Optimist Selections at Weymouth & Portland Sailing Academy

by Jenny Campbell-James 15 Apr 2002 11:40 BST

Volvo Musto Optimist World and European Team Selections 2002

With the wind seldom reaching 10 knots for the whole 3 day weekend it was a chance for the smaller Optimist sailors to show their form at the Volvo Musto World and European Team Selection trials held on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Weymouth and Portland Sailing Academy.

12 year old Tim Saxton was on startling form winning two of the first 3 races on Friday and falling only to a fourth in the other race that day. The racing for Friday was held in Weymouth Bay and the 81 sailors didn’t get back to port until after 6 in the evening. It was a test of endurance for them all. Also showing form in the shifty conditions was one of last year’s European Team members Richard Mason. Greg Carey from Lymington had 2 seconds and an 11th putting him up at the front and club mate Robert Claridge was also doing well. Jamie Watts won the middle race but could not hold this form in the other Friday races.

The youngsters are racing for selection to attend the Optimist World Championships in July in Texas and the Optimist European Championships in August in Portugal. The top 5 from the 2 weekend trials go to the Worlds and the next 8 to the Europeans, however 3 of these must be girls.

Day 2 was held in the harbour but still the wind was light and fickle. It was Hannah Mills from Wales who dominated the days racing with 2 firsts and a third. Claire Lasko from Bowmoor was also proving the hard winter’s training worthwhile with a 1st, 2nd and 16th. The girls were pushing the boys hard. Thomas Mallindine, who is trying to make the Worlds Team for a fourth year, was showing his toughness in getting to the top end of the fleet despite unfavourable conditions. Ben Pym, Tim Saxton, David de Boltz, James Hopson, Hannah Diamond, Richard Mason, Ben Saxton, Sophie Wequelin, William Morgan, James Murdock and Josh Metcalfe all put in top 10 race results in one race or another over the day. The battle was really beginning to hot up. Greg Carey, Robert Claridge and David Jessop were among several who got caught on the I flag rather dashing their hopes but they are still in there fighting hard.

With even less winds forecast for Sunday and the expected breeze at the Championship venues expected to be rather more than those we were expecting only 2 races were held for the final day and prays were started for more breeze for the second selection weekend.

The forecast was right and the wind was poor. Star of the day was again Hannah Mills, closely followed by Andrew Conn from Derwent and Josh Metcalfe from Port Dinorwic. Overall leader Tim Saxton did not have such a good time though he had done enough to remain overall leader at the end. James Murdock sailed better and Chris Witty had a good day.

Some of those that had been in the teams the previous year were struggling, especially the heavier boys, but by the end of the third day all remain in contention with 8 more races to run anything can happen.

The final Volvo Musto selection weekend is the 4, 5, 6th May again in Weymouth. The top players are all lining up to take it away from the new pretenders, who can cope with this pressure remains to be seen.

Overall Results: (8 races, 1 discard)

Pos	Sail No	Helm	M/F	DOB	Age	Club	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	R8	Pts
1	5083	Tim Saxton	M	14 Jun 90	12	Grafham Water	1	4	1	2	17	3	33	10	38
2	5047	Hannah Mills	F	29 Feb 88	14	British Steel SC	9	25	42	3	1	1	1	7	47
3	5066	Richard Mason	M	20 Feb 88	14	Royal Lymington	4	2	8	16	2	21	2	16	50
4	5062	Thomas Mallindine	M	23 Sep 87	15	British Steel SC	16	7	14	8	9	4	8	28	66
5	5048	Joshua Metcalfe	M	28 Sep 87	15	Port Dinorwic	3	3	53	39	4	10	9	1	69
6	5064	David de Boltz	M	27 Feb 90	12	Dabchicks	7	10	12	27	3	7	4	30	70
7	5081	Claire Lasko	F	26 Feb 90	12	Bowmoor SC	8	26	15	1	16	2	3	29	71
8	4956	Andrew Conn	M	4 Feb 88	14	Derwent Reservoir	14	6	17	18	24	17	5	4	81
9	4962	James Murdock	M	6 Dec 88	14	Bowmoor SC	32	16	6	6	14	27	7	5	81
10	5046	Ben Pym	M	12 Nov 88	14	British Steel SC	13	5	55	4	12	5	41	8	88
11	5068	Robert Claridge	M	24 Dec 88	14	Royal Lymington	5	14	5	12	82	8	14	38	96
12	4904	Philip White	M	13 Nov 87	15	Papercourt	10	17	52	14	18	20	16	9	104
13	4995	William Morgan	M	26 Jun 87	15	Restronguet	26	8	50	9	13	14	23	15	108
14	4860	Sophie Weguelin	F	14 Mar 89	13	Royal Lymington	40	19	3	5	21	19	15	45	122
15	5082	Ben Saxton	M	14 Jun 90	12	Grafham Water	17	20	25	10	40	6	24	22	124
16	4651	Jamie Watts	M	24 Oct 88	14	Royal Plymouth Corinthian	42	1	77	23	19	15	30	2	132
17	4767	Christopher Witty	M	23 Dec 87	15	Blithfield	11	31	26	31	27	46	6	11	143
18	4798	Iain McKeeman	M	12 May 90	12	Bowmoor SC	34	29	4	11	23	32	35	18	151
19	5030	Edward Powys	M	7 Mar 88	14	Restronguet	33	15	60	21	15	40	36	3	163
20	4941	Richard de Boltz	M	1 Jun 88	14	Dabchicks	15	32	21	15	34	37	19	31	167
21	5045	James Hopson	M	18 Apr 89	13	Gresford S.C.	27	37	35	37	5	13	50	14	168
22	4564	Maria Stanley	F	27 May 88	14	Bowmoor SC	41	30	32	24	26	35	10	17	174
23	5073	Greg Carey	M	17 Sep 88	14	Royal Lymington	2	11	2	38	82	82	34	6	175
24	4718	Peggy Webster	F	3 Jan 88	14	Bowmoor SC	47	56	34	40	11	11	11	24	178
25	5075	Amelia Garnett	F	13 May 90	12	Seaview	18	47	20	33	28	25	18	36	178
26	4805	Hannah Diamond	F	13 Jan 90	12	Warsash	6	40	39	22	42	9	38	73	196
27	4785	James Goss	M	30 Aug 87	15	Burghfield SC	48	36	28	28	82	24	12	20	196
28	4756	George Minors	M	2 Sep 88	14	Royal Lymington	37	13	9	13	45	51	39	67	207
29	5072	David Jessop	M	24 Apr 89	13	Grafham Water	12	34	7	82	22	82	49	13	219
30	4972	Joe Adams	M	4 Apr 88	14	Grafham Water	29	9	54	45	82	33	22	27	219
31	4986	James Tonkin	M	25 Mar 88	14	Papercourt	35	24	27	29	41	44	31	34	221
32	4925	Patrick Metcalfe	M	25 Oct 90	12	Port Dinorwic	43	43	31	50	6	41	74	12	226
33	5001	Sophia Parkinson	F	9 Jun 89	13	Guernsey YC	31	52	74	51	33	16	29	21	233
34	4611	Benjamin Burns	M	24 Nov 87	15	Draycote Water	20	27	51	42	44	12	57	53	249
35	5041	John Beatty	M	1 Apr 87	15	East Down Yacht Club	28	38	18	53	10	53	51	64	251
36	5043	Sean Evans	M	16 Mar 88	14	British Steel SC	36	21	82	56	29	26	45	40	253
37	4820	James Bowker	M	3 Sep 89	13	Spinnaker	62	54	22	41	8	34	46	51	256
38	5069	Christopher Sanders	M	12 Sep 88	14	Royal Lymington	39	33	11	19	82	56	53	46	257
39	4614	Emily Wall	F	21 Jul 87	15	Weirwood	64	35	67	32	46	29	17	35	258
40	5061	Edward Whitehouse	M	5 Feb 89	13	Bowmoor SC	22	50	40	35	49	30	32	58	258
41	4942	Peter Hill	M	3 Apr 89	13	Seaview	44	42	16	69	25	22	44	74	262
42	5070	Justin Visser	M	19 Nov 87	15	Oxford	23	18	37	30	82	38	62	57	265
43	4873	Claire Walsh	F	22 Jul 88	14	Barnt Green	55	41	44	52	7	70	37	33	269
44	4940	Lucy de Boltz	F	28 Mar 91	11	Dabchicks	59	70	10	47	36	48	47	23	270
45	5040	James Large	M	15 Jul 88	14	Waveney & Oulton Broad	49	23	30	64	50	28	58	32	270
46	5086	Kelsey Suggitt	F	7 Sep 89	13	Barnt Green	52	12	41	36	43	45	66	47	276
47	4953	Andrew Hibberd	M	24 Feb 89	13	Bowmoor SC	46	63	65	17	82	31	13	43	278
48	5033	Sophie Ainsworth	F	22 Jun 89	13	Bewl Valley	65	22	46	54	47	68	27	37	298
49	4620	Imogen Stanley	F	4 Dec 90	12	Bowmoor SC	77	39	33	26	48	67	21	71	305
50	5032	Chloe Martin	F	1 Jul 90	12	Bough Beech	19	78	64	49	51	52	28	44	307
51	5012	Alec Henry	M	30 Nov 88	14	Hayling Island SC	38	59	61	46	37	43	67	26	310
52	4655	Alexander Ekstrom	M	7 Jul 90	12	Bowmoor SC	50	48	29	43	31	60	55	54	310
53	4556	Elizabeth Murch	F	16 Jan 89	13	Bewl Valley	82	72	62	7	82	18	20	52	313
54	5084	Clare Chapple	F	27 May 88	14	Guernsey YC	25	49	78	20	82	36	61	49	318
55	4693	Sam Newton	M	28 May 88	14	Restronguet	58	28	24	68	35	47	70	82	330
56	5085	James Chapple	M	14 Mar 90	12	Guernsey YC	24	61	43	79	39	23	73	77	340
57	4949	Benjamin Cripps	M	9 Apr 87	15	Papercourt	30	67	70	25	57	65	26	75	340
58	5090	Robyn Stock	F	7 Jul 88	14	Royal Lymington	66	51	13	59	30	71	52	78	342
59	4926	Rhian Williams	F	13 Aug 89	13	British Steel SC	61	76	73	34	82	57	25	19	345
60	5044	Dominic Breen-Turner	M	11 Nov 89	13	Royal Anglesey YC	45	55	49	44	20	63	69	69	345
61	4884	Edward Chapman	M	19 Jan 88	14	Rutland S.C.	21	44	23	48	54	82	82	82	354
62	4905	Charles Makepeace	M	9 Jan 91	11	Bowmoor SC	54	53	36	67	70	50	63	42	365
63	4666	Robin Stewart	F	31 Jan 88	14	Royal Northern & Clyde	63	60	66	61	38	39	78	41	368
64	4924	Tom Sanderson	M	13 Sep 88	14	Mumbles YC	53	57	63	70	32	54	54	68	381
65	4974	Matthew Forrester	M	28 Sep 89	13	Clyde Cruising Club	68	64	19	66	68	73	42	62	389
66	5067	Stuart Godwin	M	22 May 90	12	Hayling Island SC	69	46	47	78	58	61	71	39	391
67	4910	Simon Barker	M	12 Jan 89	13	Norfolk Broads	56	68	57	60	66	49	43	70	399
68	5010	Robert Godwin	M	12 Aug 88	14	Hayling Island SC	67	62	38	55	64	77	65	50	401
69	4164	James McMillan	M	3 Jun 89	13	Yarmouth	75	69	56	57	67	75	56	25	405
70	4911	John Mill	M	26 May 89	13	Clyde Cruising Club	60	65	45	65	63	82	64	60	422
71	4720	Thomas Barker	M	12 Jan 89	13	Norfolk Broads	76	71	75	63	52	59	60	48	428
72	4875	Sophie White	F	3 Mar 88	14	Burghfield SC	57	58	48	74	56	72	80	72	437
73	5000	Anna Dobson	F	5 Dec 89	13	Royal Northern & Clyde	51	79	71	77	69	69	48	59	444
74	4722	Thomas Alderton	M	6 Jul 89	13	Papercourt	71	77	58	62	53	58	76	66	444
75	5091	Daniel Henderson	M	7 Dec 90	12	Corinthian Otters	72	45	59	73	60	62	79	76	447
76	4959	James Hill	M	20 Dec 89	13	Seaview	70	75	72	58	65	55	72	55	447
77	4931	Tom Marfleet	M	18 Oct 88	14	Waveney & Oulton Broad	73	66	68	76	61	66	59	56	449
78	4865	James Hadden	M	13 Apr 91	11	Swarkestone	82	82	82	72	82	42	40	61	461
79	5021	Thomas Willis	M	5 Aug 91	11	Downs	74	73	69	71	55	64	77	79	483
80	4879	James Dallimore	M	28 Aug 89	13	Corinthian Otters	79	74	76	75	59	74	68	65	491
81	4874	David Matthews	M	22 Aug 89	13	Waveney & Oulton Broad	78	82	82	80	62	76	75	63	516