One swallow does not a summer make . . . and the National Swallow Class has plans afoot to remedy that.
The National Swallow Class is on the move this year with an exciting new website showcasing the class and plans afoot to lend out the few boats not currently active to prospective newcomers.
With a new builder about to be appointed and a team planning to sponsor new boats the future for the class is rosy.
The Swallow class ticks all the boxes for a classic racing dayboat.
Designed and selected for the 1948 Olympics – the ‘Austerity Games’ – with the sailing events in Torbay, the gold medal was won by Britain’s Stewart Morris and David Bond.
Originally wood built, the advent of GRP Swallows from 1974 onwards gave a new lease of life to the Class and the Itchenor Sailing Club, in the outstandingly beautiful Chichester Harbour, became the main focus for racing.
With the new website at www.swallowclass.org the rest of the world will be able to discover what racing one of these modern classics is all about.
Some parts of the new site will be useful to newcomers, whilst others will act as the first point of contact for our regulars to gather information before a day’s sailing.
The new Crew-Search facility will allow crews to get in contact with those looking for crew and will be a great benefit to the class.
The Itchenor Swallow Fleet has always been lucky in that most of the boats race regularly but looking to the future, like all classes, it is necessary to keep bringing newcomers in.
There are a few underused boats in race order and ready to go that the class plans to make available to potential newcomers to use for a midsummer programme.
Details are still being finalised and will be announced later this month.
Mike Wigmore, NSCA Chairman
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