Cadet Open at Parkstone Yacht Club

Cadets at Parkstone © David Elliott

Cadets at Parkstone © David Elliott

Cadets at Parkstone © David Elliott

20 travellers from Draycote Water, Exe, Frensham Pond, Royal Lymington, Royal Torbay, Salcombe and South Cerney joined eight local teams at this year’s Parkstone Open. Traditionally a September meeting, but moved to accommodate the RYA National Junior Squad qualifier event, entries were affected because a number of boats were already on their way to Poland for this year’s World Championships. Racing took place in the “top triangle” of Poole Harbour using a triangle-sausage-sausage course.

A F2 gusting F3 shifty south-westerly prevailed throughout Saturday. Race 1 started at the second attempt under a Black Flag . Charlie Whyte & Isobel Spiers from Frensham Pond in 8333 Sizzerin’ Hot caught the Race Officer’s eye with a superbly timed port-end flier which saw them 3rd at the windward mark behind fellow Frensham Pond sailors Matthew & Ben Shorrock in 8352 Master Mariner and Parkstone’s Matthew Currell & Theo Smith in 8997 Executrix. Matt & Theo took the lead on the run to the leeward mark and held off the challenge of Royal Lymington/Frensham Pond’s Andrew Smith & Rory Burdock in 9243 Blue String Pudding to take the gun. Amir & Aliya Jannaty from South Cerney were third in 9319, followed home by Michael Horne & Ollie King in 9013 Purple Ronnie from Frensham Pond, Ole Alcock & Guy Pullen from Parkstone in 9031 C’est La Vie and Will Reid & Daniel Stacey also from Parkstone in 9576 In Too Deep.

Race 2 saw Amir & Aliya open up a useful lead over Royal Torbay’s Alice Rumbelow & Jemima Crossland in 7632 Black Mariah, which they maintained for the first lap. The second beat saw Andrew & Rory move up into second, followed by Frensham Pond’s Ben Hazeldine & George Bridge in 8364 Fluke and Royal Lymington’s James & Henry Marsh in 9240 Nitro. Andrew & Rory went one further to take victory from Amir & Aliya with Alice & Jemima recovering well to take third.

The ebbing tide featured strongly in Race 3. Martha Haslam & Aqil Jannaty from South Cerney in 8291 Aslan led at the windward from James & Henry, Andrew & Rory and Mary Henderson & Jim Brooker from Salcombe/Frensham Pond in 8371 White Spirit. Mary & Jim led at the leeward and held off the challenge of Andrew & Rory to take the gun, with James & Henry third and Martha & Aqil fourth.

Fickle, shifty winds, when combined with the tide, produced challenging conditions for Sunday’s races. Matthew & Ben Shorrock took victory in Race 4 from Mary & Jim, Michael & Ollie and Matt & Theo.

Race 5 saw Matt & Theo take their second bullet, with Mary & Jim again second and Andrew & Rory third.

Going into the final race, Andrew & Rory held a five point lead over Matt & Theo, who were in turn one point ahead of Mary & Jim. Andrew & Rory opened up a useful gap over the fleet which they extended as the race progressed to score their second bullet, followed home by Mary & Jim and Matt & Theo.