Cadet Nationals at Pwllheli Sailing Club - Day 2

Competitors at the Cadet National Championships, hosted by Pwllheli SC, enjoyed another day of sparkling conditions, with the 160 entrants revelling in the brilliant sunshine and a 15 knot North Westerly.

In Race 4a, Cyclone (Tom Kinver and Jamie Proffitt) lived up to their name by blowing the opposition away, and were deserved winners after leading at every mark. Behind Tom and Jamie, there were a good deal of place changes, and eventually, the Dutch team of Gabriela Verves and Philine Pels Rijcken in Fleury Mekon pulled through to take second place, ahead of Spaniards Rodrigo Abelo and Joaquin Minones in A,A,Ami, Mallao!

Race 4b was won in an equally convincing manner by Michal and Agata Tomaszewski from Poland, who also led from start to finish. Behind them, the Belgian team of Quinten Lauwers and Nele de Munck in Outrage pulled through the leading group to take second, with Amy Seabright and Hannah Muskett in Lady in Red also working their way through the fleet to come in third.

Race Officer Roger Wilson wasted no time in getting Race 5a under way, with the breeze reasonably steady in both direction and strength.

After another clean start, and with a pattern appearing to be developing, Josh Pistol and Jack Wilson in Pintail soon established a convincing lead, and after rounding the first mark in first place, they were never headed and deservedly took the winner’s gun. Behind them, Josh and Naomi Flack in Heatseeker moved through the leading pack as the race progressed to take second spot. Michal and Agata Tomaszewski completed the podium positions with a deserved third place.

Race 5b started under a black flag which saw four boats disqualified. Although out of the top 6 at the first mark, Joanna Freeman and Holly Francis in True Blue worked hard to come good at the finish to take the gun, ahead of Katrina and Christopher Brewer in Executrix and Michal and Agata Tomaszewski from Poland.

After a short break for lunch, the fleet was away cleanly in Race 6a. It was an international group which rounded the first mark, with Australian, Spanish, Belgian, Czech and a couple of British boats leading the charge. But the podium positions were taken by new faces, with Tye Wichard and Ben Thame in Viper leading the fleet across the finishing line, ahead of Poles Lukasz Kawinski and Damian Frank, and Belgians Wouter de Munck and Joke Lakiere in The Red Baron.

The last race of the day, Race 6b, belonged to visitors warming up for next week’s Worlds. Michal and Agata Tomaszewski scored their second bullet of the day, just ahead of Quinten Lauwers and Nele de Munck in Outrage who notched up another second place. It was also a good race for Joanna Freeman and Holly Francis in True Blue, who took third place.

So, the second day of the 60th Anniversary championship produced absolutely absorbing and first class racing. The continental challenge is looking strong, but the strength in depth of the Brits means that anything could happen over the next couple of days, with the Championship still wide open at the half way stage.