Month: June 2022
Report written by Dr Ripley, CCF Commanding Officer
Sedbergh teamed up with Bedford Modern school while RGS Lancaster teamed up with St Barts School to form two teams of 5, while Loughborough GS with 8 cadets formed two teams of 4. The day was forecast for sun, rain, wind and most things in between – we didn’t expect the thunder and lightning which imposed a pause at 3.30 … just in case.
We tried to incorporate some of the features of the Junior National 12 hour race with honours for fastest first lap, noon lap and “last gasp” final lap. We kept the course simple – keep the islands to Port throughout and leave the one mark of the course to Port on every lap to help the scorekeepers. The winning team completed 35 laps with an average lap time of 12 – 13 minutes. Initially the lead kept changing but it soon settled down once some team swaps in the pit lane had occurred to even out the average ability of the team.
There were some serious wind gusts and shifts which caught a couple of boats out which resulted in capsizes but certainly saw some serious hiking required. The Marine Lake this year seems particularly shallow and it was rare to be able to put the centreboard down fully even in the centre of the lake. Depending on how often the crew was prepared to try a bit more centreboard made a lot of difference to the leeway showing some teams able to do the Southerly leg in less tacks than other teams.
Dark clouds were building over Southport and lightning flashes were seen but that storm passed to the East of us, but meanwhile another storm was brewing to our South which burst directly overhead causing all boats on the lake to scurry to the shore and “hide” – the rain pounded down causing a mist just of bounce back as the rain drops hit the lake surface. We had to pause for 15 minutes while it passed overhead before we could renew the race.
Slowly but surely Sedbergh/Bedford Modern drew ahead and finished two laps ahead of the closest other teams and were the fastest team in the fastest lap races.
Ten of our Lower Sixth pupils have received their awards from the British Physics Olympiad (BPhO) for their new Senior Physics Challenge (SPC).
There are now two competitions at this level. The SPC Online Competition takes place in the last week of January. It consists of two half-hour sets of multiple-choice questions which are largely about physics ideas, but also encouraging some wider reading and interest in the subject. It is an opportunity for students to take part in a national physics competition and to develop their confidence in the subject.
Two of the ten pupils, Joe and Patrick also completed the traditional paper-based problem solving competition.
The Senior Physics Challenge for Year 12 students is an exciting opportunity for students to stretch their problem solving skills and apply fundamental physical principles to novel situations.
Over 6000 students take part in the competition each year. In 2021, the Competition was run as an online multiple choice competition. 5300 students from 380 schools participated.
Old Sedberghian Imo Boddy (2015-2017) visited us this week to deliver an inspirational assembly to our whole school, as well as telling everyone about her latest challenge and providing support to Year 13 pupil Holly, as she readies herself to take on the Boddy Challenge this month.
Imo, a successful personal trainer based in London, has become renowned for taking on physical challenges and later this month, she embarks on her biggest challenge yet. Starting on 19th June, Imo is aiming to become the youngest female to run from John o’Groats to Land’s End (JOGLE). As she has done in the past, Imo is raising money for Young Minds – a mental health charity that provides care and support to young people. You can follow Imo’s journey throughout her challenge by clicking here, and if you would like to donate you can do by clicking here.
Imo spoke passionately and honestly in front of the whole school in assembly this week, describing her love of running and how her time at Sedbergh School helped her develop that love. In 2017, Imo completed her first endurance challenge whilst in Year 13. A 6 mile swim in Lake Windermere, running the Windermere marathon and then a cycle, approx. 30 mile, back to Sedbergh. This endurance challenge is now an annual event which bears her name – the Boddy Challenge. After its two-year hiatus, this epic event is back and on 23 June, Year 13 pupil Holly will be the latest Sedberghian to face this challenge. You can read more about Holly’s story here.
William Kinread returned to his alma mater, Sedbergh School, last week (26 May) to talk to pupils about his career as a solicitor and author. His presentation to those in Years 11 and 12 provided plenty of inspiration and practical advice for anyone considering a career in the legal profession.
The visit to Sedbergh coincided with the publication of William’s second novel, Escapement, in which he draws on memories from his time at the school to provide context and background history for its main character.
Using the example of his book and events from the years he has spent working as a lawyer, William highlighted the versatility of a law degree and explored pathways and options for those keen to know more. The talk was enthusiastically received by pupils, who also took part in a question-and-answer session.
“I was delighted to visit the school and see the developments that had been made since I was there in the 1970s,” said William. “Some of the facilities such as the Hirst Centre are truly impressive and show the step-up that the school has taken to maintain its premier ranking.
“Some things never change, though, and the family atmosphere and determination to succeed is still palpable. The students who attended the talk were a bright bunch of switched-on young people with so much potential and promise. It was a pleasure to spend time with them and help in any way I could.”
Benjamin Collins, the school’s alumni director, added: “We are extremely grateful that William was able to take time out from his busy schedule to visit us. The pupils really enjoyed his talk and benefited enormously from the insight he was able to share. Regular careers talks are an important part of our syllabus and help pupils to appreciate the opportunities available to them.”
William was born and raised in Ripon, where he still lives today with his wife, son and dog. During his last year at Sedbergh School, he won a national writing competition, whereupon he was invited to attend the illustrious Savile Club, in London’s Mayfair. A top book publisher said that, although he had “an obvious talent for writing”, William needed “more experience of life”. More than 40 years later – and with a highly successful career in the legal world – he certainly has that.