KSSA Opening Splash at Medway Yacht Club

by Jo Wicken 28 Apr 2015 08:22 BST 25 April 2015

Youth sailors in Kent were out in force for the KSSA Opening Splash on 25th April at Medway Yacht Club. Thirty-eight sailors from clubs across the county entered, with experience ranging from those participating in their first regatta to others who have raced at national level. The format for the day was two races back-to-back in the morning and the same again after lunch, an average lap trapezoid course catering for the Optimist through to the RS200.

Race 1 involved beating against the last of the ebb tide with the Laser Radial of George Hyett being the fastest boat for the first two laps, fending off the challenge from Stanley Chick (Radial) and Julia Judd/Mark Lightbody (RS200). The Toppers completed four laps, the faster boats five laps, but it was three well-sailed Toppers that took the top positions on corrected time.

Race 2 followed a similar pattern, with Morgan Archer (Topper) and Emma Crane (Topper) placed first and second respectively again.

All the sailors and duty crew came ashore for a pasta bake lunch as the sun came out. It was warm enough for sailors to sit out on the grass bank watching all the other boating activity on the river.

By the start of Race 3 the wind had built to Force 4 and the wind over tide conditions added a different dimension. A good few boats capsized round the course mainly on the downwind leg but only three of the starters in that race were unable to complete the course. Toppers took the first five places.

Although it was coming up to 4pm, against the odds, Race Officer Tim Townsend managed to squeeze in a fourth race so as not to waste the almost perfect sailing conditions. Medway Yacht Club's George Jones secured his best result of the day (4th) making him the highest-placed MYC boat overall.

The winner of the event was Morgan Archer from Blue Circle Sailing Club, who retained the trophy for the second year in succession, unbeaten in any of the races.

Thank you to our hosts, Medway Yacht Club, and the army of volunteers both ashore and afloat for making it such an enjoyable event.

Overall Results:

Pos	Boat Type	Sail No	Helm Name	Crew Name	Club	PY	R1	R2	R3	R4	Pts
1st	TOPPER	47647	Morgan Archer		Blue Circle	1340	‑1	1	1	1	3
2nd	TOPPER	47079	Emma Crane			1340	‑2	2	2	2	6
3rd	TOPPER	45191	Connie Hill		Bough Beech SC	1340	6	3.5	3	(OCS)	12.5
4th	LASER RADIAL	207931	Stanley Chick		Broadstairs Sailing Club	1135	5	‑10	7	3	15
5th	TOPPER	45794	Heather Denbigh		Bough Beech	1340	3	6	‑9	6.5	15.5
6th	LASER RADIAL	204888	George Hyett		Downs	1135	4	3.5	10	‑13	17.5
7th	TOPPER	46870	Pierce Seward		Broadstairs	1340	‑12	8	4	10	22
8th	RS FEVA XL	4530	Michael Dyer	Samuel Dyer	Herne Bay Sailing Club	1233	8	‑14	12	5	25
9th	TOPPER	22383	Scott Wilkinson		Rye Harbour Sailing Club	1340	‑18	7	8	11	26
10th	LASER RADIAL	173385	Max Taylor‑Nobbs		Downs Sailing club	1135	9	‑19	11	6.5	26.5
11th	LASER RADIAL	177960	Connor Lamb		Whitstable Yacht Club	1135	7	5	16	‑19	28
12th	TOPPER	47665	Finlay Adamson		Cinque Ports Pirates	1340	‑26	11	5	12	28
13th	RS 200	1098	Julia Judd	Mark Lightbody	Downs Sailing Club	1047	‑13	13	13	9	35
14th	LASER 4.7	161799	Ben Gray		Wilsonian	1195	14	‑16	6	16	36
15th	LASER RADIAL	950	Imogen Cage‑White		Broadstairs	1135	10	12	‑15	14	36
16th	LASER RADIAL	172811	Richard Tutt		Wilsonian sailing club	1135	11	‑21	18	8	37
17th	LASER RADIAL	146964	George Jones		Medway YC	1135	22	‑25	17	4	43
18th	RS FEVA XL	3333	Hannah Mumford	Max Behrens	Redoubt Sailing Club	1233	‑16	15	14	15	44
19th	TOPPER	27512	Henry Townsend		Medway Yacht Club	1340	19	9	20	‑22	48
20th	TOPPER	46430	Alex Head		DSC	1340	‑20	18	19	17	54
21st	LASER RADIAL	186940	Gabrielle Mould		Chipstead S.C.	1135	15	‑30	24	20	59
22nd	TOPPER	27402	Jem Causer		Wilsonian	1340	‑23	22	22	18	62
23rd	LASER RADIAL	199442	Joseph Lord		Downs Sailing club	1135	17	‑28	25	21	63
24th	TOPPER	30449	Jack Dann		Wilsonian	1340	25	20	21	(DNS)	66
25th	RS TERA SPORT	2620	Iggy McNally		Whitstable	1457	27	27	23	(DNS)	77
26th	LASER	143514	Alistair Bolton		MYC	1091	21	24	(DNS)	DNS	81
27th	TOPPER	23637	Rowan Ellerby		Medway YC	1340	28	26	27	(DNS)	81
28th	BYTE CII	2947	Tara Head		DSC	1150	29	17	(DNF)	DNF	82
29th	TOPPER	37203	Charlie Baker		MYC	1340	24	23	(DNF)	DNS	83
30th	TOPPER	33885	Brendan O'Shea		MYC	1340	30	29	(DNS)	DNS	95
31st	TOPPER	15825	Zoe Breare		MEDWAY YC	1340	(DNF)	DNS	26	DNS	98
32nd	TOPPER	26882	Anna Baker		MYC	1340	31	31	(DNS)	DNS	98
33rd	TOPPER	28416	Tom Hirst		Broadstairs Sailing Club	1340	(DNF)	DNS	DNS	DNS	108
33rd	OPTIMIST	4912	Morgan Glass		Medway YC	1665	(DNS)	DNS	DNS	DNS	108
33rd	TOPPER	45673	Alex Jeffery		Medway Yacht Club	1340	(DNF)	DNS	DNS	DNS	108