Virtual Rigger UKCRA Junior Catamaran Championship at Grafham Water

UKCRA Junior Catamaran Championship © Fiona Smith

UKCRA Junior Catamaran Championship © Fiona Smith

The Virtual Rigger UCKRA Junior Cat Championships were held at Grafham Water Sailing Club on the 22nd and 23rd August, alongside a Spitfire open meeting. Junior Cat Sailors sailing with older crew members were also welcomed.

Friday the 21st was a training day during which several competitors took the opportunity to test themselves and their boats. Many of the competitors were new to their boats.

Saturday 22nd started warm and sunny with a gentle breeze that built to stronger stuff. The Race Officer, Tim Johnson, decided that all boats should start together, and sail the same windward leeward course. Two races were sailed back to back and with another two after a short break.

Race 1: The wind was a pleasant force three and the weather stayed warm and sunny. William Smith single handing his Spitfire took the line honours with Lotte and Becki Johnson following closely behind.

Race 2: The wind began to build with all sailors getting out on the trapezes. Abbie Wallace perhaps making her father regret his decision to not wear a wetsuit, when their Hobie Dragoon spectacularly pitch poled on the downwind leg. After the short break the wind really kicked in, with several boats capsizing during races three and four as several new pairings tested their skills to the limit. Several crews fell at the top mark as strong gusts caught them by surprise, with many just getting to grips with spinnakers. Only two boats remained upright for the whole day.

Saturday evening was spent with all sailors and their families enjoying a meal at the club followed by all young sailors getting together whilst their parents made use of the bar! Everyone camped on site, waking to a sunny lakeside view.

With an uncertain forecast and the day starting with 20 knots plus, the race officer set a target of four races back to back. With sailors enjoying a large course on the lake, the conditions were testing with many capsizes and some spectacular pitch poles. During the first race of the day, the first three boats to round the windward mark hoisted their spinnakers only to all fall over in the same gust. The rest, led by Megan Smith and her replacement crew, 11 year old Ben Simmonds, declined to use their spinnakers, and mostly made it round the course. At the end of the race, the wind was gusting 28 knots, leading to two retirements.

Race 6 lead to more capsizes, but the boats that stayed upright steadily improved, Megan Smith now with Emilie Cummerson, a more experienced cat crew finishing behind her brother again.

Race 7 saw the wind dropping, and the remaining half of the fleet starting to use their spinnakers again.

Race 8: There was a slight delay for the course to be reset, during which James Cummerson and Jack Simmonds were unfortunate to have a shroud pin failure on their UKCRA Topaz 14, leading to the collapse of their mast. The wind had dropped to more manageable levels and the remainder of the fleet including William Harrison and Dylan Walendy Wrigley, having ably managed every race on their UKCRA Topaz 14, returned to shore exhausted.

Special mention goes to new Spitfire pairing of Theo Williams and Ryan Gill for the most spectacular capsize of the weekend and the great improvement they made in their sailing.

Thanks to VR for their support and prizes, Tim Johnson Chairman of UKCRA Youth for his Race Officer duties and to Grafham Water Sailing Club and their excellent team of volunteers on the water.

Will Smith wins the UKCRA Junior Catamaran Championship - photo © Fiona Smith

Overall Results: