Cadet Open at Waldringfield Sailing Club

Waldringfield Cadet Open © Neil Collingridge

Waldringfield Cadet Open © Neil Collingridge

As the country basked in sunshine with a huge high pressure established and barely a cloud in sight, the best chance of wind for the Waldringfield Cadet Open sponsored by Neil Pryde, Anglia Factors and Seamark Nunn was for decent sea breezes to get established.

With this in mind the seventeen Cadets entered set off for the first race towards Galleons Hard where the Race Officer could fashion a shortish beat across the river which was still filling up from a morning low water. Initially Kate White and Rhonda Enkel and Faye Chatterton and Oscar Bush set the pace and with Daisy Nunn and Imogen Mayhew also well placed but slowly Angus Collingridge and Ed Fletcher worked through to take the win.

Lunchtime followed by races 2 and 3 up river of the club and the island. Shifty, shifty and big gusts to boot - classic Waldringfield at its worst (best?). Angus and Ed jumped the start as did Cally Terkelsen and Kali Karaskas- the former went back but had too much to do, the latter did not and greeted silence as they crossed the finish line. Kate and Rhona took the win from Ethan Davey and Alex Enkel.

Waldringfield Cadet Open - photo © Neil Collingridge

Race 3 saw wind and competitors still all over the place. Frensham visitors Katie Yelland and Dom Rowell went off like a scalded cat - huge lead by the windward and more still by the gybe mark. But then a heading gust on the tight reach down towards the island put paid to their race as they went for a cooling dip. Hazel Whittle and Gwen Thorogood took up the challenge and won the race leaving 3 different race winners overnight. All to play for on Sunday after rounders and a barbeque at the club.

Waldringfield Cadet Open - photo © Neil Collingridge

Sunday dawned cloudless - no surprise there, but not quite the big breeze we had been promised. Race 4 saw Katie and Dom make amends for the day before pulling out a huge lead down at Galleons Hard to win easily from Kate and Rhona. The two Cally's (Kali) also had their best score with a well deserved third.

Race 5 Kate and Rhona struggling with the shifts finished 8th in a race won comfortably by Faye and Oscar with Conor Line and Toby Bush second and Angus and Ed third. This left the points tied for first overall going in to the last race between Kate and Angus.

Waldringfield Cadet Open - photo © Neil Collingridge

Again a shifty old beat to the blue flag stuck up in the lee of a bank of trees. At the first mark neither Angus or Kate were well placed with Bea and Hamish running the show along with the Cally's. But round the rest of the lap Kate and Rhona put on a charge to move to the front whilst Angus faded to his worst result of the weekend (9th). This gave the open to a deserving Kate and Rhona for a popular win overall.

Waldringfield Cadet Open - photo © Neil Collingridge

Alongside the Cadets we were joined by around half a dozen youth radials on the Sunday. Harry Chatterton scored the overall victory after some interesting prolonged capsizing at the first windward - at least we all knew what hew thought of himself. He counted 2 wins from a first and a third from Ed Harris with visitor Ed Swain from Felixstowe Ferry coming third.

Waldringfield Cadet Open - photo © Neil Collingridge

So once again a great weekend's racing. Multiple race winners showing its never easy on the Deben. Thanks to Neil Pryde, Anglia Factors and Seamark Nunn for their sponsorship. The bobble hats were as popular as ever in spite of the heat!

Overall Results: