GBR Yacht Racing Academy boats pay tribute to Kit Hobday in match racing spectacle

In recognition of Kit Hobday's work and contribution to youth sailing and yachting over the years, J P Morgan Asset Management are sponsoring a match race for the Kit Hobday Memorial Trophy between Kit's Bear of Britain and the UKSA run Yacht Racing Academy yacht Chernikeef 2.

At 6pm this evening, the two yachts will take part in three short races off the Green to celebrate Kit’s life and to raise the profile of the Ignorance Isn’t Bliss campaign. Both boats will be crewed by Yacht Racing Academy crews and representatives from JP Morgan who have supported Bear of Britain. The yachts have been fierce rivals for a number of years but have been brought together by the Yacht Racing Academy to build on the scheme that Kit started with Bear. Thanks to Peter Harrison’s generosity and loan of his Farr 52 Chernikeef 2, more young people are getting the chance to enter into the tough and exciting world of big boat racing.

Ben Willows, Manager of the Yacht Racing Academy, worked very closely with Kit to set up the Academy, “Skandia Cowes Week is the culmination of a season’s training and hard work by everyone involved in the Yacht Racing Academy. This week sees Chernikeef 2 crewed entirely by students from this year’s Academy who had no big boat race experience prior to the selection weeks in April. It’s a fantastic tribute to Kit to have the two yachts battling against each other tonight, none of this would have been possible without Kit’s vision and enthusiasm for youth sailing.”

Further information:
Ben Willows

Yacht Racing Academy Project Manager
T: +44 (0) 1983 294941
M: +44 (0) 7866 596915
ben.willows@uksa.org
www.yachtracingacademy.org