Royal Harwich Junior Race Week 2016
by Mike Clayton 11 Sep 2016 13:33 BST
Royal Harwich Yacht Club Junior Race Week © Jane Russell
Five days of sunshine and 114 happy young sailors racing in Optimist, Tera, Topper, Laser and Fast Handicap fleets, with a separate Regatta 'Vikings' fleet for the younger and less experienced.
The afternoon tides were looking awkward for race planning, but the late starts were perfect for all the teenagers and gave enough time for the sea breeze to fill in. With 10 decent points races sailed in the main fleets in the first four days nobody minded swapping boats and doubling up for a fun pursuit race in the light winds and tidal restriction of the last day. The Regatta Fleet enjoyed games both afloat and ashore, short races and ice cream.
In the fast handicap the largest fleet the RS200's seemed to concentrate on racing each other, allowing the well sailed Wayfarer of Dylan Walendy-Wrigley and Eleanor Hensley (Harwich Town SC and Royal Harwich YC) to dominate, especially in the lighter winds. In the lasers the top radials were racing boat for boat against the full rigs with Emma Crane (Bewl) consistently at the front. The third start for the Toppers, Teras and Optimists was the most congested with 33 boats on the start line. The Toppers had the closest racing with four different race winners. Richard Townley (Royal Harwich YC) was the most consistent, and was never out of the top 3. Jack Oakley (Royal Hospital School) was a clear winner for the Tera Sport fleet with Tristan Richardson (Alton Water) the best of the two Pros. Katherine Burgess (Royal Harwich YC) won the Optimists, although Finian Morris managed six first in the ten race series.
Ashore in the mornings and evenings there was time to lash together large 'ballista' catapults to fire wet sponges at the enemy or at the unwary passer-by; the Vice-Commodore suffered a direct hit! The Blow-a-Boat competition was hotly contested, and such was the frenzied activity of the cardboard 'canoe' construction that the whole lawn looked as if a hurricane had blown through. William Thorogood (Regatta Fleet) was surprised but then justifiably proud to be the only person to have built a boat substantial enough to enable him to sit in it and paddle the full course without it disintegrating. The others all sank within a few metres of the slip! The smartphone quiz, BBQ and disco nights were as popular as ever.
Not able to award the prizes in person, Saskia Clark was with us in spirit in her personal message to all the young sailors in which she remembered her first Junior Week at the Royal Harwich and the years that followed – the start of her road to Olympic Gold.
The week could not have been a success without all the parents, grand-parents and other helpers who volunteered their time so willingly. Thanks to them all. See you all again next year!
Overall Results:
Fast Handicap
1st Dylan Walendy-Wrigley and Eleanor Hensley (Wayfarer)
2nd Issy Taylor-Jones and Will Carron (RS Feva)
3rd Henry McCarthy (Topaz Uno Sport)
Laser
1st Emma Crane (Radial)
2nd Benjamin Reason (Radial)
3rd Dan Patten (Standard)
Topper
1st Richard Townley
2nd Euan Harris
3rd Sean Woodard
Tera Sport
1st Jack Oakley
2nd Felix Powell
3rd Harry McTiernan
Optimist
1st Katherine Burgess
2nd Finian Morris