First race for Club Graduate at Chipstead Sailing Club
by Alistair Roaf 3 Jul 2014 10:58 BST
29 June 2014
On Sunday 29th June, the Chipstead Club Graduate was used in its first race. Sailed by teenage team Georgina Edrupt and Ryan Whitehead, the boat showed that it was just as competitive as the other 12 Graduates which started the class race.
The club boat was generously donated to Chipstead Sailing Club by the family of the late Mike Clee who used to sail it at the club. The boat is now available to club members who want to try out Graduate sailing before they invest in a double handed boat of their own.
Having racing boats available for improving sailors to try out compliments the club's various membership developmental programmes such as the Junior and Adult Saturday clubs, and Women on Water. These programmes follow on from the usual busy RYA training carried out at the club.
Back to Sunday's Graduate racing, and concentration was the name of the game with a northerly wind gusting from calm to near planing conditions in a few seconds. First were Rob and Sally Riddelsdell in Grad 3016 which is one of two brand new Graduates to join the fleet this season. Second were Liz Stockdale and Emma Flory in fifty-year-old Grad 1718 demonstrating what an excellent one design boat the Graduate is, when sailed well. Third were Andrew and Charlotte Hubble in Grad 3000 who presently lead the point series.
The racing was close at all levels. The Chipstead Graduate fleet continues to be strong; so far, over 20 boats have participated in Club racing this year. The end of this month is the next big event which is the Nationals at Chichester where a number of boats will be representing the Chipstead fleet.