Junior/Youth Regatta at Prestwick Sailing Club
by Alan Henderson 9 Sep 2010 10:58 BST
4-5 September 2009
Prestwick Junior/ Youth Regatta © Alan Henderson /
www.fotoboat.com
Two days of moderate or fresh winds and warm temperatures gave 80 boats a perfect late summer weekend at Prestwick Junior/ Youth Regatta. The event was a Scottish Traveller for Toppers, Optimists, Lasers, Radials and Fevas. The event on September 4/5 was sponsored by South Ayrshire Sports Council, Bosun’s Locker, www.fotoboat.com and Bowsprit Yachting.
There were three races back to back on both days, sailed in a shifty and gusty offshore wind. Biggest fleet was the Topper main fleet, where Royal Gourock’s Alex Still took three wins on the Saturday to put him on course for a class win.
In Optimists, it was a very tight contest. Alasdair Ireland, from Toward, led after the first day, but Largs’s Jack Gillespie overtook on a windy Sunday. In the Lasers, Helensburgh’s Moray Clark led on the Saturday after three bullets, but Stonehaven’s Pete Malcolm took all three races on Sunday to win on the tiebreak.
In Radials there was a decisive winner, as Andrew McGowan, from Helensburgh, won five races. In 420s, Callum and Drew Airlie were in imperious form, taking all six wins. Christopher Kilgour and Ruairidh Donaldson took the Fevas.
The Regatta fleets for beginners were very popular. Martin Blewett of Loch Tummel won the 15 strong Topper regatta fleet, while Finn Mitchell from Annandale took the Optimist regatta class. Ellie McSheffery received a prize as the best of the Prestwick Optimists.
Results of biggest fleets
Topper (Main fleet)
1. Alex Still
2. Jessica Campbell
3. Aaron Murray
4. Jo Foster
5. Andrew Mitchell
Optimist (Main fleet)
1. Jack Gillespie
2. Alasdair Ireland
3. Rachel Mawer
Laser Radial
1. Andrew McGowan
2. Josh Kerr
3. Ian Fitzgerald
Laser
1. Pete Malcolm
2. Moray Clark
3. David Martin
Topper (Regatta fleet)
1. Martin Blewitt
2. Lindsay Johnstone
3. Fraser Cameron