2003 Setley Cup model yacht race
by Mark Jardine 2 Jan 2004 20:24 GMT
26 December
Richard Mason ready to launch his boat ahead of the fleet in the 2003 Setley Cup © John Doerr
The Setley Cup model yacht race held on a small pond just outside Lymington is a traditional meeting of top sailors, enthusiastic children and taped together plastic bottles. 39 model yachts, mostly constructed at home on Christmas day entered the 2003 event with a near even mix of monohulls and multihulls.
Many top sailors and designers bring their creations along to race in the Setley Cup. This year was no exception with names such as John Doerr, Jonathan Rogers, Jez Fanstone, Stuart Jardine, Dave Bedford and Chris Mason all seen either watching the racing or wading a little too deep for their boots into the lake to retrieve a stricken model.
The format of the racing is very simple, four races across the lake with points awarded like any other regatta. There are no bouys to navigate around since the models are allowed no radio-controls. Many varied methods are used to try and pursuade yachts to stay in a straight line during their voyage to various degrees of success.
A brisk, cold wind made the racing exciting with the 2ft long boats getting up to surprising speeds at times. In the monohulls Matthew Bye sailing a model of an old 'Robber' design won. Richard Mason took the multihull class with three victories in the four races.
The Setley Cup was awarded to Matthew Bye for the monohull victory with the Seahorse Cup going to Richard Mason for the multihull win. Afterwards everyone went off to various Boxing Day parties to discuss designs for next year's event or to dry socks and boots belonging to both children and their parents who had ventured too deep into the water...
Overall Results:
| Pos | Sail No | Skipper | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | Pts |
|---|
| Monohull |
|---|
| 1 | 8 | Matthew Bye | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| 2 | 1 | Harry Worthington | 2 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 10 |
| 3 | 12 | Simon Mason | 3 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 10 |
| 4 | 16 | Jake Fanstone | 4 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 16 |
| 5 | 15 | Aaron Merton | 22 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 18 |
| 6 | 4 | Tallulah Rogers | 22 | 1 | 4 | 22 | 27 |
| 7 | 17 | Hector Hurst | 22 | 3 | 21 | 5 | 29 |
| 8 | 2 | Chris Felstead | 22 | 7 | 22 | 6 | 35 |
| 9 | 3 | Vita Heathcote | 22 | 7 | 22 | 6 | 35 |
| 10 | 6 | Nick Hassell | 22 | 9 | 22 | 9 | 40 |
| 21= | 20 | Sam Batten | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 66 |
| 21= | 7 | Jack Clifford | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 66 |
| 21= | 5 | Otto Figueivedo | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 66 |
| 21= | 19 | Sam Hall | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 66 |
| 21= | 14 | Kate Hardacre | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 66 |
| 21= | 10 | Charlotte/William Laurence/Redford | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 66 |
| 21= | 18 | Georgia Leach | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 66 |
| 21= | 21 | Oliver Porter | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 66 |
| 21= | 13 | Zak Smith | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 66 |
| 21= | 9 | Hannah/Thomas Snellgrove/Dudley | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 66 |
| 21= | 11 | Connie Stock | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 66 |
| Multihull |
|---|
| 1 | 8 | Richard Mason | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 2 | 2 | James Bye | 2 | 3 | 19 | 2 | 7 |
| 3 | 1 | Esme Worthington | 4 | 2 | 3 | 19 | 9 |
| 4 | 5 | Rowan Merton | 3 | 19 | 4 | 3 | 10 |
| 5 | 6 | Bobby/Daisey Haines | 19 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 19 |
| 6 | 14 | Alex Wilcox | 19 | 19 | 2 | 3 | 24 |
| 7 | 10 | James Wood | 19 | 6 | 19 | 5 | 30 |
| 8 | 15 | Lizzie Wilcox | 19 | 5 | 19 | 7 | 31 |
| 9 | 11 | Nick Hardacre | 19 | 1 | 19 | 19 | 39 |
| 10 | 12 | Edward Walrock | 19 | 19 | 6 | 19 | 44 |
| 11 | 9 | Yenei Tinley | 19 | 7 | 19 | 19 | 45 |
| 18= | 17 | Luke Aitkin | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 57 |
| 18= | 16 | Andrew Austin | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 57 |
| 18= | 13 | Greg Carey | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 57 |
| 18= | 3 | Charlie Davis | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 57 |
| 18= | 4 | Will Davis | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 57 |
| 18= | 18 | Richard Gale | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 57 |
| 18= | 7 | Magnus Lee | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 57 |
