The Sailx virtual online sailing game is launching the 1st Virual Endeavour Trophy in association with the 2012 RYA Dinghy Show.  Anyone can enter for their class.  Through results from the heats, winners will be selected to race the finals of the online competition at the Dinghy Show during the 3rd and 4th March 2011.  At the finals competitors will also be representing a class of their choice and have an opportunity to lift this Virtual Endeavour Trophy for the first time.  For those not wishing to venture out during the winter months it's an opportunity to sharpen up the tactical skills from the comfort of your own couch.  Let the games begin ....

Thursday the 12th of January is the late night for the boat show and a popular night for London based sailors to meet at the Guinness bar!  A number of skiff teams are taking the opportunity to meet up this year.

There’s plenty to discuss with a full 2012 Calendar planned and preseason training options in February and March.  It's a good opportunity to bounce ideas around both with 18 crews and other like minded sportsmen and women over a few drinks.  Read the full article for details of tickets and prices.

Three teams gathered at Rutland Water on a blustery weekend in December.  Too much wind on the Saturday resulted in some shore based coaching from fleet experts Mason Woodworth and Stew Mears.  This was particularly useful for the Rutland Team who were learning how to set up the nearly aquired skiff.  After packing up everyone met at the Local Pub to share thoughts on the 2012 season and enjoy a few beers.

The UK 18ft Skiff sailors assembled on the beach for a final time on the last day of the UK 18ft Skiff National Championships in Sandbanks, Poole.  With sunshine and 10knts of breeze blowing offshore, the Race Officer, Jon Gorringe was able to set an exciting short course with windward marks straight off the beach satisfying the demands of the growing spectator interest during the bank holiday weekend.  And there was plenty to race for.  Would new arrivals Team Carsington be able to hold on to 2nd with their five point lead on Investec?  Could anything stop team Pica lying a comfortable first place?  Could Hyde’s recover from the extra points they were carrying due to gear failure on Saturday to find a podium position? 

All eight skiffs were greeted with a stunning morning at Sandbanks.  Sunny, moderate conditions, with breeze from the west enabled the Jon Gorringe and his Parkstone Yacht Club race management team to move the course close into the shore to give spectators a better view of the racing. The lighter conditions, resulted in a unanimous decision for big rigs which teams had given a serious shakedown in the heavy weather sailing yesterday.

The first day of the 2011 UK 18 Foot Skiff National Championship was a windy and wild adventure.  Sailing off the beach at Sandbanks, Parkstone Yacht Club and the Watersports Academy teamed up to provide a superb both shore based and on the water race area for the premier event of the UK 18ft Skiff Circuit.  The eight skiff teams assembled on the beach including two new teams competing in their first 18 regatta. 

 Dates are set for the 2012 JJ.  To be held earlier in 2012 than in 2011, giving teams a months break after the 2012 Mark Foy in Auckland, New Zealand.  For European and UK teams now is the time to organise container logistics to avoid unnecessary expense.  Race against the world's best skiff sailors in sydney harbour, one of the worlds most stunning sailing amphitheatres, for the legendary JJ Trophy.

The UK 18ft Skiff Grand Prix arrives in Exmouth this bank holiday weekend for three days or racing on Devon’s coast line.  Exe Sailing Club will be hosting the skiffs at their award winning club.  Seven teams are due to do battle ranging in experience and levels of technology.  A two buoy system will be running to keep the new teams and those with older boats a chance to mix it up with the best 18ft skiff teams in the UK and a chance to win the event.   The newer teams, in the red fleet, will be rounding the nearest windward mark.  The experienced teams, in the white fleet, rounding the furthest windward mark each lap of the windward-leeward course.  With a fresh west southwest breeze forecast and technical support from Action Cameras we will be able to bring you onboard action from the weekends racing.

UK champion Jamie Mears, Tristan Hutt and Stewart Mears of Team Pica scored a convincing victory in the Dockyard 18ft Skiff Grand Prix 1 Hungary, which was sailed on Lake Balaton.

Pica won six of the eight races contested to finish with an overall net total of eight points, after discarding her worst performance – a fifth placing in Race 5.  Denmark’s Original Chia sailed by Flemming Clausen, Thomas Ebler and Soren Clausen finished in second place on 15 points, followed by the current European champion Liberty Sailing Team of Miklos Ujhelyi-Gaspar, Matyas Majthenyi and Zsombor Szepfy in third place on 21 points. 

Pica takes the first UK Grand Prix event at Stone Sailing Club on the Blackwater with a convincing performance in their new 18ft skiff.  The strong 7 boat turnout including some new faces in the class was a very positive start to the season.  Investec and Hyde Sails also showed promising performances from which we can expect more as the season develops.  Check out the onboard video footage from Team Investec.