The Lapwing Dinghy
The Lapwing Dinghy is a 12'6" clinker dinghy. It is exclusive to the Aldeburgh Yacht Club and is the Yacht Club's only native class of dinghy. Lapwings are a national class, with a PY number, but the class rules are held by the Aldeburgh Yacht Club. No Lapwings are allowed to be sold away from the Alde.
The first Lapwing was designed and built in 1947 by Morgan Giles. The Aldeburgh Yacht Club commissioned the next 12 Lapwings in 1948 from both Morgan Giles and Nunns of Waldringfield, and sold them on to members of the club. During the next 20 years the fleet expanded until it consisted of nearly 70 boats.
Lapwings were the main racing dinghy at the Aldeburgh Yacht Club for much of the second half of the twentieth century. With their larger white sails they were sailed by adults, and with the smaller, red sails they provided the only organised youth and children's sailing at the AYC. Racing in both the Seniors and Juniors was strongly contested, and many of the club's most competitive sailors (Peter Wilson, Patrick Gifford, Rory Bowman, Jimmy Robinson, among many others) started in the Junior Lapwings.
The Lapwings are an active racing class. They have their own start in the Regatta and in the Wednesday Evening Series. The Lapwing World Championships are held over a weekend each summer, and provide fine racing with the Margaret Tudor Bowl as a prize, and includes a good class dinner on the Saturday night. They also have various races each year, with silverware to be won, including the Little Garrett Cup and the Acheson Trophy.
Junior Lapwing racing had suffered a great decline in recent years, but is starting to grow in popularity again. There will be another Junior Lapwing Fun Weekend in 2016 which will be held on 23rd-24th July. Also new for 2016 is a Lawing Start in the Junior Regatta, so Junior Lapwing sailors need not go in the Slow Handicap any more. More and more children are discovering the joys of sailing a fun boat, which is also part of the Club's heritage.
Lapwings command fierce loyalty. Many have been owned by the same families since they were built. Lapwing number 1 (named 'Lapwing') is still sailed and raced by the same lady for whom it was built in 1947. The current racing fleet is small and we would like to encourage anyone who has a Lapwing languishing in their garage to put it back on the Alde and start sailing it.
The Class Captain is Duncan Matthew. He can be contacted via the Aldeburgh Yacht Club.
[email protected]
The first Lapwing was designed and built in 1947 by Morgan Giles. The Aldeburgh Yacht Club commissioned the next 12 Lapwings in 1948 from both Morgan Giles and Nunns of Waldringfield, and sold them on to members of the club. During the next 20 years the fleet expanded until it consisted of nearly 70 boats.
Lapwings were the main racing dinghy at the Aldeburgh Yacht Club for much of the second half of the twentieth century. With their larger white sails they were sailed by adults, and with the smaller, red sails they provided the only organised youth and children's sailing at the AYC. Racing in both the Seniors and Juniors was strongly contested, and many of the club's most competitive sailors (Peter Wilson, Patrick Gifford, Rory Bowman, Jimmy Robinson, among many others) started in the Junior Lapwings.
The Lapwings are an active racing class. They have their own start in the Regatta and in the Wednesday Evening Series. The Lapwing World Championships are held over a weekend each summer, and provide fine racing with the Margaret Tudor Bowl as a prize, and includes a good class dinner on the Saturday night. They also have various races each year, with silverware to be won, including the Little Garrett Cup and the Acheson Trophy.
Junior Lapwing racing had suffered a great decline in recent years, but is starting to grow in popularity again. There will be another Junior Lapwing Fun Weekend in 2016 which will be held on 23rd-24th July. Also new for 2016 is a Lawing Start in the Junior Regatta, so Junior Lapwing sailors need not go in the Slow Handicap any more. More and more children are discovering the joys of sailing a fun boat, which is also part of the Club's heritage.
Lapwings command fierce loyalty. Many have been owned by the same families since they were built. Lapwing number 1 (named 'Lapwing') is still sailed and raced by the same lady for whom it was built in 1947. The current racing fleet is small and we would like to encourage anyone who has a Lapwing languishing in their garage to put it back on the Alde and start sailing it.
The Class Captain is Duncan Matthew. He can be contacted via the Aldeburgh Yacht Club.
[email protected]