2022 Albacore Nationals at Royal Lymington Yacht Club
From Friday 5th to Sunday 7th August, the Royal Lymington Yacht Club (RLymYC) hosted the 2022 Albacore National Championships sponsored by Noble Marine Insurance.
The Club welcomed twenty-seven of the double-hander helms and crews from sailing clubs across the UK, with races planned over the three days in the Western Solent.
Sunshine, warmth and summertime smiles were order of the weekend. Light winds prevailed and combined with flooding neap tides provided tricky conditions for many of the competitors more used to sailing in non-tidal waters - some of whom took time to adjust to the Solent tide streams.
Friday provided two quadrilateral races in a shifty six knots, with three more managed in almost non-existent variable wind on Saturday. Fortunately, a deep airfoil section centreboard and rudder make the Albacore highly manoeuvrable in even the lightest of breezes!
Sunday provided a south westerly sea breeze with a steady 10-12 knots, perfect for the triangle and “sausage” courses set by the Race Team.
The RLymYC Race Team commented that while the competitors were delightfully pleasant ashore, they were fiercely competitive on the water, especially at the marks where no quarter was given!
Ashore the competitors enjoyed a BBQ at the Club on the Friday evening and a buffet supper on the Saturday. Prize giving with tea and cake on the Sunday took place on the Club’s sun terrace overlooking the Lymington river and Solent shore. The Albacore fleet had an impressive collection of trophies to present, without doubt testament as much to the class’s joviality and longevity, as to its competitive nature!
Congratulations to all competitors for a fantastic three days of sailing and great conviviality at the Club each day.
Lymington Town Sailing Club members Neville Herbert and Karl Thorne were crowned National Champions in 8523 You can call me Al, narrowly beating veteran Mike McNamara from Grimsby and Cleethorpes Yacht Club in 8225 Jador 8000 crewed by Colin Gardiner. Third overall was Mike Hartley from West Kirby Sailing Club in 8187 Castoff and Poleaxed crewed by Mark Hinton.
RLymYC Rear Commodore of Sailing, Jenny Wilson, said, “It was fantastic to welcome the 2022 Albacore Nationals to the Club. The Albacore fleet were delightful visitors and in spite of the light airs all appeared to have a great time. Many thanks to the RLymYC race management team and all the other volunteers who helped contribute to a successful three day event.”
Royal Lymington Yacht Club welcomes sailing and yachting events all year round, providing first class race management, a great sailing area and excellent facilities. A highly experienced host of a wide range of events from Opens and Grand Prix to National and International Championships, the dedicated and qualified team will assist you in organising your event both on and off the water.
Find out more about organising an event at RLymYC.
RLymYC welcomes dinghy sailors of all ages; the active dinghy fleet organises competitive dinghy racing for all classes under Portsmouth Yardstick (PY) handicaps and big one-design fleets. Monday Evening Dinghy Racing takes place at the Club from April to September, with Junior Dinghy Racing on Friday evenings. The Club has two dinghy parks and a number of dinghies available for hire to members.
The Club welcomes new members - find out more about joining RLymYC, contact membership@rlymyc.org.uk or call 01590 672677.
Images: Paul French (Coolhat)