The UK Cherub is a two-person 12 foot racing dinghy with asymmetric spinnaker and twin trapezes. Just twelve feet long, weighing around 70kgs fully rigged for sailing, the UK Cherub combines spectacular performance with the “on the edge” handling characteristics only found in true lightweight skiffs.

The UK Cherub rules are simple and allow for maximum flexibility for designers, allowing boats to be created to incorporate sailor's own ideas. Also meaning the class develops over time as techniques, materials and ideas improve. All this makes the Cherub one of the most interesting and innovative of all dinghies: The challenge extends from the sailing skills to setting up the boat to suit the sailor, and maybe even designing and building, too.


Latest news

2023 Open meeting 3 was supposed to be hosted by the Isle of Sheppey Sailing Club, this event was cancelled but with two teams sorted for a weekend off, a plan was cobbled together for a South coast excursion; well, ish, one of the teams being a set of pond sailors it was decided a venue with land all around it would be preferable to calm their anxieties.

Poole Yacht Club was our un-knowing host as well as Ching Towers in the evening. Saturday provided us with 8-10 knots of breeze and a hazy sky. Tacking and gybing practice was the order of the day for team Poppy once they had shown their approval of Eleanor's new paint job! (Gulf racing colour scheme always seems to be a hit!) Tacks improved until Martyn’s ibuprofen wore off. Lessons learned, we now carry a first aid kit.

Dave and Oliver G in Eleanor followed us to practice tacking under pressure meaning the two cherubs were never more than 10 metres away from each other. Both boats seemed to be going well upwind and downwind with Eleanor having the slight edge over Poppy downwind. (Will the new kite sort this?)

We all retired to Dave, Lara and Elliot's house for the evening with a small walk and a BBQ planned (Dave did detour to a shop to bulk buy all the haloumi).

Food was consumed, and drink imbibed, with much chat and merriment, even a Cherub DJ set. You’ve heard of pass the parcel, well this was pass the Spotify, a more eclectic selection you couldn’t imagine.

Sunday dawned with clear heads, hazy skies and the previous day's video was analysed over breakfast. A couple of knots more breeze and an extra boat in the shape of Ronin with Nathan and Oliver M and off we all went to see if we had remembered anything we had learnt the day before. Ronins appearance was brief but productive with a nice to do list in check to complete before nationals Eleanor and Poppy spent their time doing speed rounds upwind and downwind utilising all of Poole harbour. You shall have to wait for nationals to see the results!

Four Cherubs descended on Rutland for their annual asymmetric open and round one of the cherub travellers’ trophy during the first weekend in March, that’s quite early in the year, it could be quite cold? Greeted by wind touching 10 knots at times boats were rigged and breakfast consumed, and the consensus of capsizing will end your day, would this be a race of pace or attrition?

Rigging up, post breakfast cake (the second breakfast of champions), Jamie got the Race kite out of the bag and found a big rip Martyn put in it at Sheppey, but Jamie had forgotten about and not taped/sewn up. To quote Martyn and Jamie 'looks like we're running the training kite, mate' 'It'll be like bringing a spoon to a knife fight!'

Race one Light winds, single string weather, and 7 knots, began with the quicker boats swamping the cherubs off the line, feeling under hulled until finding a lane was definitely the feeling! Poppy missed the start thinking it was one minute later (When will Jamie learn) but cheeky port/starboard with Ronin left them doing turns on the first beat. Foiling in these conditions was occasionally possible which gave the advantage to the boats with big spinnakers; Marmite made the most sense of the lake conditions and brought home race one with A&E flying just long enough for a second place ahead of Poppy and Ronin.

Second race began with a bit more breeze, twin trap upwind, 10 - 14 knots; Building breeze never disappoints the green machine who took the opportunity to put another win on the board. Poppy managed to find a MASSIVE hole of no wind on the first beat allowing Ronin through, but some downwind gybing wizardry allowed Poppy to sneak in to 2nd again to the delight of all cherub sailors. A&E discovered that dropping the mainsheet when foiling is not the best way to sail. Sneaking in third ahead of Ronin in fourth, the final 2 boats both having capsizes meant they decided shore and warmth was more useful than a third race!

Race three was slightly breezier and twin trapezing upwind; Poppy having a bit of a fight with marmite was just what the doctor ordered! Exciting for these idiots to be hot on the heels of Mr Croote and Mr W! Poppy had a fun moment when they had three 4000's line abreast all pinching to try and cover off from one another. Jamie lit the blue tough paper and hooked on to join Martyn on the wing, a few twists of 'tfoil off' and Poppy put the hammer down and they managed to create a dirty great wind shadow for all three, a textbook gybe to the finish and across the line. Marmite again taking the win from Poppy.

Upon arriving on shore, Team Poppy was collared by a youth sailor wanting to have a go in a 12ft silly skiff and was keen to borrow the class boat - Antidote to panel games, when possible. A quick jaunt around the lake in 12-ish knots was enough to see him smile, but Jamie had to call it quits, something about brass monkeys.

Evening fun – The food was excellent, new caterers and bar combo is ace. They stayed open until we went to bed (this meant we broke their previous 1 day takings!) After extending an olive branch to the two 4000 sailors and two B14 sailors, we all told tales about our days sailing then teamed up with the 800s after their training debrief for a spot of beer pong! The semi finals were interesting when one of the balls suddenly became a pickled egg! Needless to say the final was an all cherub affair! It turns out that cherub sailors are also quite adept in a beer pong tournament!! (Thank you to the 800 class for organising!)

With a second day of sailing feeling very similar to the first the fleets race four and Poppy found they didn't have a watch so had to freestyle the starts! Wind was particularly tricky with it being light and wind bend from the shores on either side of the beat. Marmite found themselves locked out at the committee boat at the start. Poppy and marmite headed out front with A&E and Ronin fighting out in, what looked to be a close battle!

Race 5 and Marmite went up the wrong side of the beat on lap 1, meaning Poppy was somehow out in front, the wind was building and lap 2 she knew it would be a tight affair to the finish. On the final downwind after keeping an eye on the green kite (Marmite) Jamie had to inform Martyn of 'Bogey, single, blue, approaching fast from behind!' A&E was up and flying for their last dash to the line. To create some options Poppy gybed off leaving Marmite on the other side. A&E and Marmite gybed later on. With Poppy coming in to the gate on starboard, and Marmite on port forced to gybe before the gate. Poppy gybed back to round the gate and sprint to the line, Somehow Marmite managed to sail through the dirty air of Poppy and claim second with A&E having sailed round the outside of them all.

Race 6, well it happened, but with second wrapped up and getting cold, Poppy decided the showers were a much nicer place to be than possibly anywhere in the world at that moment.

Congratulations go to Paul and Andy on Marmite for wrapping up the opening event of the year and props go to Nathan and Jimmy in Ronin for braving an early March weekend as a dusting off of cobwebs with a new pairing on board, thanks also go to Rutland for hosting us as well as keeping us warm and fed!!

Overall Results:

Pos Boat Name Sail No Club Helm Crew R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 Total Net
1 Marmite 3212 Hawley Lake Sailing Club Paul Croote Andrew Whapshot 1 1 1 1 (2) 1 7 5
2 Poppy 3216 Grafham Water Sailing Club Jamie Pearson Martyn Denchfield 3 2 2 2 3 (DNC) 17 12
3 A & E 3215 Dee Sailing Club Jonny O'Connor Alex Harris 2 3 (DNC) 3 1 DNC 19 14
4 Ronin 2698 Poole Yacht Club Jimmy Ruddiman Nathan McGrory 4 4 3 4 (DNC) DNC 25 20

 
  • start.txt
  • Last modified: 2024/06/11 14:12
  • by oliver_morrell