Wanderer Category: Events

COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS HIT OUR 2021 PROGRAMME Updates from the Event Coordinator At the virtual 2021 AGM on February 27 I announced that both the April racing weekend at West Oxfordshire SC and the National Championships at Bewl in May have had to be cancelled because of the Government’s Coronavirus restrictions scheduled to be applicable at the scheduled time for these events. For the moment the Try-a-Wanderer picnic day by the Thames at Marlow SC on May 23 goes ahead because of the further easing of rules from May 17.  If this changes, details will be published here, on the Wanderer Web. WandererFest – the biggest event in our annual programme – is scheduled just before the June 21 lifting of all current restrictions.    The AGM agreed that a new date needed to be found between July 1 and September 30 subject to suitable tide times, the availability of our legendary superloos, and access to the site on

What we’ve got planned for 2021 After a totally blank 2020, save for the winter reunion, otherwise known as the AGM, on February 29 at the last London Dinghy Show to be held at Alexandra Palace, I have re-assembled the main elements of what was the 2020 programme and, tides permitting, have planned an event in every month from April through to October. I am especially grateful to the support I have readily gained from those WCOA members who are called local organisers, usually members of the host club, who put in the effort to make sure the event goes ticketty-boo. Finding a decent sailing venue has to go hand in hand with finding somewhere nearby to fill our boots on the Saturday evening.  The exception is the Marlow SC picnic – please bring your own daytime grub – and WandererFest where, aside from your own personal catering on site, we

The government’s latest relaxation of the lockdown rules prompted your Chairman and the Events Coordinator to review, along with the local event organisers, the status of the five remaining WCOA events for the 2020 season. From the Class Association’s perspective the committee has agreed that no WCOA-sponsored event can take place until all social distancing regulations have been lifted. In due course the event organisers for Arnside SC, Cotswold SC, River Dart Laidback Weekend,  Swakestone SC, Bewl Sailing Association will be notifying me of their club’s/organiser’s decisions to go-ahead or otherwise, particularly with regard to visitors as well as other remaining lockdown regulations.  These will be circulated in the Wanderer Event Update email and all the details will be kept up to date on the events page. There is no way that the WCOA, with or without the personnel resources, wants the responsibility for compliance with prevailing lockdown regulations or