ILCA 6/Radials leading up to Nationals 2020

by Lydia Barber

July and August have been busy months for the Radial/ILCA 6 sailors across the country. As restrictions in the UK have been eased club racing has resumed, coaching has restarted and the race to the nationals is on!

Lydia Barber

As the majority of formal coaching has been cancelled the Youths in the class have been taking matters into their own hands. There have been active groups training across the country, getting ready for the all important event of the season. Instagram has shown much action going on at Rutland SC and Banbury SC for Inland venues, along with Weymouth and Royal Lymington YC on the South coast to name just a few!

Despite us Youth sailors being more vocal with our endeavours, that does not mean the other age groups within the fleet have been slacking! The Masters have been putting the hours in at Stokes Bay, as I'm sure they have across the UK. This inclusivity of all age groups is what makes the ILCA 6/Radial fleet so competitive and diverse, as the entries for the Nationals show.

Whilst the majority of us have been training at home, a lucky few have been overseas receiving top coaching, most notably in Portugal and Malta. I’m sure we will see the effects of all the practice put
into play at the end of the month if they make it back on time to quarantine. Meanwhile, back in the UK we’ve had a variety of conditions ranging from no wind, to too much wind, along with the occasional champagne sailing conditions we all long for.

Luckily, after much hard work from the committee along with the WPNSA, our otherwise cancelled season has been saved by the 3 day National Regatta scheduled for the 27th-29th August. There are currently 98 ILCA 6/Radials entered, and a few had to withdraw to comply with goverment guidance. This is the best turnout the class has seen in years! The sheer number of boats will make for interesting start-lines, and some brilliant close racing.

Wishing you all the best of luck, see you on the water!