Henley Sailing Group

Mark wears the Henley colours mid-Atlantic

2012-01-08T22:55:00.000Z

One of Henley Sailing Group's members, Mark Henry, recently sailed the Atlantic in the 2011ARC on a 49'Jeanneau Kotari. Mark had quite an adventure with engine and gear failures throughout meaning they were one of the few boats to have sailed the full distance. It took them just under 20 days and they experienced various conditions from F8 to F0!

Mark proudly wore his Henley cap all the way across the Atlantic demonstrated by this photo at the half way point, with over 1000 miles to the nearest land in Venezuala.

2011 Cranfield Regatta results table

2011-07-27T12:38:00.003+01:00

The Henley team had an excellent regatta coming in 8th place out of 36 boats, a significant improvement on last years 12th. A full write-up and photos is being prepared, in the meantime here is the full results table.

The racing results shown in the table below are calculated by totalling the placing achieved in each race with the lowest position being discarded. The discarded positions are shown in light blue.

position	boat no	team	skipper	race 1	race 2	race 3	race 4	race 5	total
1st	4040	INSEAD	K Glover	2	4	2	1	3	8
2nd	4021	Cranfield 13	J Gair	6	2	3	4	1	10
3rd	4038	Bocconi	Menza	33	1	12	2	6	21
4th	4036	LBS 1	K Rasmussen	3	11	1	6	15	21
5th	4022	Glasgow	P Walters	16	3	7	3	11	24
6th	4006	Cranfield 2	P Methven	19	7	9	8	2	26
7th	4004	Manchester 1	R Drummond	12	5	10	7	9	31
8th	4009	Henley	R Willets	5	10	8	9	12	32
9th	4020	Leeds	K Rawson	18	8	6	13	8	35
10th	4002	Cranfield 1	A Wheal	4	15	13	15	5	37
11th	4028	Manchester 2	M Reid	15	17	5	14	7	41
12th	4037	MIP	U Alvassi del Frate	26	6	18	5	14	43
13th	4031	Smurfit	S Hayes	23	12	4	11	20	47
14th	4025	Exeter	A Peters	13	9	17	10	22	49
15th	4039	RSM	J Tinsobin	7	13	16	16	37	52
16th	4011	Cranfield 4	T Higham	1	21	30	22	16	60
17th	4010	Cranfield 16	E Ebney	8	16	19	21	17	60
18th	4016	Bath 1	S Horlock	9	30	15	12	24	60
19th	4032	Imperial 3	J Kemp	20	19	20	37	4	63
20th	4007	Cranfield 3	D Durston	11	26	24	24	10	69
21st	4012	Cranfield 10	R McQuillan	14	25	23	17	18	72
22nd	4033	Warwick	C Best	17	14	34	19	29	79
23rd	4026	Cranfield 15	D Griffiths	10	20	29	28	37	87
24th	4035	Cranfield 12	P Lovejoy	24	23	25	20	37	92
25th	4013	Cranfield 8	J Friggins	21	27	27	18	27	93
26th	4034	LBS 2	B Grosman	31	29	14	37	23	97
27th	4008	Cranfield 7	D Price	25	18	28	27	37	98
28th	4018	Imperial 2	J Ingham	27	28	22	23	26	98
29th	4030	Imperial 1	P Mercer	32	36	33	26	13	104
30th	4019	Bath 2	R Knight	37	34	21	30	19	104
31st	4017	Cranfield 9	S Davies	34	24	11	37	37	106
32nd	4005	Cranfield 5	C Sharman	22	31	31	25	21	108
33rd	4014	Cranfield 14	H Edsell	28	22	26	37	37	113
34th	4015	Cranfield 6	J Porter	29	32	36	29	28	118
35th	4042	Cranfield 17	N Hoare	35	35	32	31	25	123
36th	4029	Cranfield 11	A Lane	30	33	35	32	37	130

Ready for the 2011 regatta

2011-07-02T15:51:00.000+01:00

The Henley team is finalised and ready to race at the 2011 Cranfield MBA Regatta in three weeks time. We have only been able to get one crew together this year but the team are raring to go and looking forward to an excellent event.

This years team is:

Tim Lawson (ORGANISER)
Michiel Commandeur (FIRST MATE)
Qi Zhang
Alison Fellows
Tom Brack
Joanna Lloyd
Andrea Consonni

Lots of new faces this year so a great opportunity for fresh talent to make their mark on our performance. Photos of the event and an update will be posted here.

Team recruitment underway

2011-03-27T23:15:00.001+01:00

We are still recruiting for the team to take part in the 2011 Cranfield MBA Regatta. If you are a current Henley MBA or Reading University student, alumni member or staff then you could be part of our crew.

The regatta is an excellent event with great sailing and networking with other business school members and alumni. The Regatta is on the 22^nd to 24^th July, departing from Sunsail in Port Solent. An overnight stay is in Cowes and racing takes place on the Saturday and Sunday.

Now looking for team members for the 2011 Cranfield Regatta

2011-02-06T22:48:00.000Z

We are looking to put together two crews to compete under the Henley Business School banner in the 2011 Cranfield Regatta. This will be on the 22nd to 24th July 2011 and will depart from Sunsail in Port Solent, Portsmouth. There will be a stop over in Cowes on the Saturday night. The boats used will be a fleet of brand new Beneteau First 40 yachts.

The Henley teams will usually have at least one practice weekend ahead of the regatta – details to be advised later. If you are interested in taking part, please reply to the author.

Photos from Cranfield Regatta

2010-07-16T19:01:00.002+01:00

Poetry in motion...

2010-07-16T18:35:00.005+01:00

Mark Henry, one of our team members, is a budding poet in his spare time. Here is Mark's tale of the regatta weekend:

Twas our weekend for racing as the HBS Crew; all of us keen to see how well we’d do
Our skipper said the start line will be over there, so I settled my nerves with a pre contest beer
The pit crew warmed up by drinking their tea; then eating a croissant & a doughnut (or three)
Ready for action for the start line we made; the race officer said ‘the first race course is laid’
The skipper said “Right guys now this is my call” & we all gathered around to listen to Paul
“We’ll put the sun in our faces and close haul on port tack”.......................
So we broad reached to starboard with the sun at our backs

“Not quite the game plan” said the skip, with a sigh; “We’ll do better yet” yelled the crew in reply
Charging the line on the course we had charted;.....we promptly charged back cos race 2 hadn’t started
“We can only improve from the position we’re in,” said Richard and Carl with stout hearts & a grin
“Well” replied Matt, “we have got sod all to lose; from here at the back we’ll cover all the fleet’s moves”
We made up 12 places in the course of that race so we managed to wipe some of the egg from our face

Later; Matt in his shorts and me in my cap were prepping the foredeck for the next racing lap
When from aft of the mast there arose such a clatter that we leapt from our chores to see what was the matter
Down to the cockpit we raced in a flash expecting any second to hear a loud splash
But running toward us with boat hook held ready; came flying our Dutchman yelling “boys hold me steady!”
He tried in vain effort bags of crisps to impale; like a harpoonin’ Ahab in pursuit of his whale
Though just like the story they evaded his stab and were caught at the stern by Kim with a grab

With much slicker sailing we were 10th in race 3; out thinking the fleet with a run to the lee
Pulling on halyards, with all of our might we were fast with both launching and retrieving our kite
Fine tuning the sheet and haul in on the guy, ease off the Cunningham then downwind we’d fly
Gybed round the mark, ported 62 then close hauled the last beat like a clipper we flew
This last of the day was our best race by far and pleased with our progress we set course for the bar

We figured we should motor to Cowes for the dinner; all of us wiser;.... at least one of us thinner
Then “ Bugger! Oh sod it! The props going round but we’re not moving forward or covering ground;
We’ll just have to sail in like they did in old days”; so we tacked up Medina to many’s curious gaze
We made it in time to inhale lots more beer...; well that’s what I did - “stops dehydration my dear”
And finished the night swiftly swopping our boat ; so ending day 2 of our weekend afloat

Sunday began with Tim’s “morning to all”; Richard’s dawn tea’s maid; and red eyes for Paul
We breakfasted quick and were out to the start; ready for action “to win; not take part!”
We headed inshore to seek a tide eddy; the main fleet did battle against 4 knots steady
Downwind of the mark amidst panics and broaches our training proved the value in what Paul had coached us
We moved up 8 places with our spinnaker tricks and finished race 4 in an excellent 6th

Then to our last race though we didn’t know then; that the wind & the tide would sort boys from the men
Like a true racing team Paul’s crew downwind came; and he cajoled and he guided and called them by name
“Grind Richard, Ease Michael, ease the mainsheet too Tim
Release Matt, Sheet in Carl; halyard to Mark could you Kim?”
Avoiding the carnage all around we sailed on; And finished in tenth having had to go long

Finishing 12th overall was a pretty good feat; but my favourite moment’s looking back at the fleet
Beam reaching towards us with spinnakers up; as I drained my post race 4 tea from my cup
I know that I speak both for Kim & for me that we’ve had a great time with you all out at sea
We’d be thrilled to go sailing with all or a few & maybe invite others to come join this great crew
To my crewmates I have these few words now to write ....
Happy sailing to all and to you all a good night.

Mark Henry, July 2010

2010 Cranfield MBA Regatta results

2010-07-13T14:31:00.003+01:00

Full results table of the regatta for all 37 entries. Four race results are counted with one discard (in grey). The 37th boat did not complete any of the races and therefore is not in the table.

An excellent regatta for the Henley team

2010-07-12T21:37:00.001+01:00

The Cranfield MBA Regatta 2010 took place at the weekend. The weather was glorious with hot sun and good winds resulting in near-perfect sailing conditions. The biggest ever entry included seventeen boats from Cranfield plus over ten other business schools.

The Henley crew finished 12th out of 37 boats, a massive improvement on last year and the result of training, good leadership and a lot of hard work by all the team. Well done everyone!

We will be posting some more thoughts on the weekend's sailing and social activities together with photos and video clips shortly.

Ready to race!

2010-06-16T09:43:00.001+01:00

The Henley team are looking forward to the Cranfield MBA Regatta on the 9th to 11th July. We have been told to expect an entry of around 30 boats this year so competition will be very fierce. Our final crew are:

Paul Bennett (skipper)
Tim Lawson
Richard Steele
Carl de Verteuil
Matt Steele
Kim Maclarty
Michiel Commandeur
Mark Henry

We will be out on the water all day on Friday 9th getting used to the boat and making sure all the gear is in working order. More news soon.

May Training

2010-05-16T21:28:00.002+01:00

Our most recent training session took place on the 15th/16th May, again on the Solent. Two excellent days of sailing allowed the crew to hone their skills and work really well together as a team. Skipper Paul Bennett ensured that we covered a good mix of race situations while also adding in some great tuition for those who are working on RYA qualifications.

Our spinnaker work improved over the weekend with Matt and Mark showing great skill in getting the sail up and down in record time.

April Training

2010-04-20T07:49:00.006+01:00

The April training weekend took place on the 17th and 18th. A team meeting and meal was held on the Saturday night with sailing out on the Solent all day Sunday.

The weather was glorious although very light winds limited the sailing activity. This gave the crew an ideal opportunity to practice the spinnaker drill many times - a critical skill for the regatta.

Training Weekends

2010-04-13T20:51:00.003+01:00

The first of our training weekends is planned for this Saturday and Sunday (17th / 18th April). We hope to cover a lot of ground with the crew and to establish the roles on board for this summer's MBA regatta.

The team will base themselves on the Hamble for the weekend with the main sailing taking place on the Solent.
More news soon!

Recruiting Now!

2010-02-11T18:48:00.008Z

We are looking for new team members to join our 2010 sailing programme. If you have experience of yacht racing and either have an MBA (or equivalent) or are currently studying for an MBA, please make contact now.

Our training weekends for this season are: 17th/18th April; 15th/16th May. The regatta runs on the 10th/11th July. There is a cost involved of around £320. All sailing takes place in the Solent leaving from Portsmouth (Port Solent) or the Hamble.

The team organiser, Tim Lawson, can be contacted via tim@lawsonconsulting.co.uk
.

Regatta Dates for 2010

2009-12-29T19:46:00.004Z

The organisers of the Cranfield Regatta have released the date and notice of race for the 2010 event. It will be held on the 9th, 10th and 11th July 2010. The regatta will be even bigger this year with an expected 30 boat entry.

See the Cranfield website for more details.

Henley are keen to compete again and will be planning the training sessions shortly. More news soon!

A tough race but good for team development

2009-07-31T18:46:00.004+01:00

The Cranfield MBA Regatta 2009 turned out to be a very tough race with some excellent crews. The weather was varied throughout the weekend although Sunday provided some pretty high winds which made exciting racing.

The Henley team came in 16th out of 23 yachts, not helped by a very poor 4th race where our spinnaker went down into the sea and became waterlogged. After recovering from that we were 22nd and unable to make up any more places.

On a more positive note the race weekend helped the team develop in a big way. This was the first time the six members had sailed together so the crew settled into their roles on board and began to hone their skills. We are confident that with a bit more practice, next years regatta's will prove to be a completely different story.

Ready to race at Cranfield 2009!

2009-07-21T12:11:00.005+01:00

The crew are confirmed for the regatta on 25th/26th July. Unfortunately we were unable to find two extra members in the very short timescales available so we race with six instead of the usual eight. Those in the team are: Mel Petrie; Tim Lawson; Carl de Verteuil; Richard Steele; Paul Bennett & Matthew Steele.

We are looking forward to the new challenge of the Cranfield event. There are 23 boats due to take part with entrants from the UK, Ireland, Germany and Italy. The boats will be moored at Gunwharf Quays in Portsmouth on Saturday night so why not come down and say hi.

More news after the event.

Cranfield Regatta 2009

2009-07-13T19:56:00.005+01:00

Due to BSAR not running, Henley Sailing Group have decided to enter the Cranfield MBA Regatta 2009. This is a very similar event but with a larger entry of over twenty crews.

More information on the Cranfield Regatta can be found here.

While the entry to this event is good news for the team after the disappointment of the BSAR, it does put us under a lot of pressure to get the team ready as it runs on the weekend of 25th/26th July.

Two crew members cannot make that weekend so we are recruiting hard to fill these places. More news soon!

BSAR 2009 cancelled!

2009-06-27T19:45:00.000+01:00

We received the sad news on 27th June that the BSAR for 2009 has effectively been cancelled. Issues with organising and low entry numbers have meant that it will not run this year.

The team is seeking an alternative regatta to enter - see future posts for more details.

Training Session - 23rd/24th May

2009-05-24T19:49:00.000+01:00

The team held a practice weekend on the Solent in order to prepare for the BSAR 2009. We trained aboard the yacht 'Sash', kindly provided by team member, Paul.

Light winds made it difficult to cover all the scenarios we would have liked but it was a very useful session.

Preparing for the 2009 regatta

2009-03-16T22:58:00.006Z

The team are now preparing for the 2009 BSAR regatta. We have a couple of crew vacancies so would like to hear from anyone who is interested in joining the team. Ideally you will be an experienced sailor who has taken part in regatta's previously.

The team plan to have a training weekend in the summer with the full crew in order to practice key manoeuvres and ensure that each person knows their role on board well.

We are looking for sponsorship again as there are some items of equipment required this year. We would like to purchase a handheld GPS and a Henley branded spinnaker.

If you are able to help either as a potential crew member or would be willing to sponsor us, please make contact now - see below for email addresses.

Thinking ahead to BSAR 2009

2009-01-05T13:56:00.005Z

The dates of the next Business Schools Alumni Regatta have been announced as 5th and 6th September, the same weekend as last year. Henley are very keen to retain their title and we are now thinking about getting the team together and preparing for the challenge.

This year LBS will be wanting to win the title back so it is safe to assume that the level of competition will be even more intense than in 2008. We hope to hold more practice sessions this year and focus the team on our weaker areas.

If you are part of the Henley alumni and would like to get involved with the team please contact either:

Tim Lawson (tim@lawsonconsulting.co.uk)
Amanda Proddow (amanda.proddow@henley.com).

Video of BSAR 2008

2009-01-05T13:52:00.002Z

The organisers of BSAR have released a video of the 2008 event. It is a training style production with hints and tips by Sam Connelly, the resident BSAR coach. Look out for the Henley boat!

We won at the first attempt!!

2008-09-10T21:27:00.006+01:00

Great news... the Henley team won the BSAR 2008 regatta at the first attempt! Against stiff competition from other business school teams, the Henley crew took the top slot winning three out of the five races. See below for the full results table.

The weather during the regatta weekend was against us with the team having to contend with force 8 gales during much of the time on the water. Click the video link below to experience being on board with the crew. Check out the horizon at the top of the screen to see the angle the boat was at most of the time!

During the latter stages of the regatta the wind settled down a bit and the crew had time to relax between tacks.

Final Team Confirmed

2008-08-22T11:58:00.003+01:00

The Henley team is now complete. Our members are:

Mel Petrie (skipper)
Tim Lawson (team organiser)
Carl de Verteuil
Bill Fawkner-Corbett
Richard Wilkins
Laurence Huxham
Richard Steele
Rick Hanslip

The team will be training in the Solent on Friday 5th September, ahead of the racing on Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th. More news soon!

Henley merges with Reading University

2008-08-22T07:46:00.003+01:00

On the 1st August 2008, Henley Management College merged with Reading University's business school to form 'Henley Business School' making it one of the biggest in Europe. At the BSAR regatta our boat will carry the new Henley branding.

Help us fund the bid

2008-05-21T13:07:00.013+01:00

In order to compete successfully in the BSAR, the Henley team need to organise coaching and training, funded by sponsorship. Ocean yacht racing is a complex and challenging activity with intense levels of competition. For this reason the team need to prepare well in order to have a realistic chance of bringing the trophy home to Henley.

We urgently need to raise money via donations or sponsorship to fund our preparation. The yacht can be branded with our sponsors logo and there are great opportunities for PR around the event in September.
Additionally, companies who have an interest in Henley may wish to make a small donation to the team. Please contact us if you are able to help in any way.

The team are all experienced in yachting and boating in general. We will be adopting various roles on board during the regatta weekend, each playing to our strengths. Teamwork is key to success in yacht racing. Great communication and supporting each other will help us deliver a race winning performance, whatever the weather may throw at us!

The Henley team is:

Mel Petrie
Tim Lawson
Carl de Verteuil
Richard Wilkins
Bill Fawkner-Corbett
Rick Hanslip

To find out more information about the team or to provide sponsorship / donations, please contact one of the following:

Amanda Proddow amanda.proddow@henleymc.ac.uk
Tim Lawson tim@lawsonconsulting.co.uk
Mel Petrie melville.petrie@ukasia.org.uk

or call Amanda at Henley on +44 (0)1491 414524

Henley bids for yachting success

2008-05-02T10:49:00.000+01:00

For the first time this year, Henley will be entering the Business Schools Alumni Regatta (BSAR). This event pitches teams of keen MBA graduate sailors against each other in two days of ultra competitive yacht racing in the Solent.

The Henley team needs your help! The basic cost of the boat will be paid for by the crew but we urgently need to fund the training and coaching. If there are Alumni members (or their companies) who are willing to help us achieve success by making a donation or sponsoring some of the training then please get in touch.

Those who are willing to contribute, please contact Amanda Proddow at Alumni Services, HMC on amanda.proddow@henleymc.ac.uk.