Island Life Magazine Ltd December 2014/January 2015 | Page 54

SOCIAL SCENE

Boats and breakfast...
T

he annual ASTO breakfast was
held at the Royal London Yacht
Club, hosted by the new chair
of the race committee, Mr Ken
Grist, and attended by the Lord
Lieutenant Major General Martin
White and the High Sheriff, Claire
Locke, along with around 20 other
supporters.
The Association of Sail Training
Organisations (ASTO) annual race
at Cowes had a record number
of entries this year with 27 boats
and around 230 people under
the age of 25, many of whom had
never sailed before, competing
in the race. This was the first race
and breakfast to be hosted by the
new race chairman after former
chairman Anthony Churchill

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stepped down last year.
After breakfast the party
adjourned to the Royal Yacht
Squadron where they were
entertained by a Parade of Sail in
which the ships came close up to
the RYS platform to give Mexican
waves and cheers. High Sheriff
Claire Locke pushed the button
for the starting gun and the boats
headed off towards Yarmouth in a
north-westerly breeze.
Challenge Wales crossed the
finish line first to receive line
honours for the race and overall
winner was the classic yacht Jolie
Brise. A prize-giving event was
held at Cowes Yacht Haven in the
evening.
Pictures contributed.