Pico National Championships at Gurnard Sailing Club

First ever Pico National Champion crowned

The inaugural Pico National Championships were sailed in challenging conditions at Gurnard Sailing Club over the Bank Holiday weekend (27-29 May 2006). The event was well attended with a total of 47 entries, with some competitors as young as 8 years old.

One race was scheduled for the Saturday after a coaching session for all the entrants. The strong winds meant racing was cancelled for the day. Sunday bought sun and lighter F2-3 North-westerly wind. The day bought testing conditions for race officer Steve Cole, but the race team managed to get four races in for each fleet.

Monday’s weather proved no less challenging, with squall clouds bringing gusts of up to 27 knots, and huge wind shifts. A particularly severe squall during the second race flattened most of the training fleet.

The Race fleet racing, for single handed helms under 19, was closely contested. Richard Talbot, (18, Royal Victoria Yacht Club, Isle of Wight) was dominant throughout the event, with 4 first and 2 second places.

Local Gurnard SC sailors; Tim Pitcher, William Robinson and James French were always in contention, although James lost one race to gear failure and Tim and Will were caught OCS in race 5. With the windier conditions on Sunday, Ben Green put in an improved performance to bring him up to 6th overall. The windy conditions got the better of some of the less experienced competitors, and with Richard Talbot already confirmed Pico National Champion, only 9 boats completed the last race, with their race positions almost exactly reflecting their overall placings.

The Fun ‘B’ group was open to any age, sailing one or two up with training rigs. The wind conditions on Sunday were ideal for this fleet, and 23 crews of all abilities started the first race. As in the A fleet, a few sailors were dominant, the single handed Picos of Hilary Thorpe and Jack Davies vying for positions with the 2 –up teams of Chris and Jack Hughes, and Cordelia Ellis and Annabelle Fulford.

Further down the fleet, places seemed to be dependant on who could miss the raft of becalmed boats behind the leeward mark! On Sunday, with windier conditions, and Cordelia missing, Hilary, Jack and Chris again dominated, with Karen and Arieilla Thompson putting in a strong showing. Harry Newlands, sailing with his dad ex Olympic 470 crew Pete Newlands, enjoyed the conditions and put in a 1st, 2nd and 5th, to win the GSC Pico Plate for the best B results on Monday. As the wind increased during the day many of the younger sailors were defeated by the conditions, but 12-year-old Jack Davies persevered to win overall from Chris Hughes and Hilary Thorpe.

Thanks to Laser, Red Funnel, Cowes Town Council, Isle of Wight Council, Ocean World and Wight Cable, Posh Frocks and Cowes Yachting for supporting the event

Overall Results:

Race Group

1st Richard Talbot, (18, Royal Victoria Yacht Club)
2nd Tim Pitcher, (15, Gurnard Sailing Club)
3rd William Robinson, (17, Gurnard Sailing Club)
4th James French, (14, Gurnard Sailing Club)
5th James Skinner, (15, Gurnard Sailing Club)
6th Ben Green, (14, Gurnard Sailing Club)

Training Group:

1stJack Davies, (Yarmouth Sailing Club)
2nd Chris & Jack Hughes (Gurnard Sailing Club)
3rd Hilary Thorpe (Gurnard Sailing Club)

For full results go to www.gurnardsc.org.uk