This week the town of Santander in Spain has played host to ISAF and the trials of six skiffs, one of which will be chosen as the boat for the Women’s Skiff event in the 2016 Olympics and possibly beyond.

Two E6 UK-Cherubs designed by Kevin Ellway, built by Aardvark Technologies and beautifully liveried as Arup Skiffs have attended the event as one of the six entries. You may recognise these as the boats as “Eleanor” and “Marmite” displayed at the RYA Volvo Dinghy Show, Eleanor winning the 2011 Concours D’Elegance Award.

Accompanying the boats are a team of UK-Cherub sailors headed by Roland Trim and he is supported by his employer, the engineering firm Arup.

Photos and reports from the event show the boats performing fantastically well, and although there have been days of poor weather there has also been sufficient time for the Olympic sailors to trial the Arup Skiffs, which offers a much lighter alternative to the other five contenders.

The ISAF are expected to make the decision on which Skiff will be used in the 2016 Olympics during May 2012. We wish everyone involved with the Arup Skiff Project the best of luck with the selection.

The UK-Cherub class is proud to be associated with this project and to have lent its support, boats and expertise. You can read more on the Arup Skiff website, and read the Arup News here.

We wish everyone a safe trip home.

UK-Cherub “Eleanor” as an Arup Skiff in Santander.