RYA boost for Chichester as they prepare to pay tribute to Jack

The award was presented by Team Volvo and Skandia Team GBR’s Saskia Clark and Hannah Mills, both GB women’s Olympic 470 sailors, and RYA chief executive Sarah Treseder.

The winners were Hollowell Sailing Club, who had managed to enable extraordinary numbers of people new to sailing to join their club and start sailing.

Chichester members were thrilled to be in the final after their first application for this prestigious award – a truly impressive achievement for a club who are focusing on youth training and now have a committed group of young sailors who take to the water for CYC’s year-round racing.

CYC members were on the club stand at the Dinghy Show, promoting Chichester Harbour as a sailing area and promoting CYC as a great sailing club.

One important focus of the stand was an exhibition marking the centenary of the celebrated boat designer and builder Jack Holt.

The show had a display of some original Holt designs including boats up to 60 years old. An interesting talk by sailing journalist David Henshall was given on the life of Jack, a renowned boat designer who brought sailing to the people.

His many designs include boats familiar to us all including the Merlin, Hornet, Solo, Streaker, Miracle Heron, GP 14, Enterprise, and many more, but perhaps best known of all the Mirror dinghy.

In his latter years Jack retired to the Chichester area and was a member of Chichester YC, sailing his Solo in club racing. He died in 1995.

The club are organising a Jack Holt centennial weekend on April 21 and 22 involving a celebration talk by David Henshall and reception attended by Jack’s daughter Sue Holt on the first day and an open sailing event for all Holt-designed boats – old and new, original or not – on the Sunday. Further details on www.cycdinghies.co.uk