TNT Post North Traveller Series

  Background to the Flying 15 TNT Post North Traveller Series

The Traveller Series was launched for the 2007 season targeted at encouraging the smaller Flying Fifteen Fleets and assist them in developing and growing their own fleet numbers and activity. The Series was also intended to provide an introduction to open meeting sailing and to support each participating clubs open meetings.

In the first year five open meetings formed the Series. These were located in the North Midlands and North West/ North Wales area comprising Dovestone Sailing, Bala Sailing Club, Burton Sailing Club, Notts County Sailing Club and Carsington Sailing Club. As the event was targeted at regular local sailors and not the ‘hot shots’ from the fleet, the top fifteen ranked boats from the 2006 National Series were excluded from the results (but not the events themselves). The qualification requirements were not onerous with only two events to count. This would mean a minimum requirement of only one away visit in addition to the home open meeting.

To help boost interest and raise the standard two training/coaching sessions were provided in conjunction with the Dovestone and Burton open meetings.

The Series saw variable conditions and proved very effective in achieving its goals. Greatest gains were made by Dovestone and in Burton Sailing Club whose fleet members embraced the project with entries for each open meeting up on previous years. The final event at Carsington in October produced close sailing and worthy winners in each of the open Silver and Classis sections.

The Series is sponsored by “TNT Post North” who provided superb prizes at the final Series prize giving held at Carsington.

For the 2008 Series it was felt that the event could be widened to include four more events, a total of eight - as Carsington dropped out for this year. The additional events were Bassenthwaite, Llangorse Sailing Club, Leigh & Lowton Sailing Club and Draycote Water. With the increased number of events qualification was increased to three.

A substantial number of boats took part and some increase in activity was achieved. The change in format was not however a complete success. The geographical area was spread considerably from the north of the Lake District to Llangorse and Draycote Water in the south. No increase in travelling was found from these new clubs and it is noteworthy that Llangorse and Draycote already have strong fleets and well supported open meetings. On the other hand Leigh & Lowton has only a limited home fleet and without a strong enthusiastic local fleet captain growth here seems unlikely in the near future.

By increasing the number of events and geographic area the feeling of being part of a circuit and a group of friendly competitors meeting on a regular basis was lost and the requirement for three events to qualify meant that qualification was only achieved by the few teams already fairly committed to open meeting sailing.

The Series was however considered to be a qualified success with a total of 101 boats sailing and proved competitive for each of the three class groupings.

Further lessons were therefore learned and it was decided that the original format best suited the required goals and for 2009 the Series was reduced to five events reverting to a two open meeting qualification. This change to the original format proved to be very successful again with increased open meeting attendance at all of the clubs, there was strong competition in each of the sections of the fleet with the Open and Silver Traveller Series winners not decided until the last event at Dovestone.

For 2010 it has therefore been decided that the five event format will remain unchanged. Ogsten Sailing Club situated south of Sheffield has shown increased enthusiasm for the Flying Fifteen having some years ago held regular Flying Fifteen open meetings. A Flying Fifteen event was held at Ogsten in 2009. To provide further impetus and support Ogsten is therefore to be included along with Bala, Burton, Notts County and Dovestone. The teams ineligible for the Traveller Series in 2010 will be the same list as for 2009.

We thank the organisers of the Series, Chris Swallow and David McKee for their continuing involvement and for the contribution of the sponsors, TNT Post North through their representative the Flying Fifteen sailor, Andy Goddard, in making it such an enjoyable and successful Series. Go to Fixtures for dates of Travellers Series events