RYA ISAF Youth Worlds Selection Event at Hayling Island - Day 1
by Imogen Stanley 29 Aug 2015 20:53 BST
29-31 August 2015
Minimising mistakes and banking gains
Light winds and strong tide were the features of the day at the RYA ISAF Youth Worlds Selection Event (29-31 August) at Hayling Island Sailing Club.
Eight spots are up for selection to the ISAF Youth Sailing World Championships, Langkawi, Malaysia (27 December 2014 – 2 January 2016). This is the second stage of the process following the RYA Youth Nationals held at WPNSA back in April (4-10).
It was an up and down first day for most, battling the light winds and tidal race course. Jenny Cropley, who is currently leading the girls' 420 summed up the day: "You can't win a regatta on the first day but you can lose it and we didn't lose it."
29er
The first race was of the event was won by Daniel Venables (Sutton) and Nathaniel Gordon (Parkstone YC) in the boys' 29er by just a few boat lengths to Elliot Wells and Josh Boniface (HISC). George Tardrew and Freddie Simes won race two and picked up a third in the final race of the day to top the overnight leader board.
Tardrew (HISC) was pleased with the impressive first day said: "It was pretty good, we started with a fourth as we are light wind sailors. Then we got a first which was really good, we were really happy as we won by almost a minute. Then a third in the final race finished off a really good day which we are really happy with and want to continue with that tomorrow.
"We seem to point quite high which is good, pinching out the whole fleet."
Fifteen-year-old Simes was not expecting such a good start to their regatta: "We haven't sailed with this high standard and such a small fleet. We were hoping to be top ten in each race, knowing it was light winds as well we were just hoping that the light winds would stay. We don't really want anything above ten knots or higher so it was good."
Phoebe Connellan and Sophie Otter (Grafham Water) picked up a 1, 2, 3 today and lead ahead of Hattie Rogers and Emma Loveridge (Royal Lymington) in the girls' 29er.
420
Max Clapp and Ross Banham's (Royal Southern) 1,1,2 score line puts them three points ahead of Dan Atherton (Gurnard) and Matthew Viney (Cardiff Bay) who won the final race of the day.
After winning the 2015 420 National Championships earlier this week in Restronguet, Clapp and Banham are favourites to secure the ISAF Youth Worlds spot although they aren't thinking that far ahead explains Clapp: "Our day was pretty good, were pretty happy. We just want to take it one race at a time and this is a good start. Obviously everyone else is going for it and some people are expecting us to be at the front which makes it harder but we are just taking it race by race and staying calm."
Banham continued: "Obviously we are feeling a bit of pressure because we are expected to be at the front but as Max said we just need to take it one race at a time. Do what we usually do, sail fast and don't do anything stupid."
Only a small number of boats have been invited to compete, posing a new challenge said Clapp: "We have never sailed in a fleet this small, it will be quite hard to get a points gap, if you have one bad race everyone is right back at you."
In the girls' 420, EUROSAF Youth Sailing silver medallists, Jenny Cropley and Emma Baker lead the way.
Two seconds and first put them a point clear of Isabel Davies and Gemma Keers (Itchenor) who won the first two races of the event. It's a good start explains Cropley: "We had a solid day start to the regatta. It was quite light and very tidal, challenging racing."
Laser Radial
Karyna Manuel's (Grafham Water) three race wins puts her clear ahead of the others in the girls' Laser Radial class. Manuel, who excelled in similar light conditions back at the RYA Youth National in April where she won gold, was smiling after a better than expected day: "It was better than what I could have hoped for.
"It's such a small fleet on a big course, keeping your clear air was important, there was plenty of it if you sailed in the right place. You don't want to follow the crowd, or be a sheep. Just sail smart," concluded Manuel.
Daniel Whiteley (Pwllheli) and Ben Whaley (Swanage) are first and second respectively in the boys' Laser Radial on joint points. They both picked up a race win each as well as two top ten results.
Lewis Smith (Royal Forth) won the final race of the day and is third overall.
RS:X
The RS:X fleet headed out later and completed their three schedule races after the 29ers on the blue course. Emma Wilson from Christchurch dominated the girls' fleet picking up all three of the wins.
In the boys' RS:X there were three different race winners, Andy Brown (Largs SC) won the first race and followed up with two seconds to lead the class. Dan Wilson won the second race and sits two points behind Brown in second.
James Hatcher (Bristol Corinthian) won the final race of the day and is third.
Racing is scheduled to start at 10.25 on the 30 August, three races for each class are scheduled except the 29ers who have at least four scheduled.
You can follow the event on the website, British Youth Sailing Team Facebook page and Twitter @RYAYouthRacing.