Cadet Open at Fishers Green Sailing Club

Cadets at Fishers Green © Claire Chow

Cadets at Fishers Green © Claire Chow

Cadets at Fishers Green © Claire Chow

Friendly welcome greets 22 boats for Fishers Green Cadet Open on 5th October 2013.

Fishers Green Sailing Club always puts on a great event for its Cadet Open (the final event in the Eastern Area Series and the Ian Craig Inland Series), and this year was no exception; a friendly welcome at a great location in the Lee Valley, fantastic food at lunchtime and plenty of prizes. The only thing lacking was the wind.

It makes it all the more commendable that the young sailors showed patience and perseverance on the water once proceedings got underway after a one hour postponement to allow the wind to build. The conditions favoured light helm/crew pairings with a keen eye for finding the gusts as they came. Maximising their opportunities in the first race were Tom Collyer and Francis Butterworth, sailing No Fear (8846), and once ahead, stayed ahead. Second place in the first race went to Alex Page and Aaron Chadwick in Gnat (8521), and third place to visitors from Waldringfield, Ed Harris and Faye Chatterton sailing Mostly Harmless (8514).

After a break for lunch, during which the wind teased us by building as we tucked in to our chicken curry and falling again just as we finished the last of the naan bread, the second race of the day got underway. The light wind, shifting northerly as the afternoon progressed, made it difficult and careful concentration was needed. This time the leaders swapped places with Alex and Aaron finishing first and Tom and Francis second and with local pairing of Lucy Corby and Jade McCarthy finishing third in Sci-Fi (9152). The dropping wind meant that this was also the final race of the day, leaving plenty of time for a well-supported prize-giving, followed by an excellent sailors' tea!

As the top two boats won one race each and had one second place each, it came down to applying the rule of "most recent win takes the championship", which meant the overall winners were Alex Page and Aaron Chadwick sailing Gnat (8521), taking not just the Fishers Green Open trophy and the first U15 Helm trophy, but also the Eastern Area Series trophy as well.

Overall winners Alex Page and Aaron Chadwick being presented with trophies by Brian Conroy, Fishers Green Honorary Life President, at the Fishers Green Cadet open - photo © Claire Chown

Second place and the Mike Beale trophy for the 1st Fishers Green boat went to Tom Collyer and Francis Butterworth sailing No Fear (8846) and third overall was Lucy Corby and Jade McCarthy in Sci-Fi (9152).

The prize for the youngest boy crew went to Hamish Collingridge, on his 7th birthday, and for the youngest girl crew, to 8 year old Ciara Woodard. The first U13 Helm trophy went to Hattie Collingridge in Misoffelees (8553). Fishers Green Sailing Club Honorary Life President Brian Conroy presented the trophies and prizes.

A big thank you to all the visitors and helpers who made the day a success.

Overall Results: