Schools regatta is back on Loch Earn
Loch Earn Sailing Club will play host to the return of the Brown Cup Scottish Schools Sailing Championships for 2022 following its Covid-forced cancellation in 2020 and 2021.
The three-day event will run from June 11-13 on Loch Earn and is an interschool sailing regatta with two days of coaching to enable sailors at primary and secondary school to race in the Scottish Schools Race, which forms part of the event.
It includes race coaching on June 11 and 12 with the Scottish School Sailing Championships on June 13.
It is designed for pupils and students aged seven to 18 years and is a “bring your own boat” open to all established sailing dinghies with RYA Portsmouth Yardstick handicaps. There will be separate class racing for Optimist, Topper, and general handicap fleet, including Laser, Feva, and RS200.
The Brown Cup will be awarded to the top school team of three boats. In addition, cups will be awarded for the first Handicap, Topper class, and Optimist classes and additional individual prizes. Schools may enter multiple teams of three for the Brown Cup. Event entry is free, though fees apply for the optional training sessions.
It dates back to 1959 when Jack Brown, Commodore of Loch Earn Sailing Club from 1960-62, created the Brown Cup Regatta. The young sailors were usually members’ children sailing their parents’ boats and it was opened to all Scottish schools in 1992. Apart from the Covid years that caused the event to be cancelled, it has taken place every year subsequently.
The last one was in 2018, attracting 64 entrants from more than 28 Scottish schools. Twelve teams of three pupils competed for Brown Cup and the winner was the High School of Dundee A-team with Anna Sturrock (Laser Radial class), James Gifford (Optimist class) and Tom Mitchell (Topper class).