ILCA7 50th Anniversary Regatta at Stokes Bay Sailing Club

Finley Dickinson wins the ILCA7 50th Anniversary Regatta at Stokes Bay © Georgie Altham / www.facebook.com/galthamphotography

101 entries to the ILCA 50th Anniversary Regatta and Masters Qualifier rolled up to Stokes Bay Sailing Club for a weekend of Solent magic. What transpired saw Masters and youf mixing it up on a race track that both delighted and frustrated in equal measure.

With a 36-strong ILCA7 fleet, 27 of which were masters, it was a rare opportunity for both youth and master sailors to go head-to-head, both having their moments of glory over the weekend. Unfortunately, with a challenging forecast, the fleet was not to experience the classic Stokes Bay conditions that many in the fleet regularly enjoy. Despite this, five challenging races were completed allowing the cream to rise to the top.

Saturday

The morning greeted the fleet with a fickle wind and overcast sky's leading to a short delay as the race officer waited for better winds. None were more grateful for this extra time than Roger O'Gorman who was seen frantically trying to sand his mast down so that it would fit together.

Roger O'Gorman during the ILCA7 50th Anniversary Regatta at Stokes Bay - photo © Georgie Altham / www.facebook.com/galthamphotography

Race 1 saw the fleet split with sailors trying their luck on both sides of the course. With a left shift and better pressure, those who started at the pin and headed left ultimately prevailed come the first mark. With the tide running against the wind, the downwind was a test of patience and finding what little wind there was. Kelly gave the fleet a master class on sticking to the rhumb line whilst also staying in the pressure but by the end of the race, it was Dickinson, Wolgram and Lyttle who triumphed. All in all, a tricky first race with many favourites posting big scores.

Race 2 was a similar affair with leaders coming in from the left at the first mark. A strengthening tide made it another long downwind with big gains to be made by those who could stay in the pressure. Come the second beat many sailors were caught out by another big left shift. However, with an impressive show of consistency, it was Dickinson who took the win followed by masters Gledhill and Kelly.

Orlando Gledhill during the ILCA7 50th Anniversary Regatta at Stokes Bay - photo © Georgie Altham / www.facebook.com/galthamphotography

Race 3 made for a tricky start with a very pin biased line and long port hold to the top mark emphasising getting off the start cleanly. Whilst some of the fleet was becoming acquainted with the pin, it was Davis, Woods and O'Gorman who best escaped the melee of the start. It was a tricky downwind with Bowhay and Dickinson initially looking strong on the right but those in the centre managing to make a late comeback. With the breeze up slightly the fleet enjoyed some chop to play with on the final downwind. It was a mix up to the pecking order of the day with Davis, Brindley and Woods showing the fleet a clean pair of heals in the end.

ILCA7 50th Anniversary Regatta at Stokes Bay - photo © Georgie Altham / www.facebook.com/galthamphotography

Saturday Evening

Ashore the fleet enjoyed a great evening meal put on by the club and a fundraiser for the Andrew Simpson Foundation. UKLA have adopted the ASF as their official charity. This is the perfect fit as Andrew Simpson, known to all as Bart, and most of an extraordinary generation of UK sailors have learnt to sail in the Laser/ILCA. Nick Harrison, SBSC legend, is deeply involved in the Foundations work and gave a moving account of a character that made a deep impression on all those he met.

A prize draw handed out over a dozen prizes supplied by UKLA's great sponsors SAILINGFAST and SOUTHEAST SAILBOATS - Thanks Duncan and Max. The ASF generously donated 2 coaching days which were won by Tom Mitchell and Zoe McCaig. Another Fleet Legend, Stick Daring (Neil Peters) hosted a very bonkers quiz. Getting 2 'Brains' to guess the answers to questions such as how many mountain bikes are there in the Philippines ? You really needed to be there! £750 was raised for the ASF please check out the justgiving page.

Sunday

With a wide mix of forecasts for day two, it was anyone's guess as to what was to come. Drizzle and unsteady winds gave time for a group photo and debates over the effect of tide on the racecourse. Fleet eventually under way, there was a large split at the start of race 4 with those on the right initially looking strong before being becalmed. Those on the left were able to stay in a consistent band of pressure causing a large spread in the fleet. Very light winds meant this was to be a marathon of a race not helped by the fleet converging with the ILCA 6 fleet. While Dickinson led across the line for his third bullet, it was not to be as he had fallen foul of the black flag. This left Kemp to take the win as he attempted to rectify a tough first day. Wolgram and Lyttle rounded out the top three, grateful to of escaped a especially tricky race unscathed.

ILCA7 50th Anniversary Regatta at Stokes Bay - photo © Georgie Altham / www.facebook.com/galthamphotography

The cloud had finally parted and a pleasant breeze came in for the final race of the event, a welcome relief after the previous fickle wind. Unfortunately, the ILCA 6 took more than a few attempt to get away cleanly resulting in a fair wait. The final race was to be a short and sharp one placing extra emphasis on getting a good start. Harrison and Courts showed the fleet how it was done coming storming in from the right. Dickinson had an impressive downwind after uncharacteristically struggling on the first leg bringing himself back into contention. With the breeze dropping Foster managed to sneak past Harrison to take the win, Wolgram came in third with an impressive scoreline for the day.

UKLA would like to thank all those at Stokes Bay SC for making its members so warmly welcome and for making it possible to race at this great venue.

Sailingfast - Duncan brings his battle buss down from Scotland for most the big events, which is so ridiculously well equipped, you could replace everything on your boat. Although based in Scotland they will get anything to you super fast. He also supplied many of the prizes for the draw on Saturday evening. sailingfast.co.uk

SouthEast Sailboats - Max brings bespoke quality at affordable prices to the class. His passion for detail has made his products a must have for anyone who wants quality. He also supplied many great prizes for the event. southeastsailboats.co.uk

Ovington Boats - Chris Turner lives dinghies and has been a significance presence in the boat building world for decades. OB are now the official UK builders of ILCAs. A very smart new Ovington ILCA Dinghy was on display at the Masters event. www.ovingtonboats.com

ILCA 7 Results: