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Sailing

Olympic Venue Sailing Away Days

Eighteen members of the School Sailing Club enjoyed high temperatures and steady 12mph breezes on the waters of Weymouth and Portland during Away Days.

Led by Mr Lewis and Mrs Ballance the group were at the home of the National Sailing Academy and the venue for Sailing at the 2012 Olympics.

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A day of specific race training (race starts, roll tacks and gybes, spinnaker sailing) led naturallly to a series of back to back races in brand new, race spec Laser Bahias, Vagos and 2000s.

Students also peeled off in threes to experience keel boat racing in the Laser SB3 class.

As we came ashore one lunchtime we saw Beijing Olympic Yngling class gold medallist Pippa Wilson who was at the Academy training in the 470 class.

Off the water the group organised their own BBQ (carefully tended by veteran Clifton sailor Nick Bromilow) and an impromptu beach party sprang up with Tom Wainwright and Leon Lau peforming parcours stunts and Jamie Nichol providing 'primitive' sand sculptures on Weymouth beach!

All were woken at 8am to the delicious smells of Mike Terry Special Pancakes and Simon Green Style 'Fried-to-A-Crisp' Bacon.

I was impressed by how much the Sailing Club members learned, how they got on and how they treated each other respectfully. As well behaved as they were I was very glad that Mrs Ballance had packed a bottle of red wine so we could collapse and watch Murray beat Wawrinka on Monday night!

It would be no exaggeration to say that this was a superb Sailing trip – we must get back down to the WPNSA more often.

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