RYA North West Junior Travellers at Redesmere Sailing Club

Round 8 of the RYA North West Junior Traveller Trophy © Peter Baldwin

Round 8 of the RYA North West Junior Traveller Trophy © Peter Baldwin

Redesmere hosted round 8 of the RYA North West Junior Traveller Trophy on Saturday 29th August 2009. Forty seven young competitors in three fleets turned up at the club with conditions that were trying for some of the sailors with the trees casting wind shadows around the windward marks!

The Race Officer decided to split the fleets into three and sent the main Junior fleet off first, followed by the Optimists and finally the Youths. Race 1 started with three OCS boats none of whom returned. Andy Dawson led for the first two laps in his Laser Radial followed by Sam Hall (Laser), Elliot Hanson (Laser Radial) and James Asquith & Adam Millington (420). After three Laps Hanson had passed both Dawson and Hall, with Tom Cornthwaite overtaking the 420 by lap 4. It was all to no avail for Hanson and Dawson as they were both OCS, leaving the win to Hall, second to Andrew Green (Topper) and third to Andrew Stott (Topper). In the Optimists Haydn Griffiths was first, Bobby Hewitt, second and Mathew Leckie, third. In the Youth fleet, Archie Nicholson (Laser) led the fleet around, followed by Tom Keegan (Radial) and Megan Griffiths (Radial). These three seemed pretty inseparable throughout, but Keegan took first on corrected time, with Griffiths second and Nicholson third.

After the usual Redesmere BBQ for lunch, the second race got away relatively cleanly and Hanson hit the front, seemingly trying to make up for his OCS in race one. He was again followed by Dawson, Cornthwaite and Hall. Jamie Purcell (Topper) established a large lead over the other Toppers which he held to the end. Leading positions changed little by the finish, with Hanson winning on handicap, Purcell a very deserved second and Dawson 3rd. In the Optimists first and second were reversed this time with Bobby Hewitt winning, Haydn Griffiths second and Matthew Leckie third. In the Youth fleet, Nicholson again started well, but Keegan soon overhauled him with Chris Wheeler (Radial) not far behind. However, Nicholson retook the lead on the water, but after handicap correction, Keegan won his second race, Nicholson had sufficient lead on Wheeler to finish second and Wheeler third.

After a short break for drinks and cakes everyone was back on the water for race 3. Once again normal service was resumed with Hanson dominating the handicap fleet, leading from start to finish followed by Hall and Dawson. Andy Green led the Topper group, followed by Curtis Mearns, with Green working hard to in contention with the leaders by the end of the race. Finishing positions on handicap were Hanson, Green then Hall. The optimists were down to two boats for the final race which was again won by Hewitt, with Griffiths second. In the Youth fleet, Nicholson again led the fleet around the course followed by Keegan and Griffiths. There were a few changes in third position during the race with Wheeler and Andy Price (Radial), battling it out. However, by the finish on corrected time, Keegan managed a clean sweep, Nicholson was second and Price third.

In his winners speech, Elliot Hanson thanked the Race Officer for the courses set and running the races, the safety team for being on standby, the galley team for the great food, for everybody for turning up and making it a great event and finally his parents for all of their support.

A special vote of thanks was given afterwards for the generous support of Musto who supplied goody bags for the competitors.

For more details of the RYA North West Junior Traveller series go to www.NWJTT.co.uk

The next event is on Saturday 12th September at Delph SC