420 End of Seasons 2021 at Grafham Water Sailing Club

Wow! What a great event our 2021 End of Seasons was! Hosted by the friendly Grafham Water Sailing Club, the wind was full of the usual shifty, tactics at the ready, lake sailing and we boasted a fleet of 39 boats.

Saturday was a light south westerly breeze averaging at 10kts. It was definitely a get in the pressure sort of day. We had 4 races and 4 different race winners including Ella Lance & Will Martin who hit the top 5 every time and were overnight leaders from Megan Farrer & Ellie Rush who picked up a 1st and a 2nd and Ollie Meadowcroft & Oscar Cawthorne who had a consistent day with a win and three top 7 results. George Creasey & David Bromilow won the final race of the day. The most spectacular performance of the day came from Ellie Creighton & Bee Greenfield who were in the hunt all day and found themselves in 7th place overnight.

420 End of Seasons at Grafham Water - photo © Jon Cawthorne

Sunday was much breezier and very, very cold! And with a northerly wind averaging up to 15-20kts, I'm pretty sure everyone was wearing a woolly hat of some sort! In the windy conditions Ollie & Oscar dominated the first two races on day 2 getting round the course with a decent advantage on the fleet, but managed to only record a BFD and a 1st, whilst Ella & Will took control of the leader board recording a 1st and a 3rd.

420 End of Seasons at Grafham Water - photo © Jon Cawthorne

Alice Davis & Oliver Rayner won the third race of the day as Ollie & Oscar lost their mast on the first run and took themselves out of the running as they amassed a scorecard that looked like the alphabet. In the final race of the day Nick Evans & Joey Taylor bossed a victory as the fleet became a little depleted. Another 4 races and another 4 winners... I was hugely impressed by the number of newer to the class boats that stayed out and kept racing on the Sunday. You were all winners for that despite quite a few capsizes.

420 End of Seasons at Grafham Water - photo © Jon Cawthorne

Overall Ella & Will won the Open competition from Alice & Oliver and Megan & Ellie in 3rd who were also first female boat. Joe Warwicker & Hugo Valentine were first U17 Open and Ellie & Bea were first U17 female boat.

Just as important as the sailing for us teenagers was of course a brilliant social on the Saturday night! This regatta's theme was "Helm and Crew switcheroo" which is where the crew picks what the helm wears and vice versa. It worked very well, with some truly awesome outfits!

The winners, chosen by competitors:

1st - The Unicorn (Arthur Bailey)
2nd - Queen Victoria (Hector Bennet)
3rd - School Girl (Henry Heathcote)

420 End of Seasons at Grafham Water - Unicorn and Sumo Wrestler - photo © Katy Meadowcroft

Overall Results: