Honours at stake as final Ranker looms
by Imogen Stanley 4 Nov 2016 19:26 GMT
5-6 November 2016
Emma Wilson © Nick Dempsey / Royal Yachting Association
The 2016 RYA Autumn National Ranking Series will come to a dramatic conclusion at Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy (WPNSA) this weekend.
Some 53 boats are registered to compete at WPNSA across the 470, RS:X, 2.4mR and Nacra 17 classes, while 49er and 49erFX sailors will be racing at the Inland Championships at Grafham.
With 17 entries in the RS:X 8.5M windsurfing class, current series leader Josh Carey will have a challenge on his hands from 17-year-old Emma Wilson to secure the title. The top two sailors, Carey and Wilson, are just a point apart, with Carey leading the charge on four following two second place finishes at the Windsurfing Nationals and the October Ranker. Wilson is just behind on five points after winning the Windsurfing Nationals and finishing fifth at the first Ranker.
Tom Phipps and Nikki Boniface lead the Nacra 17 series after winning the first Ranker in October, followed closely by new pairing John Gimson and Anna Burnet, both teams will be battling it out in Portland Harbour for the overall series win.
2.4mR Open World Champion Megan Pascoe tops the 2.4mR field with two event wins convincingly winning the 2.4mR inlands at Rutland in August and the first Ranker in October. With seven boats entered this weekend, Pascoe only needs to finish inside the top six to claim the series win. Carol Dugdale is the only sailor able to challenge for first and with series second already secured she will head out all guns blazing.
With just one event in the series for the 470 Men and Women it's all to play for this weekend. Ben Hazeldine and Ryan Orr lead the men's fleet but will be facing stiff competition from Martin Wrigley and Rory Hunter.
In the women's fleet, Podium sailors Sophie Weguelin and Eilidh McIntyre will be racing in their first Autumn Ranker, looking to affirm their spot as the top British team. The pair missed the first Ranker as they were in Japan racing on the Tokyo 2020 waters alongside teammates Amy Seabright and Anna Carpenter, who will be hot on their heels in Portland this weekend, as well as Podium Potential team Jess Lavery and Flora Stewart.
49er and 49erFX British Sailing Team members will be competing at their Inland Championships at Grafham Water which counts as part of their ranking series.
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