New events added to Seldén Sailjuice Winter Series 2024/25
The 16th edition of the Seldén Sailjuice Winter Series will take place in the 2024/25 season, with Seldén Mast continuing as the title sponsor. This off-season sailing series, which began in 2009, has become a key fixture in British dinghy racing, bringing together some of the largest winter handicap racing events into a unified series. The series regularly attracts top sailors from across the UK.
The annual Seldén Sailjuice Winter Series includes almost 100 different types of boats each season, ranging from traditional vessels like the Norfolk Punt and National 18 to newer classes such as the Hadron H2 single-hander. The Great Lakes Handicap Group, which manages the series’ handicap system, has developed a variation of the RYA PY (Portsmouth Yardstick) numbers to provide competitive racing for a wide variety of boats.
Handicapping innovations
Co-organisers Simon Lovesey and Andy Rice have announced new initiatives for the upcoming series. One notable addition is the introduction of handicaps for older dinghy classes. This change follows the growing trend of fleets developing systems to facilitate competitive racing for boats of different vintages.
“Working closely with the Great Lakes Handicap Group over the past decade we already have a well-proven set of handicap numbers for the ‘Best in Class’,” says Simon Lovesey, co-organiser of the Seldén Sailjuice Winter Series. “Now we are looking to work with all interested parties to create a fair playing field for sailors, often younger with minimal budget, to be able to compete on equal terms in older boats that cost a few hundred pounds rather than multiple thousands.”
Series events
The 2024/25 season will consist of nine events, beginning with the Fernhurst Books Draycote Dash at Draycote Water Sailing Club in November and concluding with the prize-giving at the RYA Dinghy & Watersports Show in February 2025. A new event, the Polar Chase, will be added to the series, taking place at Chase Sailing Club in December.
The series provides a focal point for dinghy racing during the winter months, with some fleets using these events as their class championships. For example, the RS Aero class typically brings up to 50 boats to the Oxford Blue event, which doubles as the RS Aero Winter Championships.
New ranking categories
In response to growing participation from sailors representing the armed forces and schools, the series will introduce new extracted rankings for these groups. Sailors from the Army Sailing Association (ASA), Royal Air Force Sailing Association (RAFSA), and Royal Navy Sailing Association (RNSA), as well as school teams, will have their own rankings within the series.
“We are proud to continue our long-standing partnership with the series, which has become a cornerstone of British dinghy racing,” says Steve Norbury, managing director of Seldén Mast Ltd. “This series captures the true spirit of innovation, inclusivity, and competition, and we’re delighted to support sailors of all levels who, like us, want to get out on the water and continue sailing and competing all year round. From seasoned champions to those racing on a budget in older boats, we’re excited to see what this year’s edition will bring and to be a part of its ongoing success.”
2024/2025 events schedule
- Fernhurst Books Draycote Dash, Draycote Water Sailing Club – 23 & 24 November 2024
- Datchet Flyer, Datchet Water Sailing Club – 7 & 8 December 2024
- Polar Chase (new for 2024/25), Chase Sailing Club – 14 December 2024
- Yorkshire Dales Brass Monkey, Yorkshire Dales Sailing Club – 27 December 2024
- Gill Grafham GP, Grafham Water Sailing Club – 29 December 2024
- GJW Direct Bloody Mary, Queen Mary Sailing Club – 11 January 2025
- King George Gallop, King George Sailing Club – 18 January 2025
- John Merricks Tiger Trophy, Rutland Sailing Club – 1 & 2 February 2025
- Oxford Blue, Oxford Sailing Club – 15 February 2025
The award ceremony will take place in February at the RYA Dinghy & Watersports Show, held in Farnborough.
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