RS Tera Training and Open at Northampton Sailing Club

24-25 October 2009
By Elliott Wells (competitor, age 9) 04 Nov 2009 11:01

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Saturday Open Training - We had many start practises and short course racing. We sailed follow my leader which I found quite hard to do but Tommy Darling was really good at it. At lunch time we came in and had jacket potato with baked beans.

After lunch we had more onshore coaching with Olly Spencley-Corfield and then back on the water for more start practising. We had some racing and finished the day ashore with a de-brief from Olly. Debbie Darling took the beginners out on another course to do some basic training.

Sunday Open Meeting - The day was warm and bright and windy, 22 Tera entered from 11 different clubs. Racing was postponed due to the high winds until around midday as more rescue cover became available

Race 1 - To reef or not to reef was the question of the day. Left the slip way and headed for the committee boat when I was hit by a gust my Tera went into a nose dive and it was all could do to stop it capsizing I thought it was going to sink! I decided to head back to the slip way and put in a reef. I could now handle the boat a bit better in the gusting wind which the race officer (Richard Goodenough) said was stronger than 25kn at times.

Tera’s were capsizing all round me but most boats made it to the start line. I crossed the start line and headed for the left hand side and tried to stay clear of other Tera’s but I got hit by a strong gust that knocked me over and laid the Tera on its side. I was soon back upright and round the top mark in about 6th place.

Bearing away on to a broad reach a couple of Teras got into trouble and I had to avoid them, managed to get through the gybe and took off down the second reach managed to pass two more boats and took one rounding up the leeward mark. I had to remember to go through the gate and to sail safe and try and avoid another capsize.

The race officer sent us round again, I managed to survive another windward leg and the boat ahead of me capsized on the last leeward mark allowing me to move up to 3rd place. My friend from HISC Eliot Spensly-Corfield finished in 2nd and the race was won easily by Josh Aldridge from Burnham SC.

Race 2 - We finally went afloat for at around 3.00 the gusts still blowing hard, nearly all entries made the start line. I had a late start at the committee boat end and had trouble sheeting my main in. I headed up the left hand side again but I could not get clear to tack over, when I did tack I was hit by a gust of wind that capsized me right over and I had to swim round to the daggerboard. Once upright I headed for the top mark and rounded in about 10th or 12th place. I had two good downwind legs, sailing fast. I found going up wind very hard as my arms where hurting so took it easy as I did not want capsize again, I crossed the line in 5th place. Ahead of me was Alex Russell from NSC with Crispin Beaumont in 3rd from Bartley Green and Flyn Davis from Burnham in 2nd and another win for Josh who I think lapped me. Elliot Spensley- Corfield had trouble with his mainsheet.

We had great weekend in very testing conditions a big thank you to all the NSC members that helped us on and off the water and thank you to Olly Spensely-Corfield for his help on Saturday.

Overall Results:

1st Josh Aldridge (Burnham SC)
2nd Elliott Wells (HISC)
3rd Will Robinson (Rutland SC)
4th Oskar Bisset (Downs SC)
5th Alexander Russell (Northampton SC)

More Information:

• YachtsandYachting.com RS Tera Page

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