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The
Catapult
fleet will be back at Bridlington over the Spring Bank Holiday weekend, to hold the
2019 Nationals (also counting for Travelling Trophy points)
this time as part of RYYC's Dinghy Regatta ( s
time we shall be going there the over the Spring Bank Holiday weekend.
The reason for this is that (as the Royal Yorkshire will be hosting the
Dart Nationals over the August Bank Holiday, our traditional time at
Brid.)
Racing programme
Brid, as
the locals call it, is situated at the northern end of a beautiful sweep
of golden sand that stretches for miles from Flamborough Head all the
way south to the mouth of the Humber. The sailing waters are protected
by the Smethwick Bank, giving relatively flat sailing water, and
launching across the flat beach is at any tide.
Racing Programme
Registration
will be open from 9.30, and the
briefing will be at 12.00 on the Saturday.
There will be 6 races: two back-to-back at
14.00 on Saturday, three on Sunday (11.00 plus two
back-to-back at 14.30) and one on Monday morning at
11.00.
We shall have our own separate starts within the Dinghy Regatta
sequence. One discard will apply when four or more
races have been sailed.
The entry fee (including Saturday evening barbecue and the CCA levy)
will be £35. Syd Gage
sydney.gage@gmail.com , 01964 602045 or 07949
851794) has again kindly agreed to act as the Association's liaison
person for the event, and Joe Franks (07930 860932,
joe5329@hotmail.co.uk) is the RYYC's organiser.
(Below: The new
concrete ramp to the wide sandy beach at Bridlington, with
sailing at any tide.)
Sailing at
Bridlington
Brid provides real sea sailing, in enjoyable and manageable conditions.
Flamborough Head to the north, and the wide sweep of the bay south
to the Humber provide shelter from several directions. The open sea to
the east can build a
swell, usually with a long fetch, so interesting rather than alarming to
sail over. As you would expect, winds are unobstructed and steady.
A significant tide along the shore plays a tactical part, particularly
in light winds. Starts are from the Committee boat (5-4-1-0) usually
with square courses.
There is ample grassy room to rig in the campsite above the beach, with
a concreted track down to the wide beach. A tractor helps with the pull back
across the soft sand and up the track (Photo of Syd on the
tractor below.)
A trick the tide plays is that a ridge in the beach is exposed at low
tide---so waiting to go out before low tide, you can be sitting with the
boat at the water’s edge, with the wheels already taken up the beach, and then see this ridge
emerge from the water, blocking the way to the sea. Coming in, if the
ridge is covered, the water will shallow (so you jump out) and then
deepen again (so you are waist-deep.)
The surf is usually fairly small and manageable picking your spot (see the tractor photo below) and
getting away is easy enough with a bit of breeze. Coming in, you can ride
the surf into a few inches of water.
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Accommodation The RYYC
has its own camping field for tents, caravans and campervans
just behind the clubhouse. Camping costs £5 per pitch per night.
If the field is not busy around the bank holiday weekend, it is
possible for members to extend their stay on either side of the
event and explore the beautiful surroundings.
There is B&B and hotel accommodation galore in Bridlington, which is an
Edwardian resort town. A web search for Bridlington
accommodation throws up a number of sites like
www.bridlington.net or
www.bridlington.co.uk.
(Right: local
Catapult sailor Syd Gage fires up the tractor to ease the pull home
to the club field and campsite.)
The
Social Side
The licensed bar will be open
Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings. The galley will be open
for breakfasts and lunch time sandwiches on Saturday, Sunday and
Monday.
And the club will be laying on
the inclusive barbecue on Saturday evening. They can cater for
vegetarians, if they have advance warning. On Sunday evening Syd
and Mo have organised a meal out for the fleet at the Manor
Court Bistro in Carnaby (within sight of the first
Carnaby roundabout mentioned in the directions, not the one
shown on the map)
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How to
get there
The club
is situated a mile or so south of Bridlington town. The nearest postcode
for your SatNav is YO15 3QJ (position shown on the map below). Entering
coordinates N 54o03.454, W 0o12.818 is more
accurate.
Approaching on the A614 from Driffield or York, turn right at the first
roundabout in Carnaby, which then takes you to the second Carnaby
roundabout (shown on the map) where you turn left onto the A165 Hull to
Bridlington road.
At the next roundabout (signposted to Park & Ride) turn right, then right
again at the next mini roundabout, then left at the T junction. As
you approach the sea the road turns you right towards the dinghy park.
The entrance to the camping field is on the right directly opposite the
slipway entrance. Dotted line on map shows route.
Local attractions:
Bridlington offers all the traditional attractions of a seaside resort.
Behind the town lie the relatively undiscovered Yorkshire Wolds,
beautiful chalk downs that are gaining increasing fame through
the landscapes of East Riding born David Hockney who has forsaken LA for
Brid.
The Wolds meet the sea at spectacular Flamborough Head. Just round from
the Head is the famous bird sanctuary at Bempton Cliffs, where there are
colonies of puffins, gannets, razorbills and guillemots. Nature lovers
can also enjoy Hornsea Mere and Spurn Point further down the coast.
The stately homes of Sledmere and Burton Agnes are well worth a visit,
as is Castle Howard (‘Brideshead’) just a bit further afield.
Alternatively you can walk the ancient streets of Beverley or York, or
visit Hull Old Town which houses the Museums Quarter, where you can see
the merchants’ houses alongside the River
Hull, including that of William Wilberforce. Just a step or two away is
the Deep,the largest oceanarium in the world.
Heading north up the coast you come to the classic seaside resort of
Scarborough watched over by its historic castle and beyond that Whitby,
the former whaling port that is dominated by the atmospheric St Hilda's
Abbey andSt Mary's church, supposedly the burial place of Count Dracula,
a mecca for the
Goth
community. [Come back for Whitby's Goth Weekend at the end of October or
the Goth Spring Festival; the costumes are something to behold!]
Behind Whitby and Scarborough stretches the glorious walking country of
the North York Moors National Park. If you are of a lazier disposition,
you can view it from the comfort of the North York Moors Steam Railway
or the picturesque Esk Valley line. And where the Moors come down to the
sea there are more quaint fishing ports like Robin Hood's Bay, Runswick
Bay and Staithes (setting for Old Jack's Boat for those of you who watch
CBeebies with your kids or grandkids).
If you would like any more recommendations for what to see and do, Syd
will be pleased to help. So get your bags packed and your accommodation
booked and head for Yorkshire's promised land!
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