Seamark Nunn Waldringfield Cadet Week - Overall
by Neil Collingridge 10 Aug 2013 19:29 BST
5-9 August 2013
After a week of competitive racing and training, not to mention some hard partying by both competitors and parents the scene was set for a last day showdown on the River Deben. 34 Gold Fleet Cadets were joined by their newly trained Silver Fleet colleagues (8 boats) and a rapidly growing Laser Radial fleet of 17 for the last 2 races of an 11 race series. Friday brought a bit of breeze with it but due to the need to finish early (not ultimately achieved!) the PRO took the fleet down to the Rocks area where there was sufficient water but a vicious flooding tide.
In the Gold fleet it looked most likely that the winner would be one of Willow and Cara Bland in Gotcha or Sam Yale and Harry Chatterton in Out of the Blue. Willow and Cara had worn the coveted yellow jerseys from the end of day 1 and held a slender 2 point lead. Not far behind were Ed Harris and Faye Chatterton, Alex Page and Aaron Chadwick and Daisy and Angus Collingridge.
The Laser Radials were similarly delicately poised with Henry Stone just 1 point ahead of Josie Gummer visiting from Fishers Green. and in the Cadet Silver Fleet Alex Eaton and Connor Lines held the lead.
As the Radials set off it was unclear which side of the beat would pay. Henry headed right to the Waldringfield bank whilst Josie hit hard left to the beach at the Rocks. On the committee boat it felt like "job done" as we had avoided a totally one sided first beat although as the left started to show as favoured many of those who had hit the right crossed the tide to protect their positions. At this point it was advantage Josie but Henry stayed in hot pursuit. Cam Goodhead picked up the lead which he held to the finish and Josie held off Henry for second place. Overall points now tied with a final race to go.
The Cadet gold fleet were next to start. Perhaps surprisingly they seemed not to have learned the favoured side from watching the Radials as again the fleet split. Tom Collyer and Francis Butterworth lead up the left with Daisy and Angus chasing behind with Ed and Faye and Alex and Aaron slightly more in the pack. Willow and Cara had headed right and when they crossed they were badly adrift of Sam and Harry although the latter two were also in the pack. After some frantic short tacking up the beach and some tense judgements made about when to cross the tide Daisy emerged ahead of Tom but with Ed there or thereabouts too. Sam further back was still several boats ahead of Willow. The second beat was hard hard hard. Daisy lost the lead to Ed and then took it again within 400 yards of the finish. They finished 1st and 2nd. Tom Collyer held onto a strong 3rd whilst Archie Penn and Hazel Whittle took 4th. Gus Cooney and James Minchin grabbed a 5th whilst behind them a crucial battle between Willow and Sam unfolded. With around 200 yards to go, Willow stayed out of the tide long enough to sneak ahead and tacked to cross the tide to the finish. Sam held on higher and as they came across ever so slowly the wind faded and headed so it looked like Sam could grab back the initiative. Finally the breeze strengthed ever so slightly to lift Willow into the finish so her lead ahead of Sam strengthened to 4 points after discards were taken into account. Advantage Willow and Cara.
The Silver Fleet worked ever so hard. Short taking against the tide tested all their newly learnt skills but both Archie Goodhead with Francesca D'enno and Alex Eaton with Connor Line showed they could roll tack the boat as they even caught the back markers of the Gold Fleet. These two finished in that order with Sean Woodard and Hugo Passmore in third.
As the time ticked by the PRO mover the fleets down to the Tips area in search of more tidal shelter. He achieved that but with it came some extraordinarily shifty conditions. The team still had a final race to fit, the Crews Race to run and Prizegiving to sort out....all in time for tea....and at this point noone had even had lunch!
The Radials got away at the first time of asking and were heading back through the line when the Gold Fleet Cadets were in the final countdown after a general recall. However as the Cadets reached their first windward a huge left handed shift saw boats reaching in to the mark and then initially unable to fly spinnakers down the first reach. When the reach looked like it was turning into a close hauled fetch it became clear it was time to abandon and restart. The Radials and Silver Fleet suffered the same fate in search of a fairer race. The race committee set about resetting the course but found this taxing as the wind shifted back and forth. Eventually they got things settled enough for the final series races. In the Radials Henry took the win and the overall first place. In the Cadet Gold Fleet Daisy and Angus led after finding a much stronger breeze on the right of the course, Sam and Harry chased hard in 2nd and Willow and Cara were in the danger zone in about 4th place....still alright for the overall lead but only just. Sam closed down Daisy on the 2nd lap and when she was fouled by a Radial at the final leeward mark he pounced to take the lead which he held through to the finish to total 22 points for the series. Daisy was 2nd in the race, followed by optimist sailors Jamie and Bettine Harris from Bristol Corinthian who showed they had finally mastered spinnakers after a bit of help from their grandfather. Willow and Cara held 4th place and so won Cadet Week overall - very popular winners in their new boat. With Ed and Faye 5th that gave them 3rd place overall on better countback than Daisy.
The Silver Fleet race was again won by Alex and Connor giving them first overall from Sean and Hugo (2nd overall) and Archie and Francesca (3rd overall).
That left just the crews race run off the club line whilst the Committee sorted out the prizegiving. Cara Bland got away well but by the first mark lost the lead to Angus Collingridge who led around the island with Cara and James Hague in pursuit. These three just had a tricky beat against the tide back up the island shore to complete and somehow Angus managed to avoid the mud to cross in first. James pipped Cara on the line for 2nd.
Prizegiving followed with 28 trophies awarded and with prizes organised by Main Sponsor Seamark Nunn and generously donated by them, Gill, Harken and Suffolk Sails. We are very grateful to all of them for their gifts. It should perhaps have come as no surprise to anyone that in the draw for the free Cadet Spinnaker the tally number drawn out was that of none other than Willow and Cara Bland... not a bad end to the week!
Overall Results:
Cadet Gold Fleet
1st Willow and Cara Bland 20pts
2nd Sam Yale and Harry Chatterton 22pts
3rd Ed Harris and Faye Chatterton 28pts
4th Daisy and Angus Collingridge 28pts
5th Alex Page and Aaron Chadwick 31pts
Cadet Silver Fleet
1st Alex Eaton and Connor Line 5pts
2nd Sean Woodard and Hugo Passmore 9pts
3rd Arche Goodhead and Francesca D'Enno 10pts
Radials
1st Henry Stone 22pts
2nd Josie Gummer 23pts
3rd Will Everitt 33pts