Waldringfield Cadet Open sponsored by Anglia Factors and Crewsaver

Waldringfield Cadet Open © Juliet Dearlove

Waldringfield Cadet Open © Juliet Dearlove

A very competitive fleet of 30 Cadets entered for the Waldringfield Open on 28/29th June including 7 of the 10 strong British team for the Weymouth Worlds but also a number of those who had narrowly missed out on qualifying and were determined to demonstrate their undoubted potential.

This year the weather gods were out to cause a degree of havoc with light and shifting breeze restricting activity to one race on the Saturday and 4 on Sunday of which the last was highly unsatisfactory for the majority.

Lucy and Cally Terkelsen grabbed the yellow jerseys in race one which started with a reasonable if light wind and faded to virtually nothing up the final short beat to the finish. Having trailed the leading bunch for much of the race Daisy and Hamish Collingridge snuck up the shore to finish 2nd just ahead of their good mates Willow and Cara Bland in third. Despite further attempts after lunch there was no more racing and the squadron leader took the fleet to a rounders tournament on the village recreation ground where he demonstrated that his knowledge of the rules of rounders was some way short of the Rules of Sailing.

Sunday, sunshine, a reasonable breeze and the prospect of 4 races in classic Deben conditions....alas the weather gods had other ideas. Races 2, 3 and 4 went pretty well. Lucy and Cally winning the first two and Sam Yale and Harry Chatterton winning the third. Tom Collier and Frankie Butterworth, Emily Mitchell, Archie Penn and Hazel Whittle and Alex Page and Aaron Chadwick and Daisy and Hamish all featured in the podium positions as the wind strengthened to 15 to 18 knots at times and gave great racing. Three races back to back seemed quite a lot so the fleet were brought ashore for lunch with a final race to go afterwards.

The PRO left the course all set in order to get things going quickly after the break and all looked good as Willow Bland crewed now by Amelia Green established a good lead for the final race which started in 12 knots of wind. As the Committee set up for a windward finish after 2 laps and 40 minutes of racing there was puzzlement as they realised at the leeward end of the course the wind had died and the cadets were not making ground against the strong ebb tide. Very slowly the leaders appeared up the beat - the Terkelsens had grabbed the lead and inched over the finish, starting the clock which after 30 minutes timed out all but 5 finishers. Alex and Aaron were second and Lainey Terkelsen and Faye Chatterton were third. No one was unluckier than Archie and Hazel and Jamie and Bettine Harris who were yards short when the time limit elapsed only for the breeze to pick up 30 seconds too late.

This final race made a considerable impact on the overall results and consistency certainly paid such that after 5 races Lucy and Cally were clear leaders followed by Alex and Aaron and Lainey crewed variously by Robert Keen and Faye Chatterton. There were many other notable performances throughout the fleet where there is clear evidence of the less experienced getting to grips with their spinnakers and beating technique. Plenty for everyone to take encouragement from.

Waldringfield Cadet Open - photo © Juliet Dearlove

Our thanks go to generous sponsors Anglia Factors and Crewsaver. Next up for the Waldringfield Cadets is the unmissable Cadet Week from 28th July to 1st August - we hope many of our visitors will return hopefully to experience some better racing.

Overall Results: