The Junior Lapwing Weekend 2016
On the morning of Saturday 23rd July about 25 children and teenagers descended on the Aldeburgh Yacht Club for the second Junior Lapwing Weekend. After a briefing and an introduction to sailing wooden boats, those who were competent sailors and crew were quickly organised into Lapwings and got ready to race. Others took the opportunity to get a taste of sailing, taking a trip in Phoenix 67 with Lizzi Thistlethwayte, an experienced sailor and Lapwing disciple who gave the children a chance to take the helm if they wanted, or just enjoy the ride. Alternatively, children could opt for a sail in Swallow, the dinghy used in the 1974 movie of Swallows and Amazons, lent for the weekend by Sail Ransome.
For the racers, there were two short back to back races. In very light winds and lots of sunshine, eight Lapwings set sail, carrying varying numbers of children. The course for the first race was EQW, the winner being Pipit helmed by Tilly Mattich and crewed by George Hipwell, followed by Peewit with Oliver Ritchie and Freddie Fulford on board then Swallow helmed by Oliver Phelan and crewed by Noah Lewington. The course for the second race was MEQW, which was won by Ella Bowman with Arthur Milligan and Bee Mattich in Knot followed by Pipit then Peewit.
After a break for lunch there was a cruise upriver for all those planning to camp. Conditions were perfect for this, and soon four Lapwings were neatly beached at Brick Dock. The campsite was next to the beach, in a beautiful meadow owned by Tony Bone. It had been specially prepared for our activities, with a corner mowed for the tents and a path cut through the long grass to a nearby garden on the riverbank for our barbecue supper. It was a wonderful place to spend the night, with the threat of adders in the area only adding to its charm for most of the children. Valas, the 1941 lifeboat owned by Oliver and Emma Close-Brooks picked up a mooring nearby and all the Lapwings were subsequently tied up alongside so they would not be marooned when the tide went out.
Meanwhile, there was a showing of the 1974 movie Swallows and Amazons at the Aldeburgh Cinema, in the presence of Sophie Neville, (the actress who played Titty), who was afterwards interviewed for the children by Diana Quick.
In the evening all went to a barbecue kindly hosted by Mrs Young in her beautiful garden overlooking the River Alde, just up from our campsite. An impromptu game of cricket sprang up, featuring some curious local rules. The adults looked on, drinking Pimms and talking about their own Junior Lapwing days. After supper, campers walked along the bank of the River to their tents and got ready for the night, fending off swarms of mosquitos with industrial strength repellent and an intrepid attitude.
Early the next morning the campers woke up and decided to swim out to Valas. Children swarmed aboard, clambering up her sides like a host of raiders. They then sailed one Lapwing back to the campsite to pick up their belongings, then all the Lapwings were sailed, with some children opting instead for a ride on Valas, back to the AYC clubhouse, where a large and greatly appreciated Full English awaited.
When the rest of the children arrived for the day, at around 10.30, a good wind had started, so the first activity of the morning's Seamanship Challenge was pepper fishing. Each Lapwing had at least three children on board, a helm, a crew and a netsman in the bow (furnished with a shrimping net). Junior Instructors threw red yellow and green peppers into the river from the back of a safety boat, and the Lapwings had to race to collect as many as they could using their nets. This became extremely competitive and resulted in some very impressive close-quarter sailing. At the very end tragedy struck Pipit: her stay came undone, with the result that her mast fell sideways and split at the bottom, and the thwart which the mast goes through was splintered. No children were hurt or even very alarmed, and Pipit is currently being mended by Brian Upson in time for the World Championships.
The rest of the morning was taken up by shore based activities, including a scavenger hunt and a crabbing competition, with points awarded to each crew for their finds and hauls.
Sophie Neville joined in our activities all morning, with numerous annecdotes for the children about her experience of filming Swallows and Amazons and even went for a sail in Swallow herself, giving highly enthusiastic encouragement during the pepper fishing. She had brought along the original burgees from Swallow and Amazon that had been used in the film and lent the Jolly Roger, which was hoisted in front of the clubhouse. She also took lots of photographs of the Lapwings which later appeared on her blog with a very cheerful report of our weekend. We were also joined by a representative from Sail Ransome, the Trust that owns Swallow, in the form of Peter Willis, a sailing journalist who writes for Classic Sailor magazine, in the August edition of which a small feature on the weekend will be appearing.
After lunch the final event of the weekend was the Adult and Child race. The wind had got up for this and there was some good racing. The Fulfords, sailing in Knot, were first across the finish line, but had, in all the excitement, failed to cross the start line, so Peewit was the eventual winner.
At the prize-giving, Pipit won the cup for the Saturday races, with the 'David Andren Little Cups' going to Rosie Bowman in Wol for being the youngest helm, and to Arthur Milligan in Knot, for youngest crew. The Seamanship challenge was won by Molly Bowman, Arthur Milligan and Bee Mattich. Alasdair and Oliver Ritchie in Peewit were the winners of the adult and child race. The round the world prize was given to Matilda Clements. Matilda had never sailed at all before a trip out in Phoenix on Saturday, but spent the rest of the weekend making up for lost time and was sailing like a professional by Sunday, when she took part in the adult and child race with Pippa Mattich in Seaswift 10.
For the racers, there were two short back to back races. In very light winds and lots of sunshine, eight Lapwings set sail, carrying varying numbers of children. The course for the first race was EQW, the winner being Pipit helmed by Tilly Mattich and crewed by George Hipwell, followed by Peewit with Oliver Ritchie and Freddie Fulford on board then Swallow helmed by Oliver Phelan and crewed by Noah Lewington. The course for the second race was MEQW, which was won by Ella Bowman with Arthur Milligan and Bee Mattich in Knot followed by Pipit then Peewit.
After a break for lunch there was a cruise upriver for all those planning to camp. Conditions were perfect for this, and soon four Lapwings were neatly beached at Brick Dock. The campsite was next to the beach, in a beautiful meadow owned by Tony Bone. It had been specially prepared for our activities, with a corner mowed for the tents and a path cut through the long grass to a nearby garden on the riverbank for our barbecue supper. It was a wonderful place to spend the night, with the threat of adders in the area only adding to its charm for most of the children. Valas, the 1941 lifeboat owned by Oliver and Emma Close-Brooks picked up a mooring nearby and all the Lapwings were subsequently tied up alongside so they would not be marooned when the tide went out.
Meanwhile, there was a showing of the 1974 movie Swallows and Amazons at the Aldeburgh Cinema, in the presence of Sophie Neville, (the actress who played Titty), who was afterwards interviewed for the children by Diana Quick.
In the evening all went to a barbecue kindly hosted by Mrs Young in her beautiful garden overlooking the River Alde, just up from our campsite. An impromptu game of cricket sprang up, featuring some curious local rules. The adults looked on, drinking Pimms and talking about their own Junior Lapwing days. After supper, campers walked along the bank of the River to their tents and got ready for the night, fending off swarms of mosquitos with industrial strength repellent and an intrepid attitude.
Early the next morning the campers woke up and decided to swim out to Valas. Children swarmed aboard, clambering up her sides like a host of raiders. They then sailed one Lapwing back to the campsite to pick up their belongings, then all the Lapwings were sailed, with some children opting instead for a ride on Valas, back to the AYC clubhouse, where a large and greatly appreciated Full English awaited.
When the rest of the children arrived for the day, at around 10.30, a good wind had started, so the first activity of the morning's Seamanship Challenge was pepper fishing. Each Lapwing had at least three children on board, a helm, a crew and a netsman in the bow (furnished with a shrimping net). Junior Instructors threw red yellow and green peppers into the river from the back of a safety boat, and the Lapwings had to race to collect as many as they could using their nets. This became extremely competitive and resulted in some very impressive close-quarter sailing. At the very end tragedy struck Pipit: her stay came undone, with the result that her mast fell sideways and split at the bottom, and the thwart which the mast goes through was splintered. No children were hurt or even very alarmed, and Pipit is currently being mended by Brian Upson in time for the World Championships.
The rest of the morning was taken up by shore based activities, including a scavenger hunt and a crabbing competition, with points awarded to each crew for their finds and hauls.
Sophie Neville joined in our activities all morning, with numerous annecdotes for the children about her experience of filming Swallows and Amazons and even went for a sail in Swallow herself, giving highly enthusiastic encouragement during the pepper fishing. She had brought along the original burgees from Swallow and Amazon that had been used in the film and lent the Jolly Roger, which was hoisted in front of the clubhouse. She also took lots of photographs of the Lapwings which later appeared on her blog with a very cheerful report of our weekend. We were also joined by a representative from Sail Ransome, the Trust that owns Swallow, in the form of Peter Willis, a sailing journalist who writes for Classic Sailor magazine, in the August edition of which a small feature on the weekend will be appearing.
After lunch the final event of the weekend was the Adult and Child race. The wind had got up for this and there was some good racing. The Fulfords, sailing in Knot, were first across the finish line, but had, in all the excitement, failed to cross the start line, so Peewit was the eventual winner.
At the prize-giving, Pipit won the cup for the Saturday races, with the 'David Andren Little Cups' going to Rosie Bowman in Wol for being the youngest helm, and to Arthur Milligan in Knot, for youngest crew. The Seamanship challenge was won by Molly Bowman, Arthur Milligan and Bee Mattich. Alasdair and Oliver Ritchie in Peewit were the winners of the adult and child race. The round the world prize was given to Matilda Clements. Matilda had never sailed at all before a trip out in Phoenix on Saturday, but spent the rest of the weekend making up for lost time and was sailing like a professional by Sunday, when she took part in the adult and child race with Pippa Mattich in Seaswift 10.