Dinghy Racing takes place from April to September on Friday evenings with a Winter Series on Saturday October to December (Fixture list). The Club also hosting a Regatta and the “7 Forts” long distance race (Click Here). Below is a history of Dinghy racing at PYC.
Dinghies have been racing at PYC since the club was established back in 1923.
It has moved with the times starting off with the Open 18’ foot class moving onto the self build era which started back in the 60’s with the GP14 and continued going through to the to the Mirror class in the late 80’s.
The move to plastic and GRP seen the introduction of faster, lighter boats such as the Laser, Laser 2, Lark, 420, 470 & 505’s before moving to the Skiff and Foam sandwich construction era of the past 20 years when PYC has seen a variety of boats such as the Buzz, ISO, Boss, B14, RS 600, RS 800, Blaze, Phantom. Even a 49er and an 18 foot Skiff can be seen leaving the beach at times!
PYC went through a spell of no dinghy sailing activity for a few years in the late 90’s but we are in the process of rebuilding our dinghy fleet with over 20 boats competing with a die hard dinghy sailors and occasional racers. We became an RYA Recognised Training Centre in 2003 with sail training which was aimed mainly at youth sailors to start with, but now opening up to adults also, and this is run by some keen club volunteers aimed at keeping the sport alive at Gellyswick Bay (click here)
Visiting competitors and their families can be assured of a warm welcome in true Pembrokeshire fashion at our superb Clubhouse on the Milford Haven Waterway.
We have ample secure boat parking facilities with easy good safe access to the water at all states of the tide via a free public slipway. Camping and parking facilities are available alongside the Club during larger events. From a sailing angle, we have a choice of various sailing areas to ensure good course setting in varying wind directions.
The Club has experience running events and Championships and in 2018 hosted the Solution and Cherub National Championships as well as the British Youth Sailing Welsh Zone in 2014 & 2018 with over 100 boats attending both!
Other events have included the Mirror Nationals & Worlds, Laser 2 Nationals; Moth Nationals and Blaze Nationals.
If you would like more information on dinghy sailing at PYC or hosting your Championships please contact the Sailing Captain on pycracing@yahoo.com or 07766552833 .
[Updated 25/08/2021]