The first Blackwater Sprite was built and launched in Brightlingsea in 1934. This year is the 90th anniversary of the Sprite and the 125th anniversary of the Blackwater Sailing Club so it was fitting to hold a World Championship during the club’s annual Sprite Week.
For five days a fleet of 14 colourfully painted Sprites took part in some very competitive and challenging racing in variable winds. Even the sailors were diverse in age – ranging from their early-thirties to their mid-eighties. Across the boats, as is often the case for racing at the sailing club, there were many family members of the original Sprite owners and sailors adding to the historic feeling to the week. There was also a lot of tea and many homemade cakes consumed when ashore after racing each day.
Beer, wine, and a barbecue replaced the tea and cake for the prizegiving on Friday afternoon after the last race and the Heron Cup was awarded to Steve and Mark Jarred who won the week in Pegasus (#210). The single-handed race was won by Marcus Gallo in Djinn (#15) and Ben Phipps won the crews’ race in Jack O’Lantern (#33). Other fun prizes were given to sailors for notable highlights or who experienced mishaps during the week – including a pair of armbands to one unlucky sailor who slipped and fell in the river when rounding a race mark.
