British Keelboat Academy All Geared Up
8th July 2011Sailors from the British Keelboat Academy will be hoping their season’s hard work will pay dividends this weekend as they set sail for the Royal Thames Imperial Trophy (9-10 July).
The two day Match Racing event will play host to some of the Solent’s finest Farr 45 Keelboats including the BKA’s Farr 45 ‘Kolga’ which will be crewed by twelve sailors from the RYA and UKSA joint Keelboat racing initiative, all who have been receiving expert coaching form the RYA’s most experienced Keelboat coaches, including match racer extraordinaire Nick Cherry who has a wealth of experience both of the Farr 45s and top level Match Racing including being three times National Champion.
Sailors from the BKA have been given a real insight into Match Racing over the past couple of training weekends with the key focus on a number of different areas which will develop and improve the sailor’s racing performance. Sailors have received expert coaching and advice on areas such pre-start, circling, penalties, situations to expect and match racing specific manoeuvres.
Hamish Macdonald, BKA member and Farr 45 ‘Kolga’ Mast, commented: “Were expecting most of the Farr 45s in the Solent to come out and play this weekend. All the boats have had their days this year, but ‘Werewolf’ has been the class act for many years now so they will be the ones to beat! For those of us that haven’t match raced before, it’s a great chance to get experience on one of the biggest boats that people regularly match race.
“After out last few events, we’ve focussed on consistency and are finally living up to the skill level we have on board with our results. In terms of hard numbers, a top two finish should be our target, given the training we’ve done. I can attest that the training last weekend was some of the most tiring sailing I’ve done. Whilst it was hard work for us, we can only hope that it will be as hard if not harder for the others, given how much work we’ve done on our strength and conditioning,” explained Macdonald.
The BKA aims to equip its sailors with an assortment of skills and experiences helpful in building a successful keelboat racing career; and in the build up to the Royal Thames Imperial Trophy in particular, the sailors may have been put through a gruelling training process, but they will have all gained invaluable skills and life experiences which will only benefit their future sailing careers.
“They have basically taught me almost everything about big boat racing. I did trials four years ago, and since have taken part in most elements of big boat racing, from fleet racing, to the Fastnet and Round Britain. Without the BKA, there are few chances for someone not from around the Solent to get involved in big boat racing. The contacts the BKA has helped me build have been essential in building my future sailing plans” concluded Macdonald.
The BKA’s sponsors include X-Ray at 77 and Group Dental, plus a number of generous supporters and suppliers.