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29ers at the RYA Youth Nationals 2018

by Fin Armstrong 12 Apr 2018 14:09 BST 2-6 April 2018
29ers during the 2017 RYA Youth Nationals in Largs © Marc Turner / RYA

After months of light wind events, gales lashed the UK rendering the first and second day of the Youths unsailable. The huge breeze wreaked havoc in the boat park taking advantage of any boats that weren't tied down securely.

Finally by the afternoon of the third day, the gales eased allowing the event to get under way. Given the late start, two races were scheduled for each fleet. A 12-18kt north easterly resulted in bands of pressure bringing shifts to either side of the course. Unpredictable to say the least however Freddie Peters and Elliot Wells worked through this to take two 3rds, which was impressive on a difficult day. The boys topped the leaderboard after a reasonably short day on the water, followed by James Hammett and Piers Nicholls who took a bullet in the first race of the event. All female team Hannah Bristow and Jess Jobson topped the girls' leaderboard with a consistent 2nd and 6th.

Thursday came and despite an ominous hailstorm as we launched, we were left with some perfect 7-12 knots for most of the day. With the lack of racing early in the week, the race committee were keen to get some results on the board, so aimed for a full day of 5 races. After the short squall/hailstorm, the breeze stabilised, and racing got underway. It seemed the staying in the pressure was the most important feature of the day. Ewan and I took the bias from the port end and stayed in the pressure throughout most of the race, but with Pierce Harris and Alfie Cogger close behind there was a battle on the second lap, with Ewan and I just clinching the win. The next 3 races followed suit, Ewan and I taking 3 bullets, Bella Fellows and Anna Sturrock also sailed consistently with a 3, 2, 5.

Princess Anne arrived to watch the racing at midday but unfortunately the royal arrival heralded a drop in the wind. The race committee struggled to lay a course and get going until a new south westerly breeze came through. Some lovely conditions of around 10-14kts brought change to the racing. The right side of the course, now further out of the tide was the way to go, with James and Piers using this well to get the win in race 6. In race 7 Freddie and Elliot fought hard against Ewan and I the entire way through, but we just managed to overtake on the second beat and had to defend hard on the run to take our 4th bullet of the day. Going into the last day, Bella and Anna led, 2 points ahead of Ewan and I, with both James and Piers and Freddie and Elliot 9 points behind us. Still everything was to play for.

Friday morning was breezy but looked sailable from the shore to sailors desperate to get out racing. The race committee made the decision to first send out the Lasers and 420's before later releasing the Nacras and the 29ers. Once the Lasers had completed two races, we launched with our course area just to the right of the club. After a full send down to the start line, the race committee were keen to get a race away. The sailors a bit too much perhaps, resulting in a general recall. Once we were off the fleet split through the first beat but came together close at the top mark. Keeping it upright was key on the downwinds, sharp chop and big gusts surprised boats all through the fleet. by the second run the fleet was more spread out, but James and Piers still managed to find a gust out by the port ley line into the mark, taking 2 boats at the bottom mark and finishing in 2nd. Toby Cope and Harry Pulford took the win in a confident manner.

The breeze began to pick up even more, well over 20kts, but eager to get a race in, the race committee went into sequence. By the top, the majority of boats were struggling to even get upwind, let alone back down. The top mark was carnage and only 1 boat survived the run to the gate with their kite up - Luke and Ewan Gribbin. Looking at this, the race committee took the decision to abandon the race and get everyone ashore before it picked up even more.

Overall, with a safe result of 5th in race 8, Ewan and I topped the leaderboard, Bella and Anna in second, and James and Piers rounding off the podium. Bella and Anna were first all female boat with Hannah Bristow/Jess Jobson in second and Freya Black/Millie Aldridge in third. It was a great shame that the gales chose this week to hit the UK but the race committee managed to get in some great racing none the less.

Overall Results:

PosDivisionNatSail NoHelmCrewR1R2R3R4R5R6R7R8Pts
1U19 2787Ewan WilsonFinley Armstrong7‑1011181524
2 ENG2343Bella FellowsAnna Sturrock‑171325331128
3U19ENG2344James HammettPiers Nicholls1794‑1116230
4U19ENG2788Freddie PetersElliott Wells33413972‑1641
5U19ENG2241Henry JamesonToby Atherton59‑15102134750
6 ENG2336Hannah BristowJessica Jobson2657‑151171250
7U19ENG2347Freya BlackMillie Aldridge118657512‑1954
8U19WAL2493Ewan LukeZachary Blomeley6161111(UFD [39])125869
9U19ENG2796Sam CooperSimon Hall10216‑1818218672
10U17 & U19ENG2289Pierce HarrisAlfie Cogger161526(UFD [39])4141572
11 ENG2539Luke GribbinEwan Gribbin95‑2612161611372
12U19WAL2332Toby CopeHarry Pulford442214(UFD [39])1420179
13 ENG2275Robert RichardsonRory Rose1813238817‑2614101
14U19IOM2514Ben BatchelorMaddie Wylie21‑222122310179103
15U19ENG2432Caitlin WebsterDani Middleton(RET [39])2412312211526113
16U19WAL2229Hannah Roberts‑StrawJess Flint201810254‑262313113
17U19ENG2545Chris JamesJames Hall82328(UFD [39])2591010113
18U19ENG2381Iain BirdAnna Rowe191227‑28216922116
19U19ENG2222Morgan ArcherJack Miller(RET [39])147UFD [39]6191320118
20U17 & U19ENG1858Henry ChandlerLouis Johnson14‑28192014151918119
21U17 & U19ENG2433Oliver EvansWill Jarman22‑2725910181621121
22U17 & U19WAL2414Elodie EdwardsAmy Bale2620171917248‑28131
23U19ENG2664Hattie RogersFreya Cumpsty13211415242025(RET [39])132
24U19ENG2345Fergus FoxHarry Fox121124‑312830244133
25U17 & U19SCO2018Archie LeckieBen Ibbotson15178(UFD [39])UFD [39]232724153
26U19ENG938Harrison PyeHarry Jones231920162722‑2827154
27U17 & U19ENG2292Sian TalbotMadeleine Bristow24261817222529(RET [39])161
28U19ENG2721Ishbel ZuurmondPhilomena Ala2529‑302120282123167
29U19ENG2028Alice SeniorCaitlin Atkin31(DNS [39])13UFD [39]13273325181
30U17 & U19ENG1702Ollie FellowsWill Adler28253126‑32323017189
31U19ENG2485William TaylorLuke Beuvink30312923303122(DNC [39])196
32U19ENG1908Elizabeth AlboneOliver King(RET [39])DNC [39]3324192931RET [39]214
33U17 & U19ENG1781Tom CochraneNathan Gribbin2932343223‑383729216
34U19ENG1158Athena VogiatzisEllie Wall2733‑353429343230219
35 ENG1153Emma JamesTamsyn Hills32303629313334(DNC [39])225
36U19SCO2219Daniel ScottAlastair Ferguson(DNC [39])DNC [39]3230263535DNC [39]236
37U19ENG1972Delphine AlaMaddy Kirk(RET [39])DNC [39]3827333636DNC [39]248
38U19ENG834Ethan GerrellElla Johnson(RET [39])DNC [39]3733343738DNC [39]257

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