Optimist SW Championships at Frampton-on-Severn Sailing Club

Optimist SW Championships at Frampton-on-Severn © Ken Elsey

Finley Hartshorn crossing the finish line in race 9 to win the Optimist SW Championships at Frampton-on-Severn © Ken Elsey

Finley Hartshorn (L) wins main fleet and Harry Palmer (R) wins regatta fleet winner at the Optimist SW Championships at Frampton-on-Severn © Ken Elsey

Seven visitors, including four who travelled from the far-distant South west in Restronguet joined five club boats to compete for the SW Areas over the weekend of 11th & 12th July. On Saturday morning, the sailors were greeted with a shifty F1-2 South Westerly that was forecast to increase to F3 in the afternoon (which it did). The plan for the weekend was to hold 5 races on Saturday and a further 4 on Sunday, with seven races to count for the Main Fleet. On Saturday morning, the 3 sailors in the Regatta Fleet had a separate coaching session and then joined the "cut and thrust" of the main fleet for the afternoon and Sunday races, but had a total of 6 races with 5 to count.

In Race 1, the pattern for the whole weekend was set with Finn Hartshorn (FoSSC) and Rufus Martin (Restronguet) battling for the lead. In fact these 2 took first and second places in each of the 5 races held on Saturday, with Rufus winning four to Finn's one. Behind the leading two, the results were a bit more mixed as an "on-the-water" game of snakes and ladders took place as the gusts and shifts caught out the sailors from time to time. Nevertheless, Ed Baker and Emily Elms (both FoSSC) were the more consistent and managed three third places and three fourth places respectively.

So at the end of day one, Rufus had a healthy lead overall and looked to be a "nailed-on" certainty to take the title back to Cornwall. After sailing on the Saturday, the sailors enjoyed an inflatable "bouncy castle" in the early evening sunshine whilst the parents, race committee and galley team enjoyed a BBQ and catch-up over a few drinks.

After a couple of small rain showers overnight for those that camped over, daylight dawned with a cloudy sky and again an F2-3 SW breeze that thankfully was a little steadier in both direction and strength than on Saturday. In order to help the visitors get away as early as possible, Race Officer Andy Smith and his team were to get three back-to-back races in before lunch and the sailors were left to decide whether or not the ninth race would be sailed after lunch. The fleet launched and the first race started promptly at 10am. Finn Hartshorn laid down the gauntlet to Rufus by taking each of the three morning's races and thus levelled-up the overall scores, with Rufus scoring two seconds and a third in the middle race after recovering from a premature start. Once again Ed and Emily took most of the minor placings with Rhys Walker putting together a consistent string of 4th and 5th places.

After lunch, 6 of the sailors wanted to do the final race "decider". Again it was Finn and Rufus who hit the front, with both Ed and Emily close enough to put the pressure on and change the positions, so it was a nail biting race for those watching from the shore. Finn seemed to have the edge upwind, but Rufus was slightly quicker off-wind, but in the end Finn again came out victorious winning the final race and title of South West Champion with Rufus 2nd and Ed 3rd. Finn showed tremendous maturity and confidence, taking all four Sunday races and impressively having 2 second's as discards. Emily won the Main Fleet Top Girl Trophy and came 4th overall. In the Regatta Fleet, Harrison Palmer from FoSSC won all but one of the races with Rowan Ryder (FoSSC) having a good string of 2nd places. Sam Hollingsworth from Restronguet took 3rd place.

It was great to see all sailors having a good time, with smiles on their faces (for most of the time anyway) and the parents, race committee and galley team able to enjoy themselves too (for some of the time).

Andy Smith (OOD) and Rufus Martin who was 2nd in main fleet at the Optimist SW Championships at Frampton-on-Severn - photo © Ken Elsey

Main Fleet Results:

Regatta Fleet Results:

Andy Smith (OOD) and Ed Baker who was 3rd in main fleet at the Optimist SW Championships at Frampton-on-Severn - photo © Ken Elsey