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.