Southwold Model Yacht Regattas
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Southwold Model Yacht Regattas (SMYR) is model yacht racing club based in the town of Southwold, Suffolk.
SMYR was formed in 1894 and the Southwold Regatta has been held every year (except war years) since. Anyone may take part in in the races, but radio controlled boats are prohibited. There are various types of competitions testing both speed and accuracy with handicaps for more skilled sailors to level the playing field a little. Some of the boats entered are up to 80 years old and include replicas of the old Beach Yawls. The model yacht pond used for the regattas is loacted at North Beach is managed by the Club with members carrying out much of the maintenance (with some assistance and financial support from Waveney District Council). There is an Annual General Meeting (AGM) where members of the club meet to discuss issues relating to the running of the regattas and maintenance of the pond.
The Regattas are structured and usually last either half a day or a whole day. Boat submissions are usually given in advance to the organiser and the individual races are shown in a printed timetable, which can be obtained on the day of the regatta. Competitions are held during spring and summer months with the Annual Regatta being the largest competition (this is held at the end of the summer), with upwards of 200 people attending. The regular races normally involve about 6 or 7 boats lined up on the edge of the pond starting from equally spaced positions. Boats vary in length between 15" and 36"; there are 3 different classes - A, B and C, with boats having to compete only in races with other boats of the same class (A being the longest and C being the shortest). The boats must race to the other side of the pond and then be physically turned around by the sailor to race back. Only first and second positions are called and corresponding prizes are given at the end of the regatta.
The model yachts are controlled by their sailors using settings on the deck and on the rigging of the sails. The settings control the amount by which the main sail(s) and jib are let out by - whether they are lose or tight. The skill of the sailor is in adjusting the settings appropriate to the wind direction and speed to get the best performance from the boat.
People who have never sailed before are welcome to borrow one of the yachts belonging to SMYR. Usually they have some spare yachts for people who want participate. Some of the regattas include cup challenges, which differ from the regular races. This may include a race to see who can get the closest to or in between two fixed points, or sometimes it is a race which can include the whole family which is called the family relay race. There are also many other fun races which can include all kinds of people such as the town mayor. At the end of every regatta there is a prize giving for the sailors who won a race or won a cup. The prizes are special tokens which sailors can use to exchange for ornamnets, mugs, magnets and more. Sailors who won the cup challenges receive a trophy.
