Zhik Cadet Spring Series: Peter Scott Trophy at Stone Sailing Club

Zhik Cadet Spring Series at Stone © UKNCCA

Zhik Cadet Spring Series at Stone © UKNCCA

The first of the Cadet Class Spring Series for the Peter Scott Trophy sponsored by Zhik kicked off at Stone on the River Blackwater over the weekend of 6/7 April.

Boats had been left there from Open training the weekend before which had gone some way to highlighting the strength of tidal influence at this classic east coast venue. With good breeze forecast for Saturday but somewhat dodgier predictions for the Sunday our PRO Arky Wainwright announced that he would endeavour to get 4 races in on Saturday just in case.

The first two races were both taken by Cally Terkelsen and Pippa Smith from the home club who managed to get cleanly off the line despite a strong adverse tide and tack in clear air up the Southern bank of the Blackwater towards the windward mark up near the Radio Caroline pirate ship. In the first race Hazel Whittle and Gwen Thorogood came through for second with Olivia Gowland and Hettie Thorogood third and in race two Daisy Nunn and Oscar Bush took runner up spot having lead up the first beat, ahead of Lia Fletcher and Kali Karaskas.

There was plenty of start line action for race 3 with a bit of a melee developing towards the pin but those who could flip quickly onto port tack to punch into the foul tide got a head start on boats being held out into the tide by other starboard tackers. Having lead at the first windward, Ollie and Will Mears were confused by a reset windward at the top of the second beat which saw a lead change with Cally and Pippa come through followed by Hamish Collingridge and Robbie Stewart. By the finish, Lia and Kali had moved through to take the win narrowly from Cally and Pippa with Mish and Robbie third.

For race 4 Arky had a bit of course resetting to undertake as the tide now had turned and was beginning to ebb hard. Lia and Kali were starting to get the bit between their teeth and led from start to finish to record their second bullet of the day. But with Cally and Pippa in runner up spot ahead of Katie Yelland and Dom Rowell it was the local girls who lead narrowly overnight with two 2nds and two 1sts.

With a separate start for the coached Regatta Fleet boats things were tight overnight with Ines green and Emilia Mayhew equal on points with Ed Fletcher and Charlie Bailey both with two wins, a second and a third. Despite this fleet starting 5 minutes after the main fleet in most of the races the leaders were catching up the back markers and acquitting themselves very well in the conditions. Both Tristan Whittle with Dominik McArdle and Mimi Slump with Jolyon Conway enjoyed a second place to also leave them tied for 3rd and 4th overnight.

After some excellent hospitality laid on by Stone Sailing Club the fleet reassembled on Sunday morning to find a misty Blackwater and lighter breeze. You could see the other side of the River still so the decision was made to launch as the tide started to flood quite strongly. Again it was obviously going to be a day when getting off the start line and getting to grips with the cross race course tidal influence was going to be important.

Race 5 saw Sam Goult and Elliott Chapman get away cleanly from a biased pin end with seemingly no one else awake enough to close off their port tack flyer. They lead initially before a port and starboard incident (they were on the right of way tack by this point) put an end to their racing for the day. Having sussed out which side of the leeward gate was favoured Hazel and Gwen eventually took the win from Phoebe Bradshaw and Rhona Enkel with Ollie and Will Mears in third. With the two overnight leaders scoring big points things were left delicately balanced for the last race.

In the final race, Lia and Kali stormed off beautifully up the first beat leaving behind a scrum of cadets struggling to cross the line on starboard and with several doing turns to exonerate themselves from rule infringements. For the first lap and a bit it looked like they might be set for overall victory with Cally and Pippa relatively buried in 7th place but there was little Lia could do as having taken her third win of the weekend she watched Cally work through to second by the finish ahead of a clearly delighted Phoebe Barr and Brandon Barker in 3rd. So in the main fleet Cally and Pippa's consistency gave them 1st overall, Lia and Kali were 2nd and Hazel and Gwen 3rd.

Over in Regatta Fleet, Ines and Emilia set about Sunday having acquired a clear taste for success and won both races to take the overall win from Ed and Charlie (two 2nds on Sunday and Second overall). Mimi and Jolyon were 3rd.

In Silver Fleet sailing within the Main fleet, Phoebe Barr and Brandon were 1st overall from Libby Bush and Imogen Mayhew with Amelia Mayhew and Loulou Mayhew 3rd.

Zhik Cadet Spring Series at Stone - photo © UKNCCA

So now the series moves on to the National Sailing Academy at Weymouth and Portland the weekend after Easter. Points for the coveted World Team places are tight - some will no doubt be frustrated at their showing, others determined to do better but we're only a third of the way through the series and as we always find there are doubtless a few twists and turns to come before the team is finally selected. Roll on Weymouth - at least in the harbour the tide won't be quite as fierce.

Overall Results:

Regatta Fleet Results: