Latest UKWA News:

2021 racing calendar

The racing calendar for 2021 is now posted here. There is a full and varied racing programme organised for next year, all, of course, subject to some normality returning to our lives and the success of vaccine(s) and other measures to combat the coronavirus pandemic. The racing ranges from the National/European Championships, regional Championships and National Circuit events at one end of the scale to one day relaxed open meetings and family race weeks where Wayfarers compete at the other. There should be something for everybody.

The National Circuit and Travellers Series events are marked on the calendar as NCS FW denoting an inland non-tidal venue or NCS SW denoting an event which will be held in salt water on the sea, a tidal river or estuary. The National Circuit will consist of nine events in 2021 rather than the usual eight. The extra event is to cover the possibility of an event being lost to the pandemic. The Notice of Race for the National Circuit Series will be posted on the website in the next few weeks.

The Racing Calendar is a live document so please keep an eye on it. We will add other events to it as soon as we are notified of them.

–Tim Townsend

Here is a link to Tim Townsend’s latest racing report published in Y&Y:

A Wayfarer named Resilient (yachtsandyachting.com)

In case any of the participants in this year’s Plymouth Rally have read the latest Wayfarer News and are experiencing symptoms of confusion and/or amnesia, may I reassure you that you were there and the event did in fact take place 😉

2021 will be Waldringfield Sailing Club’s Centenary, which is a wonderful milestone for any club!

In celebration the club will welcome visitors to the following:

• The Centenary Easter Egg open meeting, on Friday 2nd and Saturday 3rd of April
• The Centenary Cartoon open meeting, on Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th of September

Thank you,

John Haile, WSC Wayfarer Captain

New members joining after 1st October will be given membership until 1st April 2022 – now is a great time to join!

We pride ourselves on being a very friendly class association, and are always delighted to welcome new members.

You can join here. ...read more

2021 AGM and Dinghy Show

Many of you may have seen that the RYA Dinghy Show scheduled for 2021 has been cancelled. This has been when we have traditionally held our AGM and for 2021 we propose to do so again, but with a slight difference.

Due to Covid-19, we are planning to hold our 2021 AGM  via a Zoom interface on Saturday 27 February at 4:00pm – as if we had been at the Dinghy Show. We have not worked out any details yet as we are looking for one of you with experience of hosting Zoom meetings to help us out.

Offers of help will be greatly appreciated and if you are in the position of being able to help, please contact Sarah Burgess, [secretary@wayfarer.org.uk] 

Once we have had a trial run through and know how it is going to work we will publish the details in e-news and on our website.

– John Mellor.

It is with considerable regret that we have to announce the cancellation of the last two events in the Craftinsure National Circuit and Travellers Series 2020. Both venues have left it as long as they felt they sensibly could for the Covid-19 situation to improve to the point where they could safely proceed with their open meetings. However, as we all know, the numbers of coronavirus cases are increasing at this time rather than decreasing and the Government is tightening up on its rules and guidelines to try and mitigate the consequences of a second wave. Cancelling the events, ultimately, was the only safe and pragmatic decision. ...read more

The new, 6th edition Wayfarer Book is here!

The Wayfarer book has been brought right up to date and benefits from reworking of the previous content plus additional materials and illustrations.

Now including a stunning new chapter on Family Sailing – and for anyone who does take the family sailing, either young or old, this is a ‘must read’.

The Wayfarer book is now more accessible for those who are new to the boat whilst still providing all the detail that experienced Wayfarer owners and sailors want.

With 112 pages and colour images throughout, it will be an essential companion in the dinghy park and workshop but it won’t be out of place by the bedside or on the coffee table.

Now available from our shop here.

Our cheerful, versatile, newly-designed neck buffs are available from our shop in four different colours.

A seamless tube made from Coolmax Repel yarn. A classic, multi-function headwear. Warm to touch, open weave, with rain repel technology; winter textile.

£8 each plus P&P, linked here.

Not entirely surprisingly the Medway Marathon has been cancelled.

Originally postponed from earlier in the year the event will now not take place at all in 2020.

Earlier this week, Dabchicks SC took the decision to cancel this year’s National Championships due to be held next month. Roger Sydenham, chair of the DSC organising committee, Rachel Ramsey, DSC club manager, and their team had worked hard to try and keep the event alive but reluctantly concluded that while they could provide racing on the water the challenges of providing onshore facilities, never mind a social programme which is so important to our fleet, were insurmountable under the current guidelines without putting at risk both the competitors and local helpers. This decision is supported by the UKWA committee.

Entry fees will be refunded in full to competitors by the Treasurer of DSC.

The open meeting at Hickling Broad SC on 10th October has also been cancelled, again because of the impact of Covid 19.

Hot on the heels of the re-designed neck buffs comes another new product in our online shop – members’ boat stickers.

You may recall that these were featured in a recent poll, this being the favourite design.

85 mm square, self-adhesive, priced at £5 including UK p&p (+£1 overseas). Order via the shop, or follow this link.

“In Cullaun we have had a very late start to our season but we are having great turnout for racing, pleasure sailing and kids’ camps.

“The club have made the difficult decision to confine this year’s regatta to local sailors only, so it is with regret that I have to announce the cancellation  of the Wayfarer Southern Championship in Cullaun for 2020. We are conscious that the fleet may not wish to travel and the committee wanted to give you plenty of notice. We will be happy to host the Wayfarer fleet next year. The decision was not made lightly but health and safety is a priority. I will truly miss meeting you all but I fully support the committee’s decision.

“I do hope you are getting to sail and enjoy the water. I am so glad we got to meet last year and look forward to when we can all meet again.

“Wishing you all the best, stay healthy and well and KEEP RACING safely!!!”

-Margaret Hynes

Regrettably we must add Poole Week to the list of 2020 events that have fallen victim to the current pandemic.

Following recent discussions with the organisers of the 2020 National Championships at Dabchicks SC )West Mersea), we are pleased to report a continued intention to run the Championships this September. More details on the accompanying notice linked here.

We have been informed that, unfortunately, the popular Chichester Harbour Race Week 2020 has been cancelled because of the ongoing Coronavirus crisis.

Thank you to all those members who voted in our June e-News: our new membership sticker is now here!

A sticker will be sent out to each new member as they join the UKWA.  Those who have joined in the last few days will receive theirs inside their Summer edition of Wayfarer News.

These stickers can be stuck on your Wayfarer or on the outside of your car window.

“We have been in correspondence with RWSC and are sad to announce that we have had to cancel the 2020 Gathering at Rutland Water. We understand that the club wishes to return to normal as soon as possible, so we hope to be able to plan a Gathering with them for the 2021 season.

Those who have prepaid for this event will receive refunds in the next few days so none of our attendees will be left out of pocket.

We would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a peaceful and safe summer and look forward to seeing you on the water as soon as possible.”

-Mark and Julie Foreman

Unfortunately, because of a technical issue the full version of the Racing Secretary’s Ramblings weren’t published in the June eNews. However here they are in full (as a .pdf document, may open in a new browser tab).