Collaboration, Competition & Community
By Loreto Rodriquez
Expectations were high for the historic bicentenary celebrations of Cowes Week. And it did not disappoint. Greig City Academy youth sailors were out in force and making the most of the fantastic racing that Cowes Week offers.
Amongst the 630 participating yachts, we entered 3 boats with 13 youth sailors: Scaramouche was out with 6 students, Etchells was helmed by Max and crewed by two of the youngest sailors (aged 14), and Jessye and Corneille were on the Flying 15, Elayra was on a XOD for the week and Felipe was crewing on Chameleon.
By the end of the week, we had sailors spread across 11 boats, with skippers and supporters creating opportunities for students to apply what they know and adapt to new teams and yachts on Cape 31, Contessa 32, and RS21 and cruisers.
"For me, Cowes Week was an opportunity to race on Scaramouche for her last ever Cowes Week, to be joined by my father who has never seen me sail before and to occasionally step back from the action and looking at the week as a whole and the stories behind the sailing."
This week is as much as about people and community as it is about fierce competition out on the water. As youth sailors from a north London state school, we have been warmly welcomed by the sailing community. We have seen students move between boats, learn from different crews, and take on challenges they had not expected. Our story has been taken up by the media with interviews on Planet Sail, Sky news and BBC South Today. They all get what the programme is trying to achieve: to inspire and create opportunities for other young people. On BBC South Today, Elayra (about to start a cadetship aiming for a career on a commercial vessel), shared her motivational mantra: “If you’re scared, do it scared.” It is a simple idea, but one that sticks.
As someone who started sailing through Greig City Academy at 16 when I came to the UK, I know how significant that is. Cowes Week seems a world away from life in North London, but with the willingness to work together and support from so many people across the sailing community, it is extraordinary what can be achieved.
This week, every day was a new adventure full of learning opportunities. We also said farewell to Nick, who has dedicated so much time over the years as skipper of Scaramouche. We know that without Nick on the helm, our sailing journeys and our confidence to stretch beyond what we thought possible, would have simply been impossible.
Thank you to all our supporters for a fantastic Cowes Week, in particular Cowes Town Waterfront Trust.
MEDIA ROUND UP
Many thanks to the team at Sea Clear Communications for sharing the Scaramouche Sailing Trust story and to Planet Sail, Sky News and BBC South Today for getting our message out there.
Cowes Town Waterfront Trust and the team at Cowes Yacht Haven have provided fantastic support behind the scenes. A huge Thank You for making such a significant difference.
