North East Youth Travellers at Scaling Dam Sailing Club
by Barbara Darling 10 Jun 2007 19:14 BST
9 June 2007
This North East Youth Traveller Series, supported by Trident-UK, event was held at Scaling Dam SC on the North Yorks moors in an easterly wind that strengthened and faded throughout the day.
The OD David White set a short triangular course for the first race and local sailors Dan Gaines-Burrell, Radial, and Peter Clayton in a Laser 4.7 with Niall White in a full rig dominated the race with Iain Symon, Topper, Tees & Hartlepool, Paul Blowers Inner City in a Pico, and Tim Clayton Optimist all sailing close on handicap. Megan Fletcher and her friend Megan enjoyed the Feva and flying the asymmetric.
The second race saw more breeze, a bigger more demanding course and this time it was Oyston in his Laser 4.7 showing the way around with Tom Steavenson, Tynemouth and Mike Matthews, Sunderland joining forces to sail a lively National 12 and creating hot competition to come third. Aaron White, Optimist, Scaling had an exceptionally good race and only just beat Alex Forth, South Shields in her Byte.
The Inner City sailors Aaron Lagan, Lauren Hillaby and Casey Richardson had a tussle lower down the fleet but in the final race Lagan finished a very creditable seventh, ahead of Andrew Llewellen, Topper, Tees & Hartlepool.
The last race was won by young Hill, Scaling, in a Topper, sailing a very steady efficient race with Clayton again second with Gaines-Burrell third. Other sailors, Conroy and Powell in their Picos from Inner City were enjoying the experience of racing for the first time along with some very young sailors Drury, Cara Richardson and Naylor in club Oppies. Drury also sailed his new Taz and improved as he began to master the boat.
Scaling Dam provided a friendly, cheerful day with a lot of parental support, some excellent sailing courses, a very quick result service and good spectator vantage points.
Overall Results:
1. Peter Clayton, Laser 4.7 (Scaling Dam)
2. Dan Gaines-Burrell, Radial (Scaling Dam)
3. A Oyston, Laser 4.7 (Scaling Dam)
4. Tom Steavenson & Mike Matthews, National 12 (TSC & SYC)
5. K. Hill, Topper (Scaling Dam)
6. Niall White, Laser (Scaling Dam)
7. Aaron White, Optimist (Scaling Dam)