Ugandan sailors to train with British Olympic star Beckett

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Ugandan advanced sailors will get a chance to sharpen their skills from an Olympic sailor—British Sailing Team’s Michael Beckett—who will tip them over two days, February 26-27, at Kaazi.

This is one of the activities lined up from February 22 to March 2 as part of Victoria Nyanza Sailing Club’s (VNSC) 90th-year anniversary, according to Reint Bakema, one of the members of VNSC.

The anniversary festivities will start on February 22 with a self-made raft race for schools, drawing attention to the plastic pollution of Lake Victoria. The clinic by Michael Beckett is one of the great events later that week aimed at improving the sailing skills of the VNSC members.

Beckett is a member of the British Sailing Team and has a distinguished career in dinghy sailing. Over the years, he won four European medals, two ILCA World Cups, and a silver medal at the Paris 2024 test event. He came 6th at the Paris Olympics and was ranked for some time as World No. 1 in the ILCA class.

“For such a world-class sailor to come to Uganda and share his skills with the members of the VNSC is a rare and exciting opportunity,” Bakema noted.

Michael’s visit will be crowned by his participation in the Uganda Laser/ILCA Open, a three-day competitive sailing event, which annually attracts sailors from all over the world to Murchison Bay.

The Victoria Nyanza Sailing Club was established in 1935 by 20 members of the British community who had a keen interest in competitive sailing at Murchison Bay. Over the years, the VNSC grew into one of the most respected clubs in Kampala, with a comprehensive competitive sailing calendar and close affiliations with other sailing and yacht clubs all over East Africa.

For all these 90 years, the VNSC has been based at Kaazi, Kampala, where it still holds sailing events every weekend. It also organises sailing camps for kids and schools and four sailing beginner and intermediate courses. For the 90th anniversary, the VNSC grounds and buildings got a thorough facelift and can truly be considered one of the most beautiful leisure spots in Kampala.