AN Essex yacht club acknowledged a centuries-old tradition before casting sail on two new acquisitions.
The Reverend Anne Howson joined dignitaries and commodore Graham Chasney at Colne Yacht Club to bless two lottery-funded 22-foot Hunter Sonatas.
The ceremony took place on the Town Jetty at Brightlingsea Hard, where invited guests and members of the local community also witness the official naming of the small seaworthy racer-cruiser yachts, cheekily dubbed Brahms and Liszt.
The club made a successful bid for a Lottery Grant of £10,000, awarded in January by Sport England through the Royal Yachting Association (RYA).
Both yachts will be used to give aspiring sailors a chance to take to the water, and to create new opportunities for people of all ages to get afloat under the guidance of RYA-qualified keelboat instructors.
Free taster sessions are available to everyone and will dtermine demand for a series of five preliminary skills clinics being offered by the club with a keelboat instructor, followed by the opportunity to join the club and continue with a further five skills clinics.
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