19 June 2013

School sailors set for Itchenor champs – supported by Mind The Gap Year

Sixty one boats are set to compete in the 61st annual Schools Sailing Championships at Itchenor Sailing Club from June 26-28. The boats – 24 International 420s and 37 Fireflies – represent 23 British schools and one from the United States.

The three-day event on Chichester Harbour starts with a day of race training, run by Itchenor sailors and past Schools Championships winners Arthur Henderson and Jack Yeoman. Over the next two days, Principal Race Officer Alistair Shaw , who is also a former competitor, will follow a programme similar to the format of recent years with a 10-race series over a variety of courses, a mini-series of short races and fun races.

An international flavour to this year’s championships will be provided by a six-strong team from Ransom Everglades School in Florida, USA.

For the seventh consecutive year the championships will be supported by Mind The Gap Year (MTGY) – an online resource for gap year travellers and young backpackers, helping them to prepare for their trips, travel safely and obtain MTGY’s specialist travel insurance.

Event co-ordinator Charles Hyatt says the 2012 Olympics raised the profile of sailing significantly and young sailors have been greatly encouraged by the performance of Team GB at Weymouth.

He says: “This event has always aimed to promote inter-schools sailing and to encourage young sailors. Past winners Rodney Pattisson and Ian Walker both went on to win Olympic Medals – so it is quite possible that among the entrants this year there could be future Ben Ainslies waiting to take the honours for Britain in Rio and beyond.”

Also a keen sailor, Michael Pettifer, MTGY Managing Director, says it’s logical to support the event because MTGY and the Schools Sailing Championships both exist to ensure young people can develop their experience and have fun – safely.

He says: “We are delighted to have to opportunity once again to support this event because it gives young sailors the opportunity to test their mettle and showcase the sport’s future. If recent years are anything to go by, we will be watching three days’ exciting sailing.”

The event was started in 1952 by Colin Chichester-Smith and Charles Currey of Fairey Marine. Originally known as the Public Schools’ Firefly Invitation Championships, its aim has always been to promote competitive inter-schools sailing and encourage young sailors.

The Firefly was the dinghy of choice as it was one of the first production dinghies built in large numbers. The first four were bought by Sir Geoffrey Lowles, commodore of Itchenor Sailing Club. In 1985, the International 420 was brought in alongside the Firefly to encourage the use of spinnaker and trapeze boats for school sailors.

In the early days of the championships, schools did not have their own boats, so competitors sailed in boats lent by Itchenor club members. The members also accommodated the competitors in their homes and at the club – a tradition that continues today.