RYA Eric Twiname Championships at Rutland Sailing Club
by Matt Carter, RYA 9 May 2011 19:16 BST
7-8 May 2011
West Zone named 25th RYA Eric Twiname Champions
It was the RYA West Zone who reigned triumphant at Rutland Water this weekend as they were crowned 2011 RYA Eric Twiname Champions as the Regatta came to a thrilling finish on the final day of the Championships (Sunday 8 May).
With light breezes greeting the opening day of the Championships on Saturday, stronger winds ranging from 20-25 knots and spells of sunshine throughout the day (Sunday 8 May) enabled the 327 sailors to compete in exhilarating conditions allowing for the 2011 Eric Twiname Champions to be crowned.
In clinching their prestigious victory the West Zone also won the Eric Twiname Dinghy Trophy, awarded to the zone performing best from the top 2 dinghy classes out of the 5, while the North for the second year running retained the Eric Twiname Windsurfing Trophy, awarded to the Zone scoring best from two of the four windsurfing classes.
Dave Woodhead, RYA West Zone Coach, commented: “Our kids have had a fantastic weekend incorporating all the hard training they put in over the cold winter months in order to come out Championship winners and to take home the Eric Twiname Shield. It’s excellent to be crowned top RYA Zone as well as winning the Eric Twiname Dinghy trophy and the win here at Rutland bodes extremely well for the future.”
It was South Zone Emilia Boyle (Royal Lymington YC), 10, who ruled the waves in the Optimist fleet this weekend as her consistent performance, posting a minimal overall score of seven, secured her Championship glory. Her fellow South Zone team member, Vita Heathcote (Royal Lymington YC), 9, followed closely behind in second while 12-year-old Matthew Viney (CBYC) was the top boy finishing fifth overall. The South Zone was the overall top Optimist Zone.
It was Northern Irelands Tim Brow (Ballyholme Yacht Club), 14, who yet again delivered a solid set of results on day two after posting two consecutive bullets in the final two races of the day to finish 16 points ahead of second place Joseph Mullen (Priory & Stewartby) to claim event victory in the Topper class. Sophie Otter (Hollowell Sailing Club), 12, finished top girl lying in eighth overall. The top Topper Zone was Northern Ireland.
The Cadet fleet was turned upside down on the final day due to testing conditions proving tricky for many of the sailors. At the close of play on day one, East Zone duo Alex Page, 14, and crew Richard Townley, 9, (Alton Water) were leading the pack, however finished 12th overall. Class victory went to East Zone pairing of Charlie Linsell (Waldringfield SC), 14, and crew Lisa Rose (Hemley SC), 11, who were able to secure a bullet in the final race of the day clinching championship honours, one point above fellow East Zone members Josie Gummer/ Aaron Chadwick. The East was awarded the prize for the top Cadet Zone.
Linsell commented: “It’s fantastic to win and I am really pleased as I have never really won anything. The conditions on day one were extremely shifty but today we had stronger winds which suited me a lot better. I’m sure this win will boost my confidence for future events including an indicator next month down at Weymouth.”
West Zone Molly Griffin (Draycote Water SC), 15, and crew Dom Hall (Draycote Water SC), 12, wrapped up event honours in the RS Feva class notching up consistent results all throughout the regatta including a bullet in race four with fellow Draycote Water SC team mates Jane Furness/Immi Slinn and Jack Nunn/James Dando finishing second and third respectively clinching yet more points for their Zone. The top RS Feva Zone was awarded to the West.
Points continued to flow for the West Zone in the Mirror class as 14-year-olds Chloe Macaulay and Isobel Leroux (South Staffs SC) showed complete domination by winning all of their five races apart from race three where they finished second. The duo sealed event victory in impressive style by finishing a jaw dropping 11 points ahead of fellow West Zone members, brothers Scott and Adam Bromley (South Staffordshire SC). To add to the success the top performing zone overall in the Mirror class was also the West.
The windsurfing fleets saw an extremely high standard in the 4.5m as South West Zone Joshua Croft (Roseland Waveriders), 13, continued day ones dominance posting a bullet in the first race of day two securing event victory. Isaac Bradley Baker (West Kirby Warriors), 11, representing the West Zone leap frogged Saturday’s leader, Alexei Murphy (Bray Manic Monkeys), 13, with a first and third place finish on day two to take the crown in the 5.8m.
North Zone windsurfers were impressive in the 6.8 fleet with Harry Davis (North Lincs & Humberside S.C.), 12, being crowned champion whilst fellow team member, 2010 Bic Techno 4.5 champion Sarah Labourne (North Lincs SC), finished five points behind in second place. Matthew Barton (Alton Water SC), 15, had a great closing day posting two spectacular bullets to claim his class win in the 7.8 fleet for the East Zone. Natalie McWilliams (Royal Northern and Clyde YC), 16, was able to hold on to her overnight lead from day one to finish top of the female fleet for Scotland.
Davis, 2011 Bic Techno 6.8 Champion, commented: “The ET Championships have been great as I have had a couple of races wins which gave me the overall lead. I am feeling very happy and am over the moon to have won.”
The top 4.5 Zone prize went to the South East, the 5.5 prize to the West, and the North was crowned top 6.8 and 7.8 Zone.
The first part of the selection process for the 2011 Laser 4.7 National Junior Squad was also taking place this weekend at Rutland with Dan Bullock (Burghfield), 15, stealing the show finishing with a spectacular 15 points in front of second place Ollie Sellers, 14, (Bowmoor SC). Johanna Asplund (Guernsey Yacht Club), 15, carried on her fine form from day one and finished top of the female fleet, fourth overall.
Duncan Truswell, RYA Youth Racing Manager, commented: “I have been extremely impressed by the standard of sailing displayed by the Juniors this year, they have obviously worked hard with their coaches over the winter as part of the RYA Zone and Home Country Squad programmes. The racing in each of the individual classes has been incredibly tight over the past two days and the competitors exhibited real character and determination in the testing conditions today, which is a great reflection on the quality of Junior sailors we have right across the UK and the future is defiantly a bright one for British sailing.
“The rigours of a major, multiclass regatta like the one we have just witnessed can at times be demanding for young sailors, this weekend we have endeavoured to provide an experience out of their comfort zone alongside the festival of the Eric Twiname Championships aiming to instil a real sense of fun within the sailors. We hope this will have not only encouraged the youngsters to commit to this great sport but also that it will have equipped them for the forthcoming regattas over the summer period as well as provide them with the experience necessary to enable them to challenge for a place in the RYA National Junior Squad.”
Truswell concluded: “The event this year has been a huge success and an enormous thank you on behalf of everyone must go to Rutland Sailing Club for hosting the sailors and the Eric Twiname Memorial Trust for financing the championship for the consecutive 25th year running.”
Thanks to the long-standing and on-going support of the Eric Twiname Memorial Trust, the event is free to enter with all costs associated with the running of the regatta met by the RYA and the Trust.
For full results, photos and further event information on the 2011 RYA Eric Twiname Championships please visit the RYA Racing Events website www.ryaracingevents.org.uk
2011 RYA Eric Twiname Championships Results:
Overall winners of the Eric Twiname Shield
1) West
2) South
3) North
Dinghies
Optimists
1) Emilia Boyle
2) Vita Heathcote
3) Emma Baker
Winning Zone: South
Toppers
1) Tim Brow
2) Joseph Mullan
3) Edward Higson
Winning Zone: Northern Ireland
Cadets
1) Charlie Linsell/Lisa Rose
2) Josie Gummer/Aaron Chadwick
3) Alex Philpott/ Megan Ferguson
Winning Zone: East
RS Fevas
1) Molly Griffin/Dom Hall
2) Jane Furness/Immi Slinn
3) Jack Nunn/ James Dando
Winning Zone: West
Mirrors
1) Chloe Macaulay/ Isobel Leroux
2) Scott Bromley/ Adam Bromley
3) Joanna Kalderon/ Otilie Spruit
Winning Zone: West
Dinghy overall winning Zone:
1) West
2) South
3) East
Windsurfers:
Bic Techno 4.5
1) Joshua Croft
2) Zara Petts
3) Galahad Wisbey
Winning Zone: South East
Bic Techno 5.8
1) Isaac Bradley-Baker
2) Alexei Murphy
3) Zed Spencer-Milnes
Winning Zone: West
Bic Techno 6.8
1) Harry Davis
2) Sarah Labourne
3) Lucy Taylor
Winning Zone: North
Bic Techno 7.8
1) Matthew Barton
2) Fynn Page
3) Lewis May
Winning Zone: North
Windsurfing overall winning Zone:
1) North
2) South West
3) West
Laser 4.7 indicator results:
1) Dan Bullock
2) Ollie Sellers
3) Petter Barreng