Give It A Go

Show me

the ropes..

ere’s rarely a weekend goes by during the warmer months when the Bay isn’t playing host to a swarm of white sailed dinghies taking part in national and international events hosted by one of the Bay’s sailing and yacht clubs. Julian Rees goes along to Brixham Yacht Club to give dinghy sailing a go!

Arriving at Brixham Yacht Club I’m met by a very busy scene as people of all ages are busying themselves about a eet of small boats on the harbourside and the club compound. e boats come in a variety of shapes and sizes, mono-hulls, catamarans, single sails and twin sails, some for one and others for two or three sailors.

I get changed into the required gear taking note of the restrictions in numbers in the changing rooms. Once in my wetsuit and boots (it’s the end of June as I’m writing and still chilly in the sea) I don a buoyancy aid. All togged up I set o to meet my instructor for the evening Rob Dyson. I’m directed to Rob by members who greet me like an old friend, and nd him assisting with rigging one of the club boats. ere are seven dinghies available for hire to club members at a small fee and these are ideal for getting to know a variety of dinghies as your skills progress.

Rob is an Royal Yachting Association (RYA) quali ed instructor and regularly teaches RYA Level I and II Dinghy Sailing quali cations to adults and youngsters. Rob introduces me to our boat for the evening’s session, an RS Vision. It’s 14 foot in length and has over 20m2 of sail area available. With the light airs of the evening we’re probably going to need most of it! Rob and fellow trainer Issy rig the boat and give me the lowdown on its capabilities - it’s a safe boat and one often used for training as it can comfortably take two crew and an instructor. It’s been nearly forty years since I last sat in a sailing dinghy; as I’m introduced to the various sheets (ropes) and halyards (ropes) I’m struck by how much smaller and lighter everything is nowadays.

We head for the slipway and join the queue to launch. Once afloat the flotilla of small boats makes its way through the harbour and I’m amazed at the skills of some of the helms some as young as 10 or 11 as they thread their way skilfully through the moorings towards the open waters of the Bay.

Becalmed!

Monday nights’ sessions are race nights so with Rob at the helm gently issuing instructions we gather at the start line which is marked by an inflatable ‘can’ with a support boat at the other end. There’s only one thing missing now and that’s a decent puff of wind...

Quite often a breeze will spring up in the Bay but tonight it is stubbornly staying away and whilst we are moving, it’s only just. Some say it takes more skill to win a race in light airs than it does in a good wind and all around us all sorts of techniques are employed to make way - the adults hoping the weight of experience and cunning will outfox the lightweight youngsters and on this occasion the adults prevail. I’m reliably informed though that this is rarely the case.

The race is reduced to just one lap of the course and as we have the support of two safety boats we’re able to pick up a tow back to the slipway with the fleet trailing behind. Despite the disappointments there’s a great atmosphere and already much banter ensues about the next event. It’s been great fun and I’m smitten and will be back for another go.

As we de-rig I take a look around at some of the other

Competitors in this year’s English Riviera Dinghy Regatta boats; there’s a world of tech and innovation here for those who are driven to win and you can spend money to your heart’s content getting lighter, stronger, faster with carbon bre, titanium and Dyneema (string) to keep up with the pros or you can sit back go with the ow... Whichever way you choose, it’s nice to know you’re powered by nature, except when nature takes a rest and you have to break out the paddles!   brixhamyachtclub.com

Further information

Brixham Yacht Club is a private members’ club. For membership details visit brixhamyachtclub.com. The club is an RYA Training Centre o ering various training courses which are available to members and the public and on completion often allow discounted club membership rates. Don’t be misled by the name yacht club as there is a wide variety of watersports on o er here on the harbourside. There’s paddleboarding, kayaking and dinghy sailing as well as a large yacht racing eet and an active cruising group. Boats looking for crew are matched with members looking for a sail via the club’s website. Lively WhatsApp groups keep everyone in touch, having proved invaluable during the period of Covid restrictions. Now reopen, the club o ers a full bar service and top quality restaurant with fantastic views of the Bay. All club events are supported by a eet of safety boats and a passenger shuttle service is provided free by volunteers at the club. The club has its own private slipway and deepwater mooring pontoons for visitors.

Easy summer strolling...

Need to know

Distance: 2 miles Exertion: Easy Time: Allow 1.5 hours Terrain: Pathways and pavements. Suitable for pushchairs and mobility scooters. Dogs: On leads on roads. Refreshments: At Paignton Harbour

In our reader survey many readers asked for walks that were accessible to all - pushchairs, mobility scooters and those who couldn’t walk too far. So this issue we’re walking from Paignton train station to the harbour and around Roundham Head.

We take in the busy town and get the feel for holidaying in the Bay and what makes the local economy tick with the throngs on Torbay Road and Paignton’s pretty seafront. ere’s plenty to see and do and history to discover as well as some of best views in the Bay. 

1 From the train station turn right into Torbay Road, passing the old, soon to be reopened, Paignton Picture House and continue towards the seafront taking the third turning right into Queens Road then left into Torbay Park. At the seafront, cross the road and join up with the coastpath as it heads toward the harbour. See the children’s Geoplay Park and Pirate Golf if you’ve got youngsters along for the walk. 2 Follow the coastline under the arch to the harbour. The harbour was established in 1838 in its current form and was an important port for exporting local goods, most notably cider and giant cabbages. Today it’s home to a crab processing plant that distributes locally caught fare across the country. As you walk up the slope to skirt the harbour, you’ll see the small building on the left, which was formerly the Preventatives Station, more commonly known as the coastguard. 3 At the far side of the harbour either choose to stroll down to the outer sea wall or climb the steps and drop down to the popular Fairy Cove. From here you can climb the steps at the rear of the beach and turn left into the Burma Star Garden, which leads out to Cli Road. Otherwise, carry on up the hill and turn left into Cli Road to avoid the steps and pick up the route again in