Derbyshire Youth Sailing at Carsington Sailing Club
by MIke Haynes 18 Jun 2007 08:56 BST
16 June 2007
Tom Levick wins the Derbyshire Youth event at Carsington © Mike Shaw /
www.fotoboat.com
A day of everything for Derbyshire Youth Sailors
The weather certainly played its part in mixing it up for the 31 sailors in the Derbyshire Youth Sailing event held at Carsington Sailing Club on Saturday 16th June. This was the fifth date in the original series calendar but due to the postponement of the first event due to an absence of wind, is actually the fourth event of this years series.
The day commenced with calm, light winds and accompanying bright sunshine as the competitors gathered. The forecast wasn’t promising but this didn’t affect the enthusiasm of the sailors to get racing. The first race got away and was close run in the light winds with the Lasers taking control at the front. Tom Levick (17) and Elliot Banks (16) both from Carsington SC took the first two places followed by Chris Woods, helm, (15) and Joshua Woods, crew,(16) in their 29er from Ogston SC.
The heavy black clouds, thunder, lightning and screaming squalls with hail and torrential rain came during the second race of the day after the lunch break. These conditions obviously suited the 29er of the Woods brothers who were followed home by Tom Levick and a very creditable 3rd place went to Ben Crossdale (14) from Ogston SC in his Topper dinghy. Optimist sailor Ruth Terry (12) of Trent Valley SC also made good of the difficult conditions coming a very well deserved 8th overall.
The second race had started with a pin end flier, Phill Bell (17) in his Laser dinghy, who had a fast start but after a couple of tacks was so far ahead he convinced himself he had been over the start line and returned to restart only to discover later that he had in fact been clean away. He come home in 9th place and learned a valuable lesson.
The testing weather conditions also put paid to the live broadcast with BBC Radio Derby who had sent one of their radio cars to the event. Presenter Ross Fletcher had a plan to have some live action from the sailing during his afternoon sport show for Derbyshire and East Staffordshire but had to make do with some interviews from the club house.
David Levick, DYS Vice Chairman, observed, “When the heavens opened it was obviously not possible for the broadcast to go ahead but we made the best of the situation and I hope that the listeners got a taste of the excitement these young sailors enjoy every time they go racing.”
The weather had a final trick to play out the event by the wind completely disappearing for the third race of the day resulting in its’ abandonment. The results were calculated on the basis of the two completed races and the overall and Senior winner was Tom Levick in his Laser dinghy followed in second by Chris and Josh Woods in their 29er and Elliot Banks in his Laser dinghy. The Junior event was won by Oscar Terry (9) in his Optimist dinghy from Trent Valley SC with a special prize being awarded to another Trent Valley SC sailor Eleasha Richardson (11) in a Topper dinghy in her debut DYS race.
The next Derbyshire Youth Sailing racing series event is at Glossop & District Sailing Club on Saturday 7th July. Briefing is at 10:30 with the first race at 11:00. Details and pre-event registration is available, along with lots more information and some excellent photographs of every event in the gallery, all on the www.dysailing.com website.