Chronicle Summer 2023

68 ST EDWARD’S CHRONICLE

Sailing By Head of Sailing, Louise Duffy

Whilst regattas were a little thin on the ground because of the time of year, friendlies against other schools at Farmoor helped our pupils keep their eye in, as well as the main regatta of the spring season – the National School Sailing Association Double Handed Team Racing Championship. This event took place on the 18th and 19th March at Draycote Water Sailing Club in Rugby, a handy location for us as a team. The team had a fantastic array of opponents, including The Royal Hospital School, Clifton College and Rutland – an excellent chance to practise their team racing skills. The sailors had a tough first day, drawing level with the West Oxford B team and beating Kimbolton, but unfortunately had to pull out of the second day due to illness. At a regatta at Datchet on the 10th June, organised by Eton College, we competed against our

The Spring Term is always the quietest in our sailing calendar – perhaps because it is the coldest! But this didn’t deter our dedicated first team sailors, who weathered all elements to continue developing their racing strategies. The small team of seven (Anthony Bartlett, Hayden Screech-Dean, Charlie Hutton, Oli Hales, Carina Upson Sandlund, Alice Skilbeck and later Lena Screech-Dean) worked tirelessly in the cold weather to maintain their helm and crew skills, practising in both light and heavy winds to develop tactics to cope with the changeable climate. Whilst adverse weather conditions occasionally interrupted sessions, this meant a fair amount of time was devoted to the maintenance of our fleet, which we are hoping will be growing very soon. The students remain focused, as ever, on the development of the club and of supporting each other’s sailing abilities by working on tacking techniques, sail trimming and racing starts to enhance their performances in the upcoming summer regattas. As our instructor David says, a fast and competitive start is key to success!

The NSSA Double Handed Team Racing Championships at Draycote Water Sailing Club