likely to continue to be so. There is nothing we can do to change the wind conditions that occur, it is obviously really frustrating for everyone when there is no breeze at all. We had no choice but to postpone the event.”

Derbyshire Youth Sailing will return to Carsington on the 30^th & 31^st of March for two days of racing sailing training which is open to all DYS members. The next series event is now at Toddbrook Sailing Club on April 16^th followed just a week later with the Trent Valley Sailing Club event on April 23^rd . Toddbrook Sailing Club is a striking venue set high in the hills of the Peak District. Trent Valley Sailing Club was the first inland sailing club when it was founded in 1886 on the River Trent at Trent Lock and is the only river sailing club in Derbyshire.

There is still plenty of time for other youth sailors to register with Derbyshire Youth Sailing, which is free, and sailors only need to be capable of completing a simple triangular course to begin competing in the racing sailing series. Our youngest member is just six years of age and sails his own Optimist dinghy. There are junior as well as senior trophies to be won in the series and there are prizes at each event. Visit www.dysailing.com to both join DYS and to register for each of the series events and training too.