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13:50 Saturday 13 Aug 2016 Sue Pelling/AAMCWSquib wins White Group for third time in four years

Nigel and Jack Grogan in Rehydrated on their way to winning the Squib class and White Group overall – photo Paul Wyeth

Nigel Grogan and his son Jack from the Royal Corinthian YC, Burnham-on-Crouch, sailing their three-year old Squib – Rehydrated – have won the coveted White Group Trophy after an extremely close fought series.

This is the third time the Squib class has won the trophy, and the third time the trophy is returning to Burnham. The previous winners who won it twice (2013 and 2014) were Malcolm Hutchings and Andy Ramsey in Lady Penelope.

Commenting on his win, Grogan said: “I am absolutely delighted and feel really proud to be taking the Trophy back to Burnham-On-Crouch once again.

“We had a bit of a shaky start to the week with an OCS on the first day, which put us under a bit of pressure, but from there on we sailed well and managed to gather a string of useful results, which helped us in the end. It was however, as always in the Squib class, exceptionally close racing throughout, which is a reason why the class is so popular.

“The Squib is the essence of affordable one-design racing, which means it is the perfect class for all-comers, from youngsters just starting out, to seasoned racers. It is possible to pick up a good, competitive boat for a few thousand pounds and, with some decent sails, it is possible to win Cowes Week.”

So popular is the Squib class, and its presence at Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week over the last few years, the class has decided to host its 50^th anniversary national championship during the Cowes Week regatta in 2018 (4-11 August).

Grogan commented: “The class has already gained popularity at this regatta, so it will be interesting to see just how many boats are snapped up for the big 50^th anniversary event the year after next. I for one will be on the start, that’s for sure.”