The 2024 Vortex National Championship
At Yorkshire Dales SC
24/25 August 2024
All Vortex sailors are invited to attend this years National Championships at Yorkshire dales Sailing club on the Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th August 2024.
Enrty Fees and food will be paid by the class association and there is free camping on site and hot tubs to relax in after a good day of racing. Come and enjoy the fabulous Yorkshire dales open water, views and facilities.
1st race will not be before 12 noon and 3 or 4 races are planned for the afternoon.
A Saturday evening meal is planned and it will be subsidized by the class association.
Sunday morning we will hold a further 2 or 3 races and then refreshments in the clubhouse and prizes will be awarded.
See the vortex face-book pages for further information and let us know via face-book if you are coming to the event.
Looking forward to seeing you there; it should be a fabulous weekend as usual.
ELYC open Regatta in Scotland (report)
135 boats completed in the 2 day event on 4 courses. The Scottish Skiffs were on a windward leward course between Criag leith Island and the Bass rock. The wind was South easterly, around 14 knots gusting 21 on the Saturday and the tide was running out in an easterly direction. The Skiffs fleet was made up from 11 Musto skiffs, 3 RS 400's, 1 International 14,
1 29er, 1 RS 800, and 1 Vortex assymetric (me). 18 boats in the fleet.
Three races were held plus a race around the bass rock. Unfortunately my main halyard snapped during the third race, so I had to retire and miss the Bass rock Race.
On the second day the wind had changed to westerly and increased to 18 knots gusting 26. The tide was much stronger running easterly and strongest straight down the centre of the course. The best way upwind was to sail inshore then cut across to the windward mark. I wish I had realised this at the time, as I took the centre line upwind. ( big mistake)
Again I only managed 2 races due to capsizing in the third, which meant "game over".
We had some fabulous sailing in great sunny weather and near perfect conditions. I came 11th overall; beating 2 RS 400's, 1 Rs800, 1 international 14, 2 Musto skiffs and a 29er.
Something worth mentioning is that the following Saturday I raced in the club series and because the wind strength was into 20 knots gusting 30 I decided to slacken the lowers. (I mean really slack). The result was that the boat sailed really sluggish upwind and lacked power to punch through the big waves. So I will always keep some tension in the lowers in future; even in strong winds.
Hope to see you all at the nationals in August at Yorkshire Dales Sc
