Itchenor School's Week - Day 1
by Alastair Pusinelli 24 Jun 2014 11:15 BST
23-27 June 2014
Itchenor Schools' Week got underway on Monday with two boats neck-and-neck after four races in the Feva XL class.
Consisting of 39 boats from 16 schools, the RS Feva event sponsored by JDX Consulting, finally kicked-off at 12.30pm after a two and a half hour delay due to a lack of wind.
Portsmouth Grammar School's Charles Elliot and Ellie McDonald were leading the fleet in the first race with Kingham Hill, Hayling College and another PGS boat also in the leading pack.
Kingham Hill's Harry Barker and Cameron Sweeny soon overtook the leaders and were ahead at the halfway stage. The duo then extended their lead in the second lap and secured a comfortable victory ahead of Portsmouth High School's Grace Summers and Isobel Clark and Hayling College's Henry Jamieson and Ben Todd.
The second race seemed to tell a similar tale, but race one winners Kingham Hill were disqualified for a false start; a great chance for their competitors.
Hayling College led followed by three PGS boats and Churcher's College, but they began to pull away and crossed the line behind the disqualified Kingham Hill boat, handing Jamieson and Todd victory.
The wind began to die down after lunch, giving the competitors the chance to show off their tactical nous rather than their sheer pace.
The PGS boat of Henry Chandler and Louis Johnson took the lead in the third race and looked to be nailed on victors, but a poorly executed tack inches from the line allowed Kingham Hill's Barker and Sweeny to claim another victory. The PGS boats of Henry Chandler and Louis Johnson, and Charles Elliot and Ellie McDonald, finished second and third respectively.
The final race took place in especially non-windy conditions with some boats finding it far more difficult than others. Hayling College once again took the lead with Bishop Luffa, PGS and of course Kingham Hill in the chasing pack. However, Henry Jameison and Ben Todd were so dominant, lapping those at the back of the fleet. The Bishop Luffa boat of Tai Buxton and Levi Potts finished second with PGS's Arthur Fry and Nick Walter claiming third, up from fifth at the halfway stage.