Rooster Topper South East Travellers at Medway Yacht Club

Prizewinners at the Rooster Topper South East Travellers at Medway © Graham Evans

Sixteen skippers from ten clubs took part in the latest round of the Rooster Topper South East Travellers Series at Medway Yacht Club on Sunday 2nd September. An eclectic mix of experience meant that the fleet included some competitors for whom this was their first open meeting, skippers who would be ranked in the top half dozen in the country and everything in between.

Preceded by a coaching day on Saturday, the event was organised in its usual efficient manner by the host club on and off the water; the sun came out to play all day but the wind was slow to deliver which meant the race team had to display the AP for a while and the committee boat was seen pottering up and down the river looking for a race area with the magic ingredients of a stable wind and sufficient water to set a course. Eventually all came good and the first of four races started about 50 minutes late.

Two races were held back to back before lunch in a north easterly of 5-6 knots with some fairly big shifts around the mean direction. In the afternoon the wind had settled in at 9-12 knots from the same direction (enough to cause the occasional capsize) and the flood had come in enough to be able to set a longer course. Two further races were held back to back in the afternoon before the fleet returned to the club, packed their boats away and enjoyed the prize giving by event organiser, Andrew Baker and the MYC Commodore, Mark Penny.

The results were dominated by Aaron Evans from Silver Wing SC, and he enjoyed two comfortable wins in the morning races. The afternoon races were a different story however as Joseph Worwicker led the first of these from start to finish with Aaron unable to make any significant inroads on Joseph's lead as the race progressed.

The final race of the day was a humdinger at the front of the fleet as Joseph led at first from Lawrence Donnelly (who also enjoyed a very consistent day) while Aaron had an uncharacteristically poor start and first beat and had to claw his way back up the fleet over the five laps. At the start of the final lap, Joseph led from Aaron with Lawrence only a short distance behind. By the windward mark, Aaron held a small lead which he maintained down the run and the short beat to the finish from Joseph and Lawrence.

The close racing at the front was mirrored throughout the fleet. Often four or five boats were overlapped at the leeward mark rounding and the challenging tidal conditions meant places changed often up the beat.

At the end of the day, Aaron prevailed overall from Lawrence and Joseph. Antoni Pascali finished in fourth place overall a position which might have been better had he not got in a tangle with another boat shortly after the start of one of the races (it was terrific to see his determined recovery from virtually last to fourth place by the end of that race however). Maddie Childs was the best placed girl helm overall, and Anna Baker the best placed home entry. Joseph Mole was the best placed non-squaddie.

Overall Results: