What a fantastic event, so great to see many young enthusiastic sailors at our club enjoying our small stretch of the North Sea.

Thank you so much to all our volunteers (on and off the water) & our lovely club bar and galley staff, you really did make the event a great one for all the competitors and their parents. So many said how welcoming & organised we were, unlike any other club they had been to. Lovely! We should be very proud.

Thanks to…..

Beach crew – Jo Barnard, Jane White, Jo Hogger, Alice, Kirsty & Robert Wright, Maggie, Alison & Ed Candy, Lucy Read, Jane Billing, Bob Bennett, Diana Barnard, Angela Simmons

Water crew – Arky, Luke Rudd, Philip Pearce, Nick Read, Pete Fisk, Josh Fisk, Joe Read, Jack Lennard, Jay, Tyler Brown, Mark Golding, Thomas Golding, Mike Ling, Andy Robinson, Paul Williams, Adrian Shafto, Jay Hume, Vivian Fox, Henry Walker, Peter White, Max & Pam Evans, Mick, David Davies, Karl & Karl Wilkinson, Rebecca Hardy, Nick Martin, Elsa Penrose, David & Simone Fletcher, Sandy Ramus, Paula McNaughton, Matt Read & many 420 organisers.

Bar & Galley – Lynne, Gavin, Carol, Lynne, Rubie, Tilly, Mandy, Debs, Izzy

If I have missed anyone out, I am sorry, please do accept our thanks and appreciation.

Please do visit our Youtube channel for some video(s) of the event. Thank you to Karl Wilkinson (younger) for the footage.

Commodore and Beachmasters report

From Commodore to Beachmaster: A Five-Day Youth Sailing Nationals at Felixstowe Ferry.

Well, talk about wearing multiple hats—I’ve been juggling two rather salty roles this past week! As Commodore of the club, I’m usually steering the ship behind the scenes. But for the past five days, I’ve also been the Beachmaster for the 2025 Gill Xtremity 420 British Nationals.

That’s right—clipboard in hand, radio crackling, and trollies rolling!

The 420 class is a brilliant launchpad for young sailors keen to master two-person disciplines. It’s where many of the world’s top sailors cut their teeth before sailing into Olympic glory or big boat adventures. The GBR 420 Class Association does a cracking job organising training and events across the UK for all skill levels.

This year, our club had the honour of hosting the championship for the first time—and what a debut! We welcomed a fleet of 44 boats, and let me tell you, Felixstowe Ferry served up its usual mix of charm and challenge. Before hitting the race circuit (sometimes a mile out to sea!), sailors had to navigate the River Deben’s feisty tides. It’s not just sailing—it’s an expedition!

As Beachmaster, I was the launch-and-recovery maestro, orchestrating boat movements, managing trollies, and keeping the chatter flowing on VHF with the Officer of the Day and safety crews. It was organised chaos, and I loved every minute.

The championship featured 10 official races, plus a cheeky crew’s race where helms and crews swapped roles. And then came the stadium race—no rules, just pure fun for the top five boats. The winner walked away with £500 worth of Gill kit. Not bad for a bit of nautical mayhem!

Evenings were just as lively, with social events galore, including a black-tie dinner. Sailors are known for going hard on the water and even harder at the party—and these young athletes didn’t disappoint!

I had a fantastic team of 30 volunteers—some there for the whole shebang, others popping in for a day or two. Running a national championship is no small feat, but it’s an absolute blast, especially when you’re watching the next generation of Olympic hopefuls in action.

Jo Barnard