Cadet Inland Championship at Grafham Water Sailing Club

Cadet Inlands at Grafham Water © Tim Hampton

After a cracking National Championship at Thorpe Bay, the last UKNCCA event of the year, the Inland Championship, was soon upon us, having been moved to Grafham Water thanks to blue-green algae stubbornly refusing to leave Alton Water (note: it's cleared now).

It's also the time of year which witnesses the baptism of fire (how fiery depending on wind strength) of many ex crews becoming first time helms on the national circuit. Overall the event was set to be an intriguing trial of whether the newbies could give the old guard a decent run for their money.

On day one, racing went ahead right on schedule, with a first race starting tick-tock at twelve o'clock, albeit with wind far lighter than forecast, it was still consistently 10-15 knots. Race 1 culminated in no major surprises, with Katie Yelland and Dom Rowell taking the top spot, Ellie Watling and George Little and Kate White and Rhona Enkel in hot pursuit.

Cadet Inlands at Grafham Water - photo © Tim Hampton

Race two, however, showed what some of the newer helms were capable of - thanks to some clever first beat manoeuvres and helped by some front runners including Katie Yelland and Lia Fletcher returning after individual recalls. First at the windward were Ollie and Will Mears, followed by newbie Hamish Collingridge crewed by Robbie Stewart and Sam Goult and Sarah McEwan. However, disaster struck at the leeward, as Ollie and Sam headed round the wrong mark, resulting in Hamish shooting off, like a startled ferret, into the lead, with Kate White and Cally Terkelsen having absolutely no intention of making life easy for him. With some jostling in the following laps, Race 2 finished with Kate White and Rhona Enkel in first, Cally Terkelsen and Brandon Barker in second, and Daisy Nunn and Oscar Bush in third.

After a much needed lunch break, and wind strength plummeting, it was time for a third race with once again Ollie and Will Mears leading around the windward mark, closely followed by Sam Goult and Sarah McEwan in second, and Katie Yelland and Dom Rowell, seeking to improve after their second race, in third. With many wary of a poor day 2 forecast, the intention was to run a fourth race. However, an unruly fleet caused more than a few general recalls, and a snail's-pace wind, put paid to any hopes of a fourth race. Towards the end of the race, with boats' speeds rapidly decreasing, the final run resulted in the Ollie Mears, Sam Goult and Katie Yelland all neck and neck, with Katie just pulling away at the finish in first, Ollie Mears in second, and Sam Goult in a close third.

Cadet Inlands at Grafham Water - photo © Tim Hampton

So with the first day of racing complete, the overnight results were Kate White in first, Ellie Watling in second and Ollie Mears in third. However, tension and anticipation was high, as discards were sure to throw a spanner in the works for many of the front runners. All in all day 2 was looking too close to call.

However, the weather seemed to have ignored the weather forecast and wasn't exactly playing ball, as a dismal downpour and artic-like temperatures, lowered the morale of many sailors before launching. To make matters worse, there was a delay to racing as many parents were unaware of the earlier start, resulting in many sailors being late. On the bright side, though, there was a healthy breeze for racing.

Race four got under way with pace, supported by a breeze of 10-15 knots and climbing. Cally Terkelsen charged off into the lead at the windward mark and held on to a rather impressive lead throughout the race, with all others struggling to catch any ground on her. Overall, the race finished with Cally and Brandon Barker in first place, Phoebe Bradshaw and Imogen Mayhew in second and the ever consistent Ollie and Will Mears in third.

Cadet Inlands at Grafham Water - photo © Tim Hampton

Race five immediately got underway, with Lia Fletcher and Kali Karaskas pulling away into the lead right off the bat, with Katie Yelland in second. All in all, there was very little change in positions the race, finishing off with Lia Fletcher in first, Katie Yelland in second and Olivia Gowland and Harriet Thorogood achieving their first top three result in a National event.

After the usual lunch break, it was time for the final race of the Inland Championship. Tensions were, as usual, very high, with many nervous parents calculating points in their head, and the wind reaching a healthy twenty knots resulted in more than a few rescues being required. Ollie Mears and Lia Fletcher convinced that starting on starboard was an unnecessary measure for them to take, port tacked the fleet to much success. At the windward mark, it was hardly a surprise that it was Ollie Mears in first with Lia breathing down his neck, in second. However, the new team of Lia and Kali Karaskas was clearly not content with winning only one race, and took Ollie Mears' first position from his grasp on the reach. From then on, there was little change in positioning, although Kate White and Rhona Enkel, in their final Cadet race, pulled through into third place. Overall for Race 6, Lia took the win, Ollie second and Kate in third.

Cadet Inlands at Grafham Water - photo © Tim Hampton

So with all results totted up, and wine (and coke for the underage coach) bottles delivered to significant helpers in the event, with a special thank you going out to Matt White, who upon leaving the Cadet fleet, has laid more courses in his role as chief mark layer, than anyone dare count.

It was finally time for the reveal of the overall results. All in all, the regatta fleet performed very promisingly, with a sizeable fleet of eleven boats, including the arrival of many new South Cerney boats. Regatta fleet culminated with Hamish Collingridge and Robbie Stewart taking first, finishing in an astonishing (to this author) 17th overall, and also first under 13 helm. Not far behind was his close rival as mate Toby Bush with Kemel Thorogood, taking second in Regatta and 19th overall thanks to some impressive consistency. In third was Will and Tom Shepherd, finishing overall in 22nd. Throughout the event, the Regatta fleet proved that the divides between Gold, Silver and Regatta were not as clear cut as previously imagined, with many mixing with the more experienced bunch at every occasion.

The Silver fleet saw the return of Bea Green, keen to do another year, and her new crew Eloise Mayhew, taking third in the silver fleet, and 11th overall. In second was Daisy Nunn and Oscar Bush, who finished in 9th overall. However it was Ollie and Will Mears who stole the silver fleet show, as they not only won, but also finished at 2nd overall, and his impressive young age of 13 allowed him to also win first under 14 helm.

In the Gold Fleet, it was a tight affair, although a clear winner was eventually revealed. In 6th overall was Ellie Watling and George Little, who displayed a very consistent performance and a return to form for the Frensham duo. In 5th overall was Phoebe Bradshaw and Imogen Mayhew, an impressive result, with more than a few moments of brilliance. In 4th overall was Kate White and Rhona Enkel, bowing out of the Cadet fleet after 4 years with some magnificent successes. In 3rd overall was Lia Fletcher and Kali Karaskas, finishing with a brilliant last day, with two firsts on the trot. Next up was the aforementioned Ollie and Will Mears, a new, young team who are more than happy to show the old guard a thing or two on a start line. And in 1st place overall, was the new Inland Champions Katie Yelland and Dom Rowell, finishing with some great consistency.

So with boats put away for the week, the Inlands drew to a close. The weekend was a perfect example of the magnificence of the Cadet fleet and sailing as a whole, with many new faces rocking up with impressive results in what were some very tricky conditions. All there is to do is await the RYA Zone Championships, the last of the two indicators for the winter squad trainings. Zones here we come.

Overall Results: