44 NAVY NEWS, NOVEMBER 2009
High drama at
HOLDING a sailing
(SCC) Phil Patterson RNR, Staff
regatta at a seaside resort
Recreation Officer, was the brains
where the sea would not
behind the shore-side logistics.
The presence of the air show
be seen during daylight certainly affected the regatta,
hours might be seen as
and there were those who had
somewhat optimistic.
misgivings over the timing of the
But Southport proved a
event.
great success as host for the
Lt Col John Davies RM, North
West Area Officer, said: “One or
Sea Cadets’ annual National
two of us wondered if it was a good
Sailing Regatta, despite the
idea, but the police and Sefton
fact none of the competitors Council have been brilliant, and
saw the sea at all. there have been no issues at all.
Indeed, the wide expanses of “I think having the Red Arrows
sand left by the receding tide were around and getting a free airshow
handed over to the aviators of the is brilliant.
town’s air show, which provided a “And the fact that there are
backdrop in the unrelentingly grey thousands of members of the
skies to the real action. public here is probably a good
Instead, the cadets took to the thing.”
sheltered, shallow waters of the In the past this event has
Marine Lake, big enough for the traditionally been down south.
dinghy fleet to race en masse. “It was my predecessor who
There was even enough room suggested that we had the facilities
for the windsurfers to join the here to run the National Regatta
party for the first time. in the North West,” he said.
As was the case with the “It will be here for three years,
National Combined Regatta at and geographically it’s ideal –
ExCeL in London at the end Southport sits pretty much in the
of August, Lt Cdr (SCC) Dave middle of the UK, and for units
Hanley RNR, HQ Staff Officer from Scotland, for example, it’s
Boats, was in charge of activities handy.
on the water, while Lt Cdr “Phil and Dave pulled it
● Clockwise from top right: Bosuns on the
homeward leg of a race; a Bosun makes
the most of the light winds at Southport;
relaxing between races; windsurfers
prepare their boards; windsurfi ng rig is
carted away; the Red Arrows perform off
Southport beach during one of the regatta
races; Atkinson and Risk, of London Area,
race their RS Feva in the Portsmouth
Yardstick class; dinghies are lined up in
front of the regatta headquarters during
the break for lunch; Capt Mark Windsor,
Captain Sea Cadet Corps, addresses
cadets and staff at the end of the racing;
Bevan (no 10) of London Area and Brown
(5) of Northern Area battle it out for the
honours in their Toppers
Pictures provided by Richard Williams
(richardwilliamsimages@yahoo.co.uk) and
Lt Cdr (SCC) Phil Coast RNR, Southern
Area Recruitment Offi cer
Picture:Lt Cdr (SCC) Dave Bradford RNR
044–047_NN_nov.indd 1 20/10/09 18:20:01
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