Looe Sailing Club commodore Sue Dunn and her fellow flag officers and members celebrate. Picture: Neil Richardson Sail of the century


Looe Sailing Club members are celebrating one of the greatest successes in their 79-year history.


The organisation of last summer’s GP.14 World dinghy sailing championships has just been voted the second best event of the year – beaten only by the Olympic and Paralympic sailing regatta!


Even Yachts & Yachting, the National sailing magazine, which organised these ‘Oscars’ of the sailing world, admitted: ‘There was only really one contender, with a home Olympic Games that did the sport proud.’


So to finish second to the Olympics was a magnificent achievement which reflects greatly – not only on the Buller Street club but also on the town and South East Cornwall in general.


There were only six nominations for ‘the most inspiring sailing event of the last 12 months’ and, as well as the Olympics in Weymouth, the others were the multi-million-pound America’s Cup World Series, the in- vogue Musto Skiff Worlds (hosted by the plush Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy); the long- standing Cowes Week, and the blazers and G&T brigade’s Royal Ocean Racing Club’s Channel- hopping points championship series.


Just to be included in such elite company was a huge accolade for the club, the people of the town, and the various authorities who combined to make it all happen.


by JOHN COLLINGS Sunday Independent


Proud flag officers recently attended a champagne reception at the Tullett Prebon London Boat Show (see below),


By coincidence, the trophies for that ceremony were made by the talented


craftsman Richard Vasey, of Widegates, who is also an active member of the Looe club and an acclaimed Laser helm himself.


Looe’s nomination recalled how the 130-boat limit for the Aigua Charter GP.14 Worlds was reached six months before the event even started.


Ian Dobson and Andy Tunnicliffe went on to successfully defend their title ‘in a hotly-contested championship,


as a full-race programme was completed in conditions that kept many other fleets ashore’.


The nomination added: ‘Great socials, a superb location and the commitment of Looe Sailing Club members too, created a memorable event.‘


News of the club’s nomination was exclusively revealed in our sister title, the Sunday Independent by sports editor and watersports correspondent John Collings.


Looe club accepts plaudits


Looe Sailing Club flag officers rubbed shoulders with the sport’s royalty when they attended a champagne reception at the Tullett Prebon London International Boat Show, staged inside the capital’s impressive ExCeL exhibition centre.


They were there to be honoured for


their organisation of last summer’s GP.14 World championships, which was voted the second best event of the year by readers of Yachts & Yachting magazine.


In London to accept the many plaudits which came their way were, (left to right), GP.14 officer


David Rowlands, Gareth Shaw (rear commodore), Roger Hocking (principal race officer), Gill Beddows (GP.14 class secretary), Jon Crabb (vice-commodore) and Looe member and master craftsman Richard Vasey.


LOOE NEWS FEBRUARY 2013 9


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