Laser Standard RYA Youth Nationals at WPNSA

Day one

Day one of the RYA Youth Nationals started off in an unusually sunny Weymouth, with a forecast of 5–6knts. After a short postponement ashore, the fleet of 29 Laser Standards was released to a lengthy sail out to Weymouth Bay in a SW sea breeze of 10–12knts. After one general recall, Race 1 got underway into a very short first beat. Henry Wetherell led, but he was closely followed by a large bunch. A cross tide and gusty conditions made the downwind tricky to get right. However, it provided plenty of opportunities. A longer second beat stretched out the fleet – Wetherell was still in the lead, Jack Aitken in second and Micky Beckett catching up on the leaders.

Race 2 followed a similar pattern to the first, however, the left seemed to come out favoured and Beckett led all the way around from Tom Scott in second. After battling though the fleet, Wetherell finished third.

The final race of the day was sailed in a dying breeze in much shiftier conditions. At the windward mark most of the fleet over stood allowing Wetherell to again lead to the windward mark from Beckett and Scott. The leaders extended their lead over the rest of the fleet, so this order stood until the end of the race.

Day two

At the morning's briefing the top three, of Wetherell, Beckett and Scott, were awarded identifying sail stickers. Race 4 started, after a long delay caused by a lack of wind, in a maximum of 6knts. This lack of wind made the first beat very difficult for the sailors, but eventually a gust of wind filled in from the right allowing Beckett to lead to the windward mark followed by Kieran Hill and Jack Hanslope. After finding a gust on the outside of the fleet downwind, Wetherell made his way up to third behind Beckett and Hanslope. Down the second run, Wetherell slid past Hanslope to finish second behind Becket.

After another hour of waiting the day was abandoned due to no wind.

Day three

The top three sailors had a mix up, with Beckett now in first, Wetherell second and Anthony Parke in third. After a short postponement on shore, the sailors were again released to the long beat out and the wait for the breeze to fill in. Race 5 of the regatta was sailed in 5–8knts. Freddie Chiddicks sailed a one-tack beat to the left and led to the windward mark by 100m, followed by Parke and a large bunch. Up the second beat, the left paid again allowing Wetherell to fight back from going right up the first beat and finish third behind Chiddicks and Parke.

Race 6 again saw Chiddicks go hard left and lead to the windward mark, followed by Beckett and Kieran Hill. With the right coming in up the second beat, Wetherell and Beckett were able to catch up to Chiddicks and then overtake on the downwind. In the end, Wetherell finished first in front of Beckett and Chiddicks.

During the race, the Committee Boat had moved inside the harbour, where there was more wind, to race the Lasers for our final race of the day. By 17.30 the race had started in 6–7knts from the east making Portland Bill a large feature on the race course, with most of the fleet going right. At the top of the beat, a gust from the left allowed Alistair Goodwin and Oliver Groves to lead to the windward mark, followed by a bunch of sailors. A light first run allowed the leaders to be quickly caught by the bunch before the second beat, in which Wetherell and Hill overtook Groves. At the finish, Wetherell took the win, with Groves in second and Hill in third. The sailors returned back to shore by 18.30.

Day four

The day started full of optimism – a forecast of 8–12knts meant the sailors were looking forward to stretching their legs. However, after launching on time and sailing out to the breakwater, the fog rolled in giving less than 100m visibility. After being held at the breakwater for an hour, we were guided back to shore and the day's racing abandoned.

Day five

Again the sailors were greeted to a foggy Weymouth. With slightly better visibility than the previous day, the boats were allowed to launch to make the now earlier start time of 10.25 and a planned three races. Race 8 was sailed in 7–10knts consistently going right causing a split in the fleet up the beat due to more breeze on the left. Again Chiddicks had gone left and, with Matt Stephens, led around the windward mark, with Beckett and Wetherell not far behind. Down the run, Stephens slid back allowing Chiddicks to battle with the overall leaders up the second beat where Chiddicks managed to hold off Beckett, but in doing so he let Wetherell through to win the race.

Race 9 started in a dying breeze of 6–8knts. A large sag in the line at the go allowed Parke to pull out a lead right from the start, tacking and crossing the fleet and holding his lead all the way to the first mark, closely followed by the large Youth Squad bunch. Up the second beat, Wetherell and Beckett started to gain on Parke until, down the run, Parke and Wetherell engaged into a gybing battle giving Beckett room to sneak through and take the win on the line, with Parke second and Wetherell third.

Due to the dying breeze the third race of the day was abandoned.

Overall Results: