#WPNSA – As the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy (WPNSA) continues to conserve maritime heritage, they welcomed the Miracle Class National Championships last week from 11 -16 August, supporting the legacy of traditional racing classes in the UK.
There was an active Miracle class in Ireland into the late eighties but it one of the dinghy classes that has died away, leaving just a number of individual boats racing in different harbours around the country.
The Miracle Dinghy was designed by Jack Holt, one of the last designs for the worldwide known boat designer, and represented the culmination of lessons learnt from his many previous designs. The first Miracle dinghies were built and launched in the 1970s. Since then, the Miracle's success grew strongly, and sail numbers today exceed 4,041. The oldest boat racing at the Nationals this year was built in 1974 and is sailed my Marin and Mavis Bathe.
10 races were held for the Miracle dinghies over their 6 days at the Academy. Activity and social events were held throughout the week, involving family and friends of the dinghy owners. Many of the boats have been passed down through generations, and it was fantastic to see such wealth of enthusiasm for the classic boats amongst family members.
Sam Mettam, Championship Coordinator commented 'The venue caters well for a traditional class, the facilities are excellent and the choice of bay or sheltered harbour suits us well, a lot of our members were keen to come here soon after London 2012. The venue has a reputation for excellent race management. For so many of our sailors the event was their family holiday, so the race management has given perfect set courses with a quick turnaround, meaning more family time. '
