A first for the Edinburgh Cup
This year’s British Dragon Northern Championships and Haulfryn Edinburgh Cup, held in Abersoch, will see for the first time an all-female and youth team taking part in the prestigious national event.
The 71st British Dragon nationals has attracted sailors of all ages from all across the UK and further afield. This year the BDA and local Abersoch Dragon fleet have worked together to encourage younger sailors into the fantastic world of Dragon racing. International Dragon Amazon was offered to a visiting youth team to enter both events and use the Dragon at no cost. The individuals chosen are an all-female match racing team from the Wirral.
With just under one week to go before the start of the Northern Championship that leads into the 2019 British Nationals Haulfryn Edinburgh Cup, Athena Racing skipper, Octavia Owen, chats to British Dragon Association:
Octavia started sailing at four years old and began racing at only eight years old. While her first boat was a Cadet, Octavia has sailed in a wide variety of craft including Albacores, 29ers and now the International Dragon.
Where is your home sailing club?
I live on the Wirral and race mainly at West Kirby when I’m at home on the marine lake or on the tide. It was at West Kirby Racing that I had my first ever win in the club races in Cadets.
When did you first get into keelboat racing?
I first got into keelboat sailing through Match Racing when I was 15 years old competing in the Youth Match Racing Nationals.
What did it mean to you and the team to be awarded with the inaugural Ian Atkins Keelboat Award earlier this year?
As a struggling young skipper to continue competing at a level we have achieved, it has big costs for entry fees. To be the inaugural winners of the Ian Atkins Keelboat Award has been a lifeline and has meant we can continue competing for another year with the team. It was an immensely proud and emotional moment to be presented the award by Ian Walker at the RYA Dinghy Show. We can’t thank Ian Atkins and the John Merricks Sailing Trust enough for this fantastic opportunity to work towards pursuing our dreams!
Have you sailed a Dragon before?
Myself and the team have never sailed a Dragon before but we are really excited for this new opportunity and challenge to race against such experienced sailors. The first time we have sailed one was recently, 29-30th June.
How do you feel about being the first all-female Dragon team competing this year?
We are most certainly excited and over the moon to be the first all-female team to be competing in the Edinburgh Cup. After racing this weekend at SCYC for practise on Amazon, all the sailors have been so welcoming and encouraging – it’s been wonderful – and we’re so grateful for their useful advice and words of wisdom, especially to Rob who has given up his weekend to show us the ropes onboard.
What are the plans for Athena racing for the rest of 2019/2020?
The team’s plan for the rest of 2019/20 is to compete in the Youth Nationals and Women’s Match Racing Nationals in September in Weymouth. As well as hopefully receiving more invites to compete at the WIM Series events over the winter, and to compete in the RYA Winter Match Racing series and fleet racing.
Team Athena Racing would like to thank the owners of Amazon, the SCYC and British Dragon Association, their sponsors Rooster and Overboard Bags, and Bangor University and Portsmouth University for their fantastic support.
Read more of the interview with Octavia and find out all about this year’s Edinburgh Cup here https://www.britishdragons.org/.
