KESTREL - TRAINING TOMORROW'S SAILORS

It is not only the Kestrel's viceless handling or its capability through wide ranging conditions that allowed the Royal Tay Yacht Club to choose the Kestrel for the Tay Sail Training Association fleet. Their requirements were for a boat with a conventional spinnaker, able to cope with the Tay's strong tidal conditions. This dinghy had to have good all round performance and be capable of doubling as a trainer to carry two or even three people under instruction. The Kestrel met all the requirements and beat the competition on space, weight and value for money.

HARD-WORKING & VERSATILE

Training dinghies are required to fulfil a multitude of tasks and the hard-working Kestrels on the River Tay are no exception. As well as introducing both cadets and adults to sailing, these versatile dinghies also go racing and cruising (take a look at the 2007 National photographs on the Gallery page).

When the Royal Tay Yacht Club wanted to promote access to sailing and training it was with the Kestrel that they chose to do so - an excellent choice.

A more detailed account about the development of the Kestrel class at Royal Tay can be reached by clicking on the following link: The Flight of the Kestrel.

NEW KESTRELS GIVE NOVICES FLYING START
(Extract from Kestrel Magazine - Winter 2004)

Babbacombe Corinthian Cadet Club has taken delivery of two new boats. The club received a grant from the Devon Community Foundation local network fund for children and young people of £6,000 to pay for the dinghies. It decided to choose two Kestrel 2000s to bridge the gap between its existing Kestrel training boats and the adult racing fleet.
      President of the club, Josie Howard, said, "The youngsters learn on Kestrels then there's nothing for them. Young people can't afford to buy racing boats. These boats are more geared towards racing. They'll (the sailors) be brought on by us until they're older." She added, "These boats are a bit more advanced than the training Kestrels."
      These are the first new boats for the club which was set up in 1997 to give youngsters, including those with special needs, the chance to have a go at sailing. First to try the new boats were youngsters from Combe Pafford School.
      Josie said, "As a voluntary organisation we've been used to using second-hand equipment but we decided that with the rapidly growing demand for our courses, both our users and our volunteer instructors deserved more. The new boats will prove invaluable in helping us to provide our six weekly sessions and our intensive weekend training courses."
      As well as children from Combe Pafford, the club also runs sessions for pupils from St. Margaret's Primary School and Paignton Community Sports College. It also runs taster sessions for adults through Torbay's Community Education Programme.

KESTREL RAISES THE PROFILE

In 2002 the Avon Scouts Sailing Section purchased a new Kestrel as a result of a bequest. Apparently it has been useful in increasing the skill-level of instructors and has raised the profile of the Section at local sailing clubs.