SailMedia RS Tera Eastern Championship at Brightlingsea Sailing Club

SailMedia RS Tera Eastern Championship at Brightlingsea © Steve Greenwood

SailMedia RS Tera Eastern Championship at Brightlingsea © Steve Greenwood

SailMedia RS Tera Eastern Championship at Brightlingsea © Steve Greenwood

32 keen young sailors (including a record 15 PROs) turned up at Brightlingsea to see the sea miles away - launching into a ditch, it was a low water spring tide, they sailed around Point Clear where Sarah Bines Saturday's OOD had set a course in the open sea – a first for the Eastern Circuit.

A fresh breeze kept the racing exciting with Matt Taylor getting the better of James Oakley in the Sports and Bethan Matthew leading from Dylan Collingbourne and Lucy Greenwood. Excitement was added by a local Sand Barge, small, dented, rusty ships, which are Super Tanker sized compared to a Tera, playing cat and mouse with Charlie Pearce and leaving a huge wind shadow for Niamh Davies to sail into.

The Sunday had a wind direction that allowed the OOD Chris Matthews to set a course in the Pyefleet – Bateman's area nearer to the club and allowing easy parental viewing. The racing heated up and gear became an issue for the Pro's Dylan losing a main sheet block and Bethan snapping a tiller extension both of which gifted each other a win while Lucy kept them both honest. In the Sports the fresher wind was allowing many of the younger and smaller sailors an opportunity to take to the healing salty waters and the rescue boat fleet was kept busy.

At the close of play in the Sports: Matt Taylor (Alton Water) lead from James Oakley (Royal Hospital School) and William Caiger (Bewl) and the Pros: Bethan Matthew (Aldeburgh) lead from Dylan Collinbourne (Burnham) and Lucy Greenwood (Alton Water). All received prizes from the event sponsor Tom Branton of SailMedic and trophies presented by club commodore Alice Davis. Tom had made up some fantastic gear bags which were awarded as endeavour-prizes and went to those towards the back of the fleet Becky Caiger, Charlie Sims in the Sports and Marcos Purse, Pro, who had completed all of the races.

All in all it was a great weekend at a fantastic club all of the children came off the water exhausted but elated with lots of tall tales to tell. Thanks to the club especially Alice Davis, David Charlton, Sarah Bines and Chris Matthews; coaches Craig Bond, Mike Taylor and Hobie Wright and to all of the parents who helped put the weekend together.

PRO Results:

Sport Results: