Tidal Constants

Practicing at Dalgety Bay ahead of Para Worlds – photo Marc Turner In UK Hansa Association boat at the Hansa Worlds – photo LNI Palermo

Ibegan sailing back in 2014 at the age of 12 at Castle Semple Activity Centre. I joined the CCC in 2015 when I got my first taste of racing in the Scottish Club Trophy using CCC’s boat, The Glasgow Bonnet, which would go on to do some miles with me.

My debut at the national level came in 2016, where I managed a first in the Scottish Hansa TT and took part in a couple of UK Hansa TT regattas.

In 2017, I took things a step further and came not only first in the Scottish Hansa TT but also first in the UK Hansa Nationals and first in the RYA Multiclass Regatta. This was also the first year I competed abroad.

The Glasgow Bonnet was driven to France before I went to Italy for the European Para Youth Games, sailing double, where Jenna Snedker and I finished second. I then returned to France for the Hansa European Championships where I came nineteenth in the Hansa 303 Single class and fourteenth in the Para class. This was also the first year I received funding from the CCC Seamanship & Pilotage Trust which was an immense help for travelling abroad.

The racing abroad continued in 2018 when I raced in Germany at Kiel Regatta for the Eurosaf European Para Sailing Championships where I came ninth, before travelling to the USA later that year for my first Para World Sailing Championships, coming home with a fourteenth. 2019, was a great year. Having to prioritise my final exams meant I had only sailed twice before going to Austria for the Eurosafs, resulting in me coming thirteenth. This gave me a necessary fright though and meant I put in more training before the Para Worlds in Spain, which must have paid off as I finished ninth.

Then it was off to Holland where I had been invited to the Dutch Hansa Nationals. I came home with a second place, although, due to an error, I was Dutch Champion for half an hour. The final competition that year was the Hansa Europeans in Portugal where I claimed fifth place. 2020 began with the Eurosafs in Spain where I came ninth, but this was to be the last real competition for a while.

In 2021 I came back with a vengeance. A first in the UK Hansa Championships. This was tactical racing with the winners changing constantly. The UK Hansa TT was a five-month game of tug of war which left me and another competitor on equal points and all to play for in the final regatta. I ended up coming first on the day and first overall, It was worth travelling more than 6000 miles for the TT’s.

Rounding off 2021, I travelled to Sicily for the Hansa World Championships to compete in a fleet of 69 303 Singles the biggest ever Hansa fleet. After five days of challenging conditions including light wind, strong wind, lightning and tough competition, I finished third in the 303 Single class and second in the Para World Sailing Hansa 303 Men’s Class. Not a bad end to the season.

None of this would have been possible without the support of Clyde Cruising Club. The use of the The Glasgow Bonnet has not just enabled me to compete around the country, but around Europe as well and the funding I have received from the CCC Seamanship & Pilotage Trust has been invaluable, helping to cover the expense of competing at such a level. And, of course, the Club’s members, from the coaches at summer school to those on the committee, have given me immeasurable support and encouragement throughout the years. Here’s hoping for a few more years of success.

Rory McKinna

The CCC Dinghy Section and the Seamanship & Pilotage Trust have been hugely supportive to ‘

Rory during his fairly brief sailing career and I know I can say it would have been a lot harder without them.

So, from the McKinna family, a huge thank you.’

Angela McKinna