Memorial race for Leicestershire and Rutland Youth Sailing Association's John Buckingham

(l-r) LRYSA's Colin Magee, Stuart Smith and Helen Buckingham © LRYSA

LRYSA's John Buckingham memorial trophy © LRYSA

Leicestershire and Rutland Youth Sailing Association (LRYSA) held a special racing event on Saturday 25th June in memory of its joint founder John Buckingham.

John died earlier this year and the event will be held annually in his memory. John and others began the association in 1967 to help to make sailing accessible and affordable to all children.

Since then the organisation, which is a charity, has grown and flourished, teaching disabled and disadvantaged children as well as schools cadet groups. It also has a Leicestershire youth racing team representing the county all over the UK.

Jill Magee from LRYSA said: "John was a huge promoter of all sports in Leicestershire especially sailing and will be missed by all of us. The club began the day with its Mayor's Trophy Regatta for children and in the afternoon the adults raced in the John Buckingham Memorial Race.

"All the instructors took part and some parents and other adult students. In a fitting tribute to John, our junior team captain Calum Jones and other youth team members Charlie Williams and Josh Perkins organised the adult race, set the course and ran the whole event."

In strong winds and sunshine the adults completed the race with some capsizes and some returned to shore. The winner out of those that persevered was Stuart Smith, one of LRYSA's instructors, with Brett Haywood second and Steve Smith third.

The shield was presented to Stuart by Helen Buckingham, John's widow, who came with John's children and grandchildren and joined everyone else on the water.

LRYSA is based at John Merricks' Lake in Watermead Country Park. To find out more visit www.lrysa.org.uk