SANDYACHTING & MINI-YACHTS

KERRY........THE 2008 INTERNATIONAL MINIYACHT ADVENTURE WEEK FROM MAY 17TH 2008. (SIC) IF ANYONE INVOLVED IN SANDYACHTING MENTIONS KERRY, THEY'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT A PERSON - THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT A PLACE ... & THAT PLACE IS IN IRELAND, BOTTOM LEFT HAND CORNER  THEREOF.  IT'S A PLACE THAT'S AS NEAR TO SANDYACHTING PARADISE AS CAN BE FOUND ON THIS EARTH, WHICH MIGHT BE A BIT OF A SWEEPING STATEMENT BUT ... WELL, I SUPPOSE IT DEPENDS  ON WHAT YOU'RE USED TO ! CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT THIS ADVENTURE

	WHAT IS DIFFERENT ABOUT THE STANDART LANDYACHT CLASS? ANSWER : THEY ARE NOT DIFFERNET THEY ARE THE SAME ! THIS IS NOT A RIDDLE IT IS TOTALLY LOGICAL; THE CONCEPT OF THE STANDART CLASS WAS THAT THERE SHOULD BE A 'ONE DESIGN YACHT' WHERE ALL PILOTS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SAIL ON EQUAL TERMS.

STANDART YACHTS ARE MANUFACTURED (BY SEAGULL LANDYACHTS IN FRANCE) TO A STRICT SPECIFICATION AND INDIVIDUAL YACHTS ARE SCRUTINISED PRIOR TO THE RACES TO SEE THAT THEY CONFORM TO THE AGREED SPECIFICATION. THE BENEFITS OF AN 'INTERNATIONAL ONE DESIGN YACHT' ARE THAT PILOTS OF STANDARTS RACE ON EQUAL TERMS WITH OTHER PILOTS; NO-ONE WILL ARRIVE AT A COMPETITION WITH A NEWLY DESIGNED SAIL CAPABLE OF BEATING ALL OTHER COMPETITORS! SO THOSE ENGINEERS AND DESIGNERS WHO EXCEL IN DESIGNING FASTER LIGHTER WEIGHT YACHTS IN THE OTHER CLASSES DO NOT HAVE AN ADVANTAGE HERE. NOR DO THOSE WHO CONSTANTLY BUY THE LATEST EQUIPMENT FORCE OTHERS TO CONTINUALLY PLAY CATCH-UP AS THEY DIG DEEPER INTO THEIR POCKETS. ALAN WATSON THE IPKSA CHAIRPERSON WAS 6TH IN THE EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS IN 2007, WITH A YACHT WHICH WAS 7 YEARS OLD, ANOTHER TWO IPKSA MEMBERS COLMAN BILLINGS AND TOM LEONARD ALSO DID WELL IN THE EVENT, SOMETHING THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE IN ANY OF THE OTHER CLASSES WHICH MAKE CONTINUAL ADVANCEMENTS IN THE DESIGN OF YACHTS. THE YACHT DESIGN IS CONTROLLED BY THE MEMBERS OF THE INTERNATIONAL STANDART SANDYACHTING ASSOCIATION THE CLASS ASSOCIATION TO WHICH ALL STANDART PILOTS ARE ENTITLED TO JOIN, SO CONTROL OF THE CLASS REMAINS IN THE HANDS OF THE MAJORITY OF THE PILOTS. THERE ARE TWO MAIN OPTIONS WHEN SOURCING STANDARTS. PRESENT PILOTS MAY BE A SOURCE FOR SECOND-HAND YACHTS AS SOME PILOTS MAY WISH TO TRADE UP TO A NEWER MODEL. AS THE CLASS HAS BEEN MUCH MORE POPULAR IN FRANCE AND BELGIUM THERE ARE MORE SECOND-HAND YACHTS AVAILABLE THERE; THE SAND YACHT CLUB AT DE PANNE IS USUALLY A GOOD STARTING POINT. FOR NEW YACHTS CONTACT SEAGULL DIRECT IN FRANCE. VISIT THEIR WEBSITE SEAGULL LANDYACHTS THANKS TO MARTIN LEACH & WWW.BFSLYC.ORG.UK

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BRETTEVILLE WELL DONE TO THE 5 MEMBER IPKSA TEAM WHO REPRESENTED IRELAND IN THE CLASS PROMO EUROPEAN CUP IN MAY 2007. TOM LEONARD, DAVID AND RICHARD MEEKE AND STEPHEN AND ALAN WATSON. THE 3 DAY EVENT WAS HELD IN BRETTEVILLE SUREY IN NORMANDY FRANCE.   THERE WAS AN ENTRY OF 76 IN WHAT IS AN EXTREMELY COMPETITIVE CLASS AND THIS WAS THEIR FIRST TIME SAILING THESE TYPE OF SANDYACHTS (THEY WERE LENT TO THEM TO ENCOURAGE THEIR PARTICIPATION). THEY COMPETED AGAINST NOT ONLY OTHER EUROPEAN COUNTRIES BUT A NUMBER OF SOUTH AMERICAN COUNTRIES LIKE, ARGENTINA, BRAZIL AND CHILE TOO ! ANYWAY, ALAN WATSON WAS 18TH AFTER 17 FRENCH PILOTS - LEAVING IRELAND SECOND COUNTRY HOME - THE OTHER IRISH PILOTS GETTING 41ST, 51ST, 45TH AND 64TH. SANDYACHTING TAKES PLACE ON THE LOUTH AND MEATH BEACHES OVER THE WINTER MONTHS. IF ANYONE WANTS INFO THEY SHOULD CONTACT ALAN IN PERSON. FULL RESULTS CAN BE FOUND HERE - THE LINK BELOW IS TO A SHORT VIDEO OF WHERE THE 5 PERSON IRISH TEAM WERE AT THE CLASS 5 PROMO EUROPEAN CUP EVENT. ----LINK   CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICTURES

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MINI-YACHTS

THE INEXPENSIVE MINI-YACHT IS THE PERFECT INTRODUCTION TO LAND SAILING. PACK IT INTO THE BOOT OF YOUR CAR, FIND A SUITABLE SAILING SITE AND HAVE SOME FUN

THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A 'MINI' MAKE IT AN IDEAL FIRST YACHT, BUT IT WILL PUT A SMILE ON THE FACE OF MORE EXPERIENCED HANDS TOO. JUST ABOUT ANYBODY CAN LEARN TO SAIL IT AND IT IS PERFECT FOR OUTDOOR FAMILY-SPORT. THE MINI IS SIMPLY CONSTRUCTED. A FRAME SUPPORTS THREE WHEELS, A SEAT AND A MAST. THE SAIL IS FIXED TO A SECTIONAL MAST (FOR EASY PACKING), THE BOOM CONTROLLED BY A SIMPLE ROPE AND PULLEY SYSTEM. STEERING IS PERFORMED WITH THE FEET. WITH A MINIMUM OF PARTS AND SIMPLE CONSTRUCTION, THE CRAFT IS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE A LIFETIME OF LAND SAILING PLEASURE WITH QUICK AND EASY MAINTENANCE.

MINIYACHTS ARE PURELY FOR FUN & THOSE INTERESTED IN THE COMPETITIVE SIDE OF THE SPORT SHOULD CONSIDER THE LARGER CLASS 5 & 3 LANDYACHTS THAT ARE REGULARLY RACED AT THE ESTABLISHED CLUBS AROUND THE COUNTRY. MINIS ARE RACED AT CLUBS WHERE A FLEET OF IDENTICAL MINIS ARE AVAILABLE, & INFORMAL MIXED-MINI RACING IS INEVITABLY HILARIOUS AS CHEATING IS USUALLY ACTIVELY ENCOURAGED.

IN SUMMARY THE MINI-YACHT IS PLANTED FIRMLY ON THE RECREATIONAL, NON-COMPETITIVE SIDE OF LAND SAILING. DEFINITELY NOT TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY UNLESS YOU ARE SERIOUS ABOUT HAVING FUN. (PRODUCED WITH CONTRIBUTIONS FROM ANDY PARR)

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