PRYC Coronation Regatta

To mark the Coronation of King Charles III, Poole Radio Yacht Club held a day-long event destined to get the various fleets sailing at the club to meet each other in a more social setting than the normal racing.

The club holds racing on 7 days a week for the 6 classes that the club supports, but that means that some of the 140 members don’t meet up with other classes unless they sail in more than one fleet.  The day was organised into two sections with 3 team races in the morning followed by a buffet lunch and then in the afternoon 3 pursuit races.

The morning’s activities saw 36 boats taking part in 6 teams.  A team consisting of one boat from each of the classes with the teams named after 6 of the Islands in Poole Harbour.  The Lasers started first, then handed over to the DF95’s followed by the classic IOM’s.  Then came the DF65’s and IOM’s with the 8metres (a local class) finishing off the relay.  The fleets then came off the water to enjoy a splendid buffet which had been contributed to by all the club members.

The afternoon pursuit race had been preceded by a couple of weeks of timing different boats, in different wind conditions, to form a handicap system for the racing.  Jim Macgregor and various members of his extended family sat down with both pen & paper and laptops to sort out the start times for each class.  8metres (the slowest boats) were off first followed 90 seconds later by the DF65’s. The other fleets left in order after the requisite interval.  The order being Lasers, DF95s, Classic IOM’s and finally IOM’s.   The race was run to a specific time and the places calculated by counting back through the fleet. This needed multiply recorders and very swift work writing numbers down.

Overall winner was David Sparrow with a DF95.  The King Charles III trophy, in the form of an inscribed elm platter, had been turned by club member Roger Atkinson.  

Pip Hare, renowned single handed Round the World sailor, took time out from training for the next Vendee Globe Race on her IMOCA 60 Medallia, to present the prizes on the day.

Prizes for the highest placed boat in each class were in the form of small cups turned in various woods and were the work of club member Phil Coupe.

The prize for the morning relay race was taken by the white team and is in the form of a beautifully built long-keeled yacht, with an engraved plaque mounted on its stand which will have the individual members names of the team engraved upon it.

It is hoped that this event may become an annual fixture in the club’s programme as it certainly achieved the aim of having a FUN, SOCIABLE DAY involving members from all of the club's racing classes.