You’ve seen the big and beautiful yachts sailing gracefully in the Solent, well now you can see the small and interesting boats take to the water at Gosport.
On Thursday 9 August, a boat race with a difference will be taking place, when around 30 winners of the recent Summer Playscheme ‘Boatbuilding’ competition take to the water at the international Walpole Park Boating Lake.
Throughout the summer holidays, local youngsters have been having a fun time at various Play Schemes organized by Gosport Borough Council’s Leisure Services team, held in and around the Borough.
Part of the fun and games has been to build a boat made from recyclable material, in preparation for the Recycled Boat Race. The Mayor visited all the schemes and selected the best 3 or 4 from each playscheme and on Thursday (9 August) they will all compete against each other for the grand prize.
Gosport Model Yacht & Boating Club, Walpole Park, will host the race on their internationally renowned lake. Preparations begin at 2pm followed by racing at 2:30pm. On completion of the race, the Mayor, Councillor Keith Gill will present prizes, donated courtesy of the Gosport Model Yacht & Boating Club, to the final three winners.
“It is incredible to watch these youngsters sailing their boats and past races have shown that it is not always the one you think will win which finishes first,” said The Mayor of Gosport, Councillor Keith Gill. “The children are very inventive in their designs, and in what they use to construct their boat, but often it is not the one that looks most like a sailing yacht that sails the fastest. That’s what makes the whole event so much fun - until they put their vessel in the water they really have no idea as to how it is going to respond.”
The weather on the day will determine the course taken by the flotilla of little ships and members of the Gosport Model Yacht and Boating Club will oversee the race. “We would like to thank the Club for their support in both hosting the event and in providing the prizes, added the Mayor. “They have been going for many years and who knows, we may even have some future club racers in the making!”
