Waldringfield Cadet Open sponsored by Anglia Factors & Neil Pryde Overall
by Neil Collingridge 26 Jun 2017 07:51 BST
24-25 June 2017
Day 2 and another shifty Waldringfield classic in prospect. The forecast was for marginally more wind than Saturday though that never really materialised, shiftier it certainly was though. With a warning of an East Coast tidal surge to come it was set to be pretty tidal to boot.
The fourth race took place across the river around Galleons Hard in perhaps 8 knots of breeze. Initially Cara Bland and Ines Green lead up the beat with Faye Chatterton and Amelia Mayhew second and Lia Fletcher and Imogen Mayhew third. By the leeward overnight leaders Hattie and Hamish Collingridge were into second and snuck past Cara at the second windward after she had to do a 720. They went on to secure the win though never with a comfortable margin with Cara second and Faye third.
Lunch followed with then the fleet moving up-river towards the Tips area at the top of a very high tide. Effectively the third race course of the weekend. A complicated set of rule infractions (caught by your correspondent on video) coupled with not enough room at the biased pin end saw both the 2 leading boats jump the gun. Cara, clearly over, returned... Hattie, marginally over, did not, so whilst she stormed off into the lead it was really Faye ahead round the first lap followed by Angus Collingridge and Emilia Green and then Hazel Whittle and Gwen Thorogood. With the wind up and down under the clouds it was all about playing the shifts to good effect and these three held their positions to the finish.
So one more race. Hattie needing to sail clean and Cara still in with a shout but needing to get the best possible position. This she did for the whole race after Hattie ducked most of the fleet off the start line. With third to sixth places still up for grabs there was plenty of jockeying amongst Angus, Faye, Kate White / Rhona Enkel and Connor Line /Toby Bush throughout the race. As the tide turned a big lefty saw some deft repositioning of the beat with Hattie chasing down her brother into second and the Conner also playing the shifts well to take third.
This left Hattie and Mish first overall from Cara and Ines/Ed Fletcher (day 1 crew) and Faye and Amelia third. Angus and Emilia fourth (first boy helm though no prize for that) and Kate and Rhona fifth. First under 13 helm was James Russell (also youngest helm) and Tristram Whittle. First under 14 helm was Connor and Toby (reawarded after Angus' dad - me - allegedly got his age wrong on the entry form; sorry Connor). First silver fleet Katie Lloyd and Alex Enkel (also youngest crew) and the infamous Ultimate Plank (most spectacular capsize) went to Matteo Mancini and Hettie Thorogood.
Waldringfield cakes followed with prizes generously provided by Anglia Factors (our local and excellent kitchen manufacturers) and Neil Pryde. A massive thank-you to them. And a reminder to those Cadets and Laser Radials who missed our sailing on our beautiful, if challenging River Deben, Cadet Week runs from 18 to 22nd August. Free camping, loads of fun, don't miss it.