Container photos © Dave Wade, Click to expand

Friday was the start of the journey for four Mirror dinghies from the UK heading to Australia for the 18th Mirror Dinghy World Championships. Although in reality that journey started several years ago, with the top team competing in events and training hard since the last World Championships hosted by Restronguet Sailing Club.

Thanks to support from Cummins Corporation local office, based in Daventry, the team have been able to ship their boats alongside the engine and generator equipment going out to Sydney. Much to the amusement of the loading team at Heathrow.

The UK Mirror Class Association is pleased to announce that the 2019 UK Mirror National Championships will be held at The Poole Yacht Club from Sunday 11th to Wednesday 14th August. The outline schedule is

• Sunday 11th August - Registration & Equipment Inspection
• Monday 12th August - Racing
• Tuesday 13th August - Racing
• Wednesday 14th August - Racing, followed by Prizegiving.

Camper van pitches in Poole YC car park will be available. More details of the venue on The Poole Yacht Club website.

Fernhust Books have updated 'The Mirror Book - Mirror sailing from start to finish' and the new edition will be launched at the Southampton Boat Show on Friday 14th September on the ChartCo stand (J052) at 2.30pm.

The UK Mirror Class Association have contributed to this update and it is endorsed by Dave Wade, double Mirror National Champion, who says: “Armed with this book, your understanding of Mirror sailing techniques will grow, and your results will improve. I thoroughly recommend it.”

Packed with practical advice and illustrated with step-by-step photographs, this book teaches you how to sail the UK's most iconic and best loved dinghy. Learn all the essentials, form sailing theory and rigging to faster upwind and downwind sailing. Peter Aitken, the UK National Mirror Coach in 2008 and Tim Davidson, a successful racer, reveal the basics and show how to outsmart the opposition. This book includes Bermuda and Gunter rigs, centre mainsheets & flyaway pole systems.

Published by Fernhurst Books as part of their Start to Finish series, as a paperback and eBook, The Mirror Book will be available to buy from all good bookshops, websites and direct from www.fernhurstbooks.com

Mirrors go from strength to strength in the North. Following on from the MCA Nationals at Ullswater YC we have just had the 9 day Bassweek Regatta where Mirrors stole the show. There were 15 Mirrors in a combined Mirror, Tera ,Topper handicap fleet which saw just three Teras and Toppers competing but generally getting nowhere.

The first weekend’s four race series saw Graham & Sebastian Vials (Derwent Reservoir) winning with a race to spare. Second were Rob Cook (Northampton) with daughter Elizabeth and third went to Sandy & Douglas Simpson (Bass).