London Travellers at Hillingdon Outdoor Activities Centre

Hillingdon Outdoor Activities Centre hosted the first of 3 London Traveller Series events on Saturday 19th March, with 4 visitors joined 17 home fleet sailors for a closely contested event in Toppers, Laser Radials and RS Fevas.

Sunshine and light winds greeted the competitors for the first race. With a few boats being over the line at the start Giles Hirst-Malin took advantage of the clear air and rounded the windward mark first before losing the lead to George Kirke in a Laser and Dom & Sam Jones from Lenbury in there Feva on the downwind stretch. With positions behind George & Dom changing at every mark it was anyone's race.

With a change of course and the wind increasing the competitors went out for the second race. With an Olympic style course, the race started with boats over the start yet again, this gave a chance for five or six boats to pull away from the pack while others were going back to restart. Joe Zietman lead the Lasers with Mary Horsley in a Topper and visiting Stubber's boat with Adam Milton-White & Juliet Fynn close behind. With the wind filling in from behind the back of the fleet were closing in on the front runners but Joe held his nerve and finished first.

The wind shifted and increased after lunch a larger course was set. With a clean start by all there was plenty of close action and place swapping, particularly at the marks as they race almost like a pack around the course. Jack Hughes in a Topper and George Kirke in his Laser managed to pull away from the rest of the fleet finishing first in their class. With the rest of the fleet continuing to change place right up to the finishing line.

With the top three boats in each fleet tied in points it all came down to the last race. With another clean start George and Joe fort it out with Patrick Horsley& Rachel Vodden and Adam& Juliet in the Feva's to be first around the top mark. George managed to get away from Joe who was now having his own battle for wind from Jack in the Topper. The two Fevas continued to change places coming up to the finish when Adam & Juliet decided to tack before the line to find clean air, but Patrick could a gust of wind and soared over the line to steel first place. With so many replying on the last race the results came down to count back to work out who had won.

Thank you to the sponsors Harken & LDC for some excellent prizes for all the competitors.

Overall Results:

Lasers
1st George Kirke (HOAC)
2nd Joe Zietman (HOAC)
3rd George Horsley (HOAC)

Toppers
1st Jack Hughes (HOAC)
2nd Giles Hirst-Malin (HOAC)
3rd Mary Horsley (HOAC)

RS Fevas
1st Patrick Horsley & Rachel Vodden (HOAC)
2nd Adam Milton-White & Juliet Fynn (Stubbers Young Mariners)
3rd Dominic & Sam Jones (Lensbury Sailing Club)