Memorial race held for joint founder of sailing association
LEICESTERSHIRE and Rutland Youth Sailing Association (LRYSA) has held a special racing event in memory of its joint founder John Buckingham.
John died earlier this year and the event will be held annually in his memory.
He and others began the association in 1967 to help to make sailing accessible and affordable to all children.
Since then the organisation, which is a charity, has grown and flourished, teaching disabled and disadvantaged children as well as schools cadet groups.
It also has a Leicestershire youth racing team, the only team to represent Leicestershire all over the UK.
Jill Magee, from LRYSA, said: “John was a huge promoter of all sports in Leicestershire especially sailing and will be missed by all of us.
“The club began the day with its Mayor’s Trophy Regatta for children and in the afternoon the adults raced in the John Buckingham Memorial Race.
“All the instructors took part and some parents and other adult students.
“In a fitting tribute to John, our junior team captain Calum Jones and other youth team members Charlie Williams and Josh Perkins organised the adult race, set the course and ran the whole event.”
In strong winds and sunshine, the adults’ race saw some boats capsize and some return to shore.
The winner was Stuart Smith, one of LRYSA’s instructors, with Brett Haywood second and Steve Smith third.
The shield was presented to Stuart by John’s widow Helen, who came along with his children and grandchildren.
LRYSA is based at John Merrick’s Lake in Watermead Country Park, Leicester.