Junior Regatta at Aldeburgh Yacht Club
by Jamie Bruce Lockhart 16 Aug 2004 09:29 BST
The largest junior sailing regatta on the East Coast was held last week at the Aldeburgh Yacht Club, with a tremendous turnout of 130 boats sailed by over 200 youngsters, the great majority under 17, over five days’ racing in very varied and testing conditions.
Monday was a race officer’s nightmare. Racing was started in squalls of wind and rain gusting up to Force 7, only to be abandoned shortly afterwards when the wind fell away to a dead calm. In the afternoon, a dozen classes started again in light cyclonic airs, with fierce competition in the large fleets – the largest being a Junior Slow Handicap fleet of 45 dinghies (24 Topaz, and half a dozen each of RS Feva, Pico, Lasers and 29ers).
On the second day’s racing, enthusiasm was unbounded despite the pouring rain and lightest of breezes. Many of the two big one-class fleets (35 Toppers and 20 Optimists) found themselves being gently nudged astern by the ebbing tide in the narrow river estuary. Rounding of marks was a harsh experience; patience and perseverance rewarded.
Wednesday, however, brought a good breeze of Force 3 to 4. Use could be made of the whole river for longer courses, and the racing got off to a real start – not without some excess of zeal on starting lines and confusion at marks.
Thursday’s healthy Force 4 from the South raised the pace of competition and rivalries, with plenty of excitement and agony among contending leaders. On the last day of the Regatta, a 16 knot westerly brought a day of splash and dash on fine courses up and down the river.
In a number of classes, there was a clean sweep by some very skilled young sailors, notably 14-year old Jamie Mayhew in his Topper (a member of the national cadet squad) who repeated his overall win of last year notched up first place all through the series. In others, such as in the Junior Handicap class, lead positions were keenly fought between several boats and in doubt until the last race.
Further down all fleets there were close races between competitors, and many excellent performances from the youngest sailors, and in all classes much testimony of strengthened sailing skills and confident seamanship in not easy conditions.
Overall Results:
Morning fleets:
Junior Handicap
1 Ed Stephens & Rhodri Jones
2 Jack Mayhew
3 James Vernon
Junior Lapwings
1 Jennifer Style & Emma Russell
2 Alastair Russell & Keith Vernon
3 Nathaniel Gimson & Henry Fox
Mirror
1 Oliver Weller
2 Edwin Dudding & Alex Johnson
3 Catherine Edgerley & Charlotte Edgerley
Topper
1 Jamie Mayhew
2 Paddy Daniell
3 Isobel Loeffler
Optimist
1 Rupert Clark
2 Lilly Trapp
3 Natasha Daniell
Afternoon fleets:
Fast Youth Handicap
1 Andrew Cresdee
2 Robert Style & Suzanna Wake
3 Ed Stephens & Rhodri Jones
Slow Youth Handicap
1 James Fulford
2 George Jones & Ollie Prior
3 Ben Davey & Joshua Davison
Junior Lapwings
1 Jack Mayhew & Sacha Cooper
2 Alastair Russell & Keith Leon
3 Emma Russell & Jennifer Style
Mirror
1 Alexander Edgerley & Catherine Edgerley
2 Jenny Davies & Ben Davies
3 Edwin Dudding & Andrew Johnson
Topper
1 Jamie Mayhew
2 Georgia Trapp
3 Paddy Daniell
Optimist Gold
1 Lilly Trapp
2 Natasha Daniell
3 Rupert Clark
Optimist Silver
1 Samuel Rowell
2 Sebastian Scarr
3 Maddy Clark