Chichester Yacht Club Magazine September 2018 | Page 22

Dinghy Week 2018 – Storms then Sun
and Wind! - by Mark Green
Dinghy Week 2018 ended on a high with a
Barn Dance and BBQ. The glorious summer
weather was back, allowing everyone to
dance and sit in the garden until after 10pm.
It was fun to see the kids doing a Conga
through the club wearing headphones, then
The week started in very different conditions, singing this year's favourite song "three
after weeks of beautiful summer weather, the Lions" at the top of their voices.
Sunday forecast had wind gusting up to
42knts and rain,
Later in the evening it was the adults turn,
with three music channels to choose from, it
We had no option but to cancel Sunday's
was impossible to sit down!
racing and on the water coaching. The bad
weather didn't stop the coaching from having On the Tuesday we had a record attendance
a full day of activity, the coaches did a great for Jonathan's Dinghy Week Quiz. Jonathan
job of inventing games that kept the children had put together another fiendish quiz, with
entertained and taught them about sailing.
rounds of puzzles, sounds, tastes and
questions.
By Monday the storm was much reduced, the
wind was still very lively, but we managed to By Wednesday the Sunday storm was a
get everyone on the water. The Racers had distant memory as we de-camped to West
some white knuckle sailing with reaches that Wittering beach for a beach BBQ. A large
saw the boats planing at speed. The weeks group enjoyed relaxing on the beach, while
Race officer, Pete Harrison set a trapezium
the younger members went off to play
course, which gave a good combination of
rounders.
sailing angles.
At the prize giving on Thursday, prizes were
CYC's Dinghy week combines coaching,
awarded for the kayak Race, Instructors
racing and Social, this year we tried a new
race, Model Boat Building and fun and
event on the Monday evening, a Silent Disco. games on the clubs lawns.
The winners of the main fleet racing
were Cathy McHale in the slow
fleet, Ian Payne in the Medium and
Mike & Paula Olliff in the Fast fleet.
The Winner of the Thursday pursuit
race were Nick & Roger Elliman.
Dinghy Week is a fantastic week to
be around the club, it's always
good, but when the weather is kind,
there can be fewer better places to
spend a week than beside the water
in Chichester Harbour with friendly
people enjoying watersports and
after-sailing fun.
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