A new grassroots initiative hopes to consolidate dinghy sailing in Scotland and put it back on the map.

Growing out of a Facebook group for Scotland’s dinghy sailing community, the Scottish Dinghy Sailing Development Group first met in December and agreed a common purpose of promoting the sport at all levels in the region, and encouraging regular participation at clubs.

The group is also setting up its website “to provide a common resource for all Scottish clubs and classes to share their news and results”.

Jane Campbell-Morrison was nominated as chair, but the group says its structure “has been deliberately left open and fluid to encourage clubs, classes and individuals to get involved in the specific areas of interest to them”.

Meetings will be arranged this year to decide on aims for these areas, which include club instructors; class racing in Scotland; adult training in clubs; inter-club activities; and events programmes.

The group hopes to step into the gap left by the long defunct RYA Scotland Dinghy Committee, and has already made moves towards organising the Scottish dinghy calendar with a new online events database.

However, it also emphasises that it is not intended to be a breakaway group from RYA Scotland, but as “more of an adjunct … than a rival”.

Yachts and Yachting has more about the group’s plans HERE.