Training
UK Training Programme
For 2022 we are very please to have a wide range of training events!
Our training events are supported by Craftinsure, Exe Sails and the E Howard-Davies Memorial Fund
If you have any comments on training or requests please fill in the online Survey form
Please remember you must be a full member of the Association to take part in any training events!
We also have a range of Training Videos which you can watch here
2024 Training Events
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PLAS MENAI EHD WEEK TRAINING DIARY 2024
This Youth Training week is partially sponsored by the E Howard Davies Fund and has been in existence for many years. The GP14 Association is possibly the only Class that runs this type of residential training for young sailors who show great potential. As House Parent and Organiser it is one of the most rewarding weeks to see these young sailors make such a progression over a 5 day period. I cannot thank all the Guest Coaches enough who have given their time and seen the result of their hard work.
I would also like to thank Craftinsure who for many years have sponsored the event, giving T shirts and hooded tops to all who are taking part.
Here is an account of the week in the sailors’ words
DAY 1 Ollie Goodhead Coaching Written by Maedbh Butterly
Monday’s main challenge was the forecast of light winds, although fortunately the wind did fill in at points. The focus of the day was our upwind speed and our downwind speed, and Ollie put us through our paces with drills combining tight manoeuvres and straight line speed. It was like sailing on a treadmill against the Plas Menai tide, which was another factor to take on board. Ollie did an amazing job keeping us busy throughout the day pushing us which left everyone tired that night. So tired
was Oscar that he sensibly retreated to bed at 9:00 not making a noise throughout the whole night. Overall day 1 o
f Plas Menai was very successful and lots of rust was shaken off, and a great shake down for the rest of the week.
DAY 2 Adam McGovern Coaching Written by Max Cully
We met Adam McGovern at 9:00 in the meeting room where he went over the videos of our tacking and spinnaker flying from the day before. After he gave us some advice to be mindful of, he went over the plan for the day. The plan was to do gate starts in the morning as to prepare for the worlds and normal line starts in the afternoon . After the meeting we all got changed and went out on the water. The gate starts were consistent with David Evans being the most consistent hugging the engine of the rib every time. We took a break and went in for lunch for 1:00 . After lunch around 2:00 we went over the preparations needed for the line starts and what to avoid. After the short briefing we went out and practiced the starts with some becoming races if Adam was happy about them. It was very mixed on the start line as there was no dominant boat everybody was equally fighting to over positions and missing the start ever so often. We had to last races at the end. before dinner we went over some of the starts and what went well and went wrong. After dinner we went rock climbing to finish off the day
DAY 3 Adam McGovern Coaching Written by Daniel Nelson
The day started off with a bit of classroom theory due to a light wind and foggy conditions. Following a briefing with guest coach, Adam McGovern, we discussed the plan for the day. The wind began to pick up as we rigged our boats, preparing to launch. The plan was to warmup with a couple laps of a windward leeward course, to adjust to the windy conditions. This was the followed by a tack on the whistle drill, focusing on quick and effective tacking technique. Next, we headed in for lunch. After lunch we headed out for a mid week regatta. It consisted of tough yet fun racing consisting of wind shifts and tricky gusts. After 3 close races josh and Sam came first place while British couple Jude and Oscar secured 2nd place with ionic David and William taking the 3rd place
DAY 4 Neil Marsden Coaching Written by Sam Street
Day 4 of our stay began and we were greeted by the enigmatic Neil Marsden. We started by going over the previous days footage in which Neil saw much room for improvement. We got launched quickly and were met by light wind but consistent, and not too much tide in the morning. Neil was mainly fo
cusing with our hoists around the windward mark. We went through gybe hoists and straight hoists coming in from port and starboard to the mark. Urgency and communication were our main goals to work on and by the end of the session everyone’s hoist was much improved.
In the afternoon Neil tried to defeat us with tacking on the whistle. Some boats were spat out the back as the sound of Neils whistle blew again and again. We managed to survive but our boat. Joe Batts Arm was less fortunate and the mainsheet cleat and block blew up for the second time that day leaving me sheeting the main trim, the boom and then passing it to Josh after every tack so that I could swap hands.
Another tacking drill was followed by a very shifty and gusty race in which the infamous Plas Menai tides had finally begun to flow in full force.
The amount of energy and drive that Neil brought nothing short of amazing. It was a real pleasure to have him coaching us at Plas Menai and to listen to all that he had to say.
DAY 5 Sam Watson Coaching Written by Gill
Day 5 the weather forecast was the main topic of conversation as it was predicted a F7 during the day. And we had wind over tide! With this in mind Sam went briefly through a review of the week and after consultation with Harry our SI, it was agreed that the only chance we had of being on the water was soon! Two RIBs were launched and initially it was thought that only five boats would go out. Agreement was reached on who would venture out and then all other sailors would go out in the RIBs to watch the excitement. By the time that we were on the slipway the wind had picked up and the Strait was white water. Finally it was decided that only one boat should venture out and that was Sam and Josh. To say it was exciting to watch is an understatement. Such was the pressure in the boat with both sitting out and then on the second reach one of the toe straps broke. With speed another boat was rigged and off they went again with absolute confidence literally screaming across the water in a very difficult sea state. After another two reaches it was decided enough was enough. Footage on line is worth viewing!
With a final debrief from Sam after lunch everyone went to pack their boats ready for the long trip back. Eight boats on the Ferry and one down to the South of England.
2023 Training Events
The International GP14 Class Association Training Day
Saturday 25th March 2023 Organised by the International GP14 Class Association and in Association with Chase Sailing Club
Fill out Chase Training Entry form soon, limited spaces available.
2023 Craftinsure and E Howard-Davies GP14 Youth Training Week
Sunday 2nd April – Friday 7th April at Plas Menai Outdoor Pursuits Centre, Caernarfon, Gwynedd.
The Craftinsure and E Howard-Davies GP14 Youth Training Week is an advanced race training course run over five days for helms and crews able to demonstrate racing competency and a desire to compete at GP14 championships. Sailors must also be under 22 on 31 Dec 2023, or still in full-time education.
Please use the form underneath to apply for a place and send it to Julie in the GP14 Office; admin@gp14.org
Applications should be received by Saturday 14th January 2023 to be sure of consideration in the initial selection process.
2023 EHD WEEK INFORMATION AND APPLICATION FORM
The International GP14 Class Association Training Weekend
Saturday 29th, Sunday 30th April 2023 Organised by the Andrew Simpson Centre in conjunction with the Int GP14 Class Association
Andrew Simpson Centre, Portland Harbour, Weymouth
Please fill out Entry form by clicking here.
The International GP14 Class Association Training Day
Saturday 5th August 2023 Organised by the Int GP14 Class Association in association with Looe Sailing Club
Fill out Looe Training Entry form soon, limited spaces are available.
2022 Training Events
Sea Training at Llandudno Sailing Club – Thursday 21st July 2022
Update @10-02-2022: Event Entry is now Open in our Shop.
Please also complete the appropriate Medical Forms! Click here
- Hone your sea sailing skills ready for both the Nationals, which follow on and the World Championship at Skerries in August.
- Start time: 10.00am with boats rigged and ready to launch.
- Maximum number 10 boats
- Our Guest Coach is Adam McGovern RYA North West Regional Development Officer and GP14 Sailor.
Weymouth Sea Training No. 2 – Sat. 2nd & Sun. 3rd July
The guest coach will be top sailor Sam Watson!
For those that have already paid the deposit, the balance of £100 is due before June 1st:
June 1st onwards: Full payment for the weekend per boat is £130
Enter now in our Shop
Previous Training Events
2022
Midland Area – Training Day at Chase S.C – Sunday 20th March 2022
8-Mar-2022 – Sorry folks, not enough people have entered to make this viable, so regrettable this event is now cancelled 🙁
Sea Training at Weymouth – Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th April 2022
Brush up your Sea sailing skills on this weekend. The weekend is being run by a Senior Instructor from the Andrew Simpson Centre and a Guest Coach.
The weekend will start at 10.00am with a short Classroom session followed by launching and a morning on the water of Portland Harbour. Lunch with a debrief of the mornings sailing and then back out sailing. Day 2 will have a similar format and possibly outside of the harbour. More details will follow in due course.
Accommodation is available to book at Portland House, built to house the GB sailors for the 2012 Olympics. Tel: 01305 828941
With a code from the GP office, a twin room can be booked for £60 a night. These rooms have self-catering facilities.
Alternatively Camper vans can book onsite directly with W&PNSA. There is a café where breakfast and lunches are available. There is also a Lidl next door.
An entry form is available on the website and an initial deposit of £30 is required. The cost of the weekend per person is £70 if we have 6 boats and £50 if we have eight boats. Eight being the maximum. The balance will be due on April 1st.
This is a fantastic opportunity to brush up your skills with many sea sailing events on the Calendar for 2022, not to mention the World Championship in Skerries.
Training Day at Bala Sailing Club – Friday 20th May 2022
Update @11-01-2022: Event Entry is now Open in our Shop.
Please also complete the appropriate Medical Forms! Click here
- Start time 10.00am.
- Maximum number 8 boats
- Coach for the day: Previous UK National and GP14 World Champion sailor Mike Senior!
2021
September 25th 2021 – Training Day at Frensham Pond Sailing Club.
Entry fee £20 per boat. Limited to 12 boats. The day will start early at 9.00am, firstly a briefing in the classroom followed by a period on the water. After Lunch there is a chance to join in the 14.30 FPSC Pursuit Race. Alternatively there will be Classroom training with a return to the water around 16.00 for an hour. Details on food availability tbc
Sunday 24th October to Friday 29th October 2021
Plas Menai National Outdoor Centre, Caernarfon, Gwynedd
The Craftinsure and E Howard-Davies GP14 Youth Training Week is an advanced race training course run over five days for helms and crews able to demonstrate racing competency and a desire to compete at GP14 championships. Sailors must also be under 22 on 31 Dec 2021.
Each day we have a guest coach associated with the GP14 Class who have specific skills to give a week of 1st class training.
We are pleased to announce our Guest Coaches:
- Phil Hodgkins from Ginger boats;
- Sam Watson, current National Champion;
- Chris White, current World Champion Crew;
- Ian Dobson, multi Championship winner; and
- James Goodfellow, previous GP14 Youth Champion and top 10 Championship sailor.
- We are also welcoming Ali Young 3 x Laser Radial Olympian for a zoom meeting one evening to talk about the importance of fitness and Sport Psychology.
From the International GP14 Association a big thank you to all our Coaches for giving up their time
2020
Midland Area Training day: Saturday 14th March at South Staffs Sailing Club. Trainers – Mike Senior am, Jim Hunt pm. All are welcome to leave their boats overnight and join in with Sunday’s racing. First race 11.30am
2019
Cruising & Boat Handling – August Bank Holiday Weekend, Saturday 24th – Monday 26th At Bassenthwaite Sailing Club. A relaxed weekend with the option of on-site camping.
Race Training at Papercourt Sailing Club – Saturday 16th March A rare chance to learn from the best. Ian Dobson,multiple GP14 world champion, will be running a boat tuning and race training event.
Sea Training at Llandudno Sailing Club – Friday 26th April – Prior to the Welsh Area Championships
Race Training at Castle Semple Sailing Club – Sunday 9th June
2019 Craftinsure and E Howard Davies Youth Training week – July 28th – August 2nd at Plas Menai.
Top guest coaches from the GP14 fleet. This year’s line-up includes Ellie Devereux, Phil Hodgkins, Neil Marsden, Mike Senior and Paul Simes. Fully residential, excellent value thanks to the continued support of Craftinsure and the E Howard-Davies Memorial Fund.
Sea Training – August 2nd/3rd at Abersoch: Two days of sea training prior to the UK National Championships with Coach: Neil Marsden.
Northern Area: Race Training at Budworth Sailing Club – Date TBA
Midland Area: Race Training – Club and Date TBA
2018
Training is a key part of our service to GP14 sailors of all abilities, and we have provided many training events this year – see below!
This included 2 days of training before the 2018 World Championship at Mount’s Bay SC.
Check out the video – great drone shots of mark roundings showing how to gybe well (most competitors!)
This is followed by an extended close-up section demonstrating clearly “how to roll-gybe and roll-tack” in light winds – great insight for all of us club sailors into how to achieve these more tricky maneuvers!
There are a lot more training videos on our YouTube training playlist here
Previous Events
- 2018
- 27/28 July – Mount’s Bay SC – Hone your skills and get to know the Mount’s Bay sailing waters immediately just before the 2018 Worlds.
- 22 June – Training at Arun YC – enjoy a pleasant evening preparing for the Southern Area Championships.
- 2 June 2018 – Training at Midland SC – get ready for the Midland Open on 3 June! All abilities welcome.
- 19/20 May – Sea training at Llandudno SC – Sea training ready for the 2018 Worlds. Two full days on the sea at this popular venue!
- 20 May 2018 – Castle Semple SC – The Castle Semple fleet are arranging this training and cordially invite any other GP14s join them
- 12 May 2018 – Hollingworth Lake SC – Get ready for the HLSC Open Event the following day
- 15 April 2018 – Welsh Harp SC – An advanced crewing day following the WHSC open on 14 April. This event will focus on crewing skills and is open to any boat with a crew that wants to get better!
- 1-6 April 2018 – Portland (Weymouth) – Craftinsure E Howard-Davies Youth Training Week. A residential week with top GP14 coaches. Open to all youths who want to sail in our championships.
Steve Parry, Old Yellow Boat
- Previous Events – 2017
- 30 September 2017 – Bolton SC – Open Training
- 9/10 Sept. 2017 – Blessington S.C – Youth Training
- 4/5 August 2017 – Looe SC – Sea Training prior to UK Nationals Championships
- 16 July 2017 – Welsh Harp SC – Ladies Training
- 30 June 2017 – Dovey YC – Sea Training prior to Welsh Area Championships
- 09-14 April 2017 – Portland – E Howard-Davies Youth Training Week. More details…
- October 2016 – Llandudno Sailing Club – Sea Training.
- August 2016 – Skerries Sailing Club – Youth Training
- July 2016 – South Staffs Sailing Club – Ladies Training
- May 2016 – Bolton Sailing Club – Open Training
- October 2015 – Landudno Sailing Club – Open Training