insideKENT Magazine Issue 83 - February 2019 | Page 127

NEWS BRITISH YOUTH SAILING RECOGNITION FOR KENT SCHOOLS SAILING ASSOCIATION The Kent Schools Sailing Association (KSSA) was delighted to receive British Youth Sailing (BYS) Recognised Club status from the RYA at a presentation at Chipstead Sailing Club. The BYS Recognised Clubs initiative is part of a new RYA scheme celebrating excellence in developing sailing stars of the future. It sees the RYA working alongside sailing clubs around the country to promote grassroots sailing and support junior and youth sailors as they develop racing skills. £500,000 REFURBISHMENT FOR SEASIDE HOTEL Work has begun on a £500,000 refurbishment project at the Marine Hotel in Tankerton near Whitstable. The Shepherd Neame hotel, which boasts impressive sea views, is to undergo a substantial transformation of its bar and lounge area, restaurant, reception and orangery. “As we are seeing an increasing number of sailors joining our events with parents who are new to sailing we aim to provide friendly events where both sailors and their parents can gain help, encouragement and advice.” KSSA, which started in the early 1960s “to promote youth sailing in Kent”, currently has 140 members between the ages of 8 and 18 years. Whilst schools still bring their sailors, most members are independent sailors from clubs who wish to train and compete at regattas on the reservoirs, rivers and sea venues that Kent is able to offer. There are monthly training sessions and regattas throughout the year at host clubs across Kent with the help of a hard-working and dedicated committee. The orangery is to be expanded towards the car park at the rear of the building, doubling the size of the space available. Reception will also be expanded, taking over some of the area currently used by the restaurant. New lighting, décor and furniture will be introduced throughout, with the aim of creating a more stylish, relaxed environment. KSSA commodore Sarah White said: “I’m delighted to receive the award and pleased KSSA is able to work so closely with the RYA. I feel KSSA provides an important stepping stone on a young sailors’ ladder as they progress from club racing to the open circuit and we provide local racing opportunities for those sailors who travel the country for Squad coaching and National competitions. The project is expected to take around three months, and the 30-bedroom hotel will remain open while the work is completed. Nigel Bunting, Director of Retail and Tenanted Operations, said: “It has been almost five years since we undertook a major transformation of the Marine Hotel, and we felt that it was time for it to be refreshed. The site continues to be one of our most popular venues, so the expansion of the orangery will also provide much needed additional space.” FOALS HAVE ANNOUNCED TUNBRIDGE WELLS DATE AS PART OF FOREST LIVE, THE SUMMER CONCERT SERIES ORGANISED BY THE FORESTRY COMMISSION From playing chaotic house parties in their home city of Oxford to becoming major festival headliners across Europe, Foals’ trajectory has been remarkable. They’ve earned critical acclaim (NME and Q Award wins, plus Mercury Prize, Ivor Novello and BRIT Award nominations) and fan devotion (1.7 million sales of their four Gold-certified albums, plus over half a billion streams at Spotify since 2015) in equal measure. And while the majority of contemporaries have fallen by the wayside, Foals continue to hit new peaks. After more than a decade in the game, Foals again embrace that love for the unconventional with the bravest and most ambitious project of their career: not one, but two astonishing new albums: Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost . A pair of releases, separate but related, they share a title, themes and artwork. Part 1 will be released on March 8th, with Part 2 following in the autumn. Fans who pre-order Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost – Part 1 from the D2C store (https://foals.me/enswbl1) will gain access to a pre-sale for the band’s UK and European tour. All pre-orders will also receive “Exits” as an instant download. Foals will be playing at Forest Live at Bedgebury Pinetum, near Tunbridge Wells, on Friday 14th June. 127