Victory for Baden Powell and Dorchester Schools at Dorset School Games Sailing
Sailing was firmly on the agenda at the Dorset School Games last weekend, 25 and 26 July, as 143 youngsters took part over the two days.
The action packed event was hosted by Rockley
Watersports in Poole, with Saturday given over to the primary schools and
Sunday to the secondary schools.
All the young sailors raced around a triangular course with a beam reach
start to ensure that everyone could make it across the line and around the
course.
On Saturday the primary school sailors completed two preliminary races,
and those that came 1st and 2nd went through
to the Grand Final to race for first place overall.
The secondary school sailors raced in two divisions, a single handed
Gold Fleet and a double handed Challenge Fleet, with their cumulative results
from their two races counting towards their overall score.
Primary School champions and Grand Final winners, were Josh Duvalle and Boris Shaw from Baden Powell
School while Will ?? from Dorchester School was
the Gold Fleet Winner amongst the older kids.
Other schools represented at the competition were Upton Junior, Wareham
St Mary's, Bournemouth Colleget Prep, Buckholme Towers, Talbot Heath, Lytchett
Matravers Primary, Talbot Heath, Budmouth College, The Swange, Lytchett
Minister School, Milton Abbey School, The Wey Valley School, Avonbourne
College, The Bourne Academy, Twynham School, and All Saints School.
“We are so pleased that we could be involved on both days of the event,”
a teacher from Talbot Heath School said. “The children have really enjoyed a
day out of school on the water.”
Event organiser Hannah Cockle, Regional Development Officer at the RYA
summed up the event. “The weather was
fantastic with just enough wind for the primary schools on Thursday which then
built for the secondary schools on Friday,” she said.
“The whole event has been a great success with numbers up on last year,”
Hannah added.
“Having spoken to most of
the children and teachers involved I think this is something we need to keep
growing year on year and hopefully introduce it in some other counties.”
Some two thirds of the children learnt to sail with the RYA’s OnBoard
scheme, some at Rockley and others at their local OnBoard sailing club.
Run by the RYA, OnBoard is a grass roots
programme which introduces sailing and windsurfing to young people aged 8 to
18, through schools, youth groups and training centres.
Over a ten year period OnBoard has introduced more than 500,000 children
to sailing and windsurfing in the UK, converting over 10% of them into regular
participants.
Results:
Primary Schools
1st
Place Baden
Powell
2nd
Place Buckholme Towers
3rd
Place Lytchett Matravers
Primary.
Grand Final Winners
1st Josh Duvalle and Boris Shaw –
Baden Powell
2nd Sam Cox and Tobias Schonrock –
Baden Powell
3rd Lucy Kenyon and Iris Kerwick –
Baden Powell
Secondary Schools
Gold
Fleet Results
1st
Will
- Dorchester
2nd
Charlotte - Talbot Heath's
3rd
Charlie - Milton Abbey's
Secondary
Results:
1st
Place Dorchester
2nd
Place Talbot Heath
3rd
Place Tynham
More information about how to get involved in sailing visit www.rya.org.uk/go/onboard.