Seamark Nunn Waldringfield Cadet Week - Day 4
by Neil Collingridge 9 Aug 2013 08:11 BST
5-9 August 2013
A beautiful day dawned but with very little wind so the PRO went afloat and waited and waited, and then waited some more. After a while the cadets went afloat too - in kayaks, swimming, in rowing boats and canoes and spent until lunchtime generally getting wet (again). As confidently predicted the wind did appear however as the strength of the sun caused a significant sea breeze and at around 1.30 the 35 cadets and 17 radials launched to sail downriver towards the Rocks.
One abandoned start for the Radials as the wind settled in direction and eventually patience was rewarded with very shifty force 3 and a long fair tide beat, followed by a couple of tight reaches and a run back along the shore.
In the Radials, Henry Stone continued his romp up the leaderboard with 2 more bullets making it 4 in a row. He now leads that fleet going into the last day although some dodgy early results means he is not out of sight of Josie Gummer and the chasing pack.
The Cadet fleet saw some great racing - first race (race 8 of the series), individual recall flag up, 2 boats over, one (Daisy Collingridge) goes back... the other, the race leader Ed Harris does not: OCS. Willow and Cara Bland sail through to lead but with the chasing pack hard on their tails as the run against the tide prevents anyone pulling out a comfortable lead. Sam Yale and Harry Chatterton keep the pressure on with a second place and lie a close second overall now the extra discard has kicked in.
Race 9 - it's Sam and Harry leading the charge... Alex Page and Aaron Chadwick, Gus Cooney and James Minchin, Ed and Faye Chatterton and the Blands all working hard to stay in touch though this time the leader pulls out a comfortable win.
So with 2 series races left Willow and Cara continue to wear the yellow jerseys that have been theirs since the end of day 1. With 12 points their lead is a slender 2 points over Sam and Harry on 14. Alex and Aaron lie third (20pts) with Ed and Faye in fourth (21pts) and Daisy and Angus Collingridge fifth (25pts). It's going to be a tight finish, perhaps determined as much as anything by who gets a good nights sleep after the disco and Parents pimms party - the graveyard of a number of previous Cadet Week campaigns.
In the Silver fleet Alex Bell Jones and George Offord won the first race but were holed in a collision before the second race and had to return to shore. Nathan Allen and Tommy McGill were second and Eden and Ruby Lovesee Clark were third. In the second race it was Alex Eaton and Connor Line sailing through to lead a tightly packed bunch and take the win. Sean Woodard and Hugo Passmore were second and Archie Goodhead and Natalie D'Enno were third. Its good to see the enthusiasm of the next generation of Gold fleet sailors shining brightly although the PRO would like it more if their parents could make sure they can get their rudders fully down.