The Chronicle January 2020

35 ST EDWARD’S CHRONICLE

Sailing By Sixth Former Leo Wilson, Captain of Sailing The 2019 off-season was a positive one for the Sailing Club. We mostly focused on improving our skills, training and teaching the new sailors the ropes (quite literally!). Despite a bitter October and a cold November, club members participated with great enthusiasm. At Queen Mary Sailing Club in November, the 1st VI competed in the Schools’ Keelboat Racing, the first time St Edward’s had sent a team, finishing 9th out of 12. Although the result could have been better, it was the first time the team had been out in such big boats, and they rapidly improved throughout the day, consistently coming 4th and 5th in the last couple of races. Sadly the regatta had to be called off early due to the loss of light on the reservoir – had we been able to complete all our races, we would have placed higher.

Last term, we focused on mastering advanced sailing tactics and skills. For instance, the spinnaker sail (which is a staple of many Olympic-class sailing boats) was initially a foreign concept to almost all in the Sailing Club. Now it would be hard to find a member of the club who has not handled one. Our coach and Head of Sailing, David Bickerton, has been stalwart and scholarly in teaching us advanced tactics and concepts, sharing his expertise. Commendation must be made to William Newson (Fifth Form) and Harry Holberton (Lower Sixth), who, despite being new to sailing, swiftly developed a solid foundation, and now have a set of skills they can build on. This term, we will continue to refine our tactics and general sailing prowess as we prepare for the Double-Hander Team Boat Championships, with some members of the

Club also looking to enter the RYA Youth Nationals. Fifth Formers Joe Porter and Archie Screech-Dean improved immensely in the School’s Laser 3000, and are keen to take it to the Nationals this year. There is, as always, training to be done for the 2020 National Schools’ Regatta at Itchenor. Looking even further ahead, following on from last term’s training in the Keelboat, the 1st VI are keen to enter Cowes Week, the biggest sailing regatta in the world. The Club is also keen to further develop our relationship and links with other sailing schools in order to produce a fixtures list for the future. It is an exciting time for the Sailing Club as we move forwards, continuing to grow and to develop. We look forward to welcoming new recruits this term and to further success both on and off the water.

Charlie Scales and Head of School Carlo Graeser in a Laser 2000 at Farmoor Reservoir photographed by Joe Porter from a Laser 3000