Please select your home edition
Edition
Noble Marine 2022 YY - LEADERBOARD

ILCA Open at Papercourt Sailing Club

by Andrew Hill-Smith 6 May 2022 10:07 BST 24 April 2022
Papercourt ILCA Open 2022 © Peter Snow

The weather was perfect, dry and warm with a clean north-easterly running straight down the weed free lake. This was champagne conditions for the 22 hardy ILCA sailors signed up to compete. With 18 Papercourt sailors and 5 visitors we had enough boats to create a good sense of energy and action.

Experienced race officer Martin Smith set an exhilarating course with a couple of reaches as a reward after a long windward leg, and then a gate at the leeward end providing an edgy decision point in the final moments of the run. Removing the restriction that everyone had to pass through the start/finish line on all but the final lap meant there were many options open for the beat.

Racing was tight and fun in all 3 classes, with 3 ILCA 4's sharing the first start with 9 ILCA 7 rigs. Such was the standard of sailing in the 4 class that they managed to hold the lead in one of the races, right up to the first gate. The ILCA 6 class, was the largest fleet comprising 11 boats. There were several tense mark roundings, and every shift mattered. A steady wind of around 12 knots, with double that for some gusts, meant a few went in for a swim.

In the ILCA 7 fleet, Simon Hamment posted some excellent starts and managed two first place finishes before lunch. Over lunch, Bruce Ramshaw repaired his broken kicker and James Hall came back from a snapped outhaul in the first race, to complete two wins respectively in the last two races. Unfortunately, Bruce was over the line for the third start so the race was handed to Richard Lymposs, who came in second overall.

In the ILCA 6 fleet, Rebecca Clark was squeezed into second place for the first race, but kept everyone in check for the remainder, posting three solid firsts. Congratulations to Joe Mole for coming in second and Charlie Beck third.

Congratulations to Lauren Irons for winning the ILCA 4 Fleet, who like Rebecca Clarke was pipped on the first race by Emily Shears but did not look back after that.

Lunch was excellent - you can't beat a jacket potato and chilli after a morning on the lake, and afternoon tea and cakes reinforced the hospitality of Papercourt. Many thanks to Jill and Cathy in the galley.

Many thanks to Andrew Mcleish for making it over from Redbridge, and to Emily Shears from Reading both of whom have been Thames Valley series Stalwarts.

These results put Emily Shears in the lead for the ILCA fleet for the Thames Valley series and Andrew Hill-Smith out front in the ILCA 7s Overall a hugely enjoyable days racing, and not just for those involved, but for the many spectators taking photographs from the walks around the lake.

Many thanks also to Sailing Chandlery for providing sponsorship for the series. We are looking forward to more travellers to the next events, with Queen Mary being on the 22nd May. Do look up future dates on the UKLA website, or the Thames Valley series facebook page. It is 5 races to count for the series.

Overall Results: (Thames Valley Series results to date can be found here)

PosSail NoClubHelmR1R2R3R4Pts
ILCA 7 Fleet
1st207509PapercourtSimon Hamment11‑224
2nd213706Papercourt/BowmoorRichard Lymposs‑33137
3rd197342PapercourtBruce Ramshaw22(OCS)48
4th210139PapercourtJames Hall‑74419
5th204719Fairlop Waters SCAndrew McLeish4(DNF)3512
6th213547PapercourtAndrew Hill‑Smith555‑615
7th185727PapercourtPaul Way‑866820
8th211414RAFSA BurghfieldBen Read6‑77720
9th173879 Tim Wilson(DNC)8DNCDNC28
ILCA 6 Fleet
1st183239PapercourtRebecca Clarke‑21113
2nd190763PapercourtJoe Mole1‑2225
3rd91244PapercourtCharlie Beck33‑439
4th195787PepercourtRichard Thomas443(DNC)11
5th173517PapercourtLiz Hill‑Smith5‑65414
6th181060PapercourtNiall Maynard‑757517
7th139722PapercourtJustin Barratt6‑88620
8th146434PapercourtNeil Brettell‑876720
9th173617Frensham Pond SCCharlotte Mitchell9‑109826
10thClub BoatPapercourtFrank Brown119(DNC)DNC33
11th194448PapercourtGabriel Noble1011(DNF)DNC34
12th143201PapercourtArchie Walker(DNC)DNCDNCDNC39
ILCA 4 Fleet
1st203312PapercourtLauren Irons‑21113
2nd186842ReadingEmily Shears1‑2225
3rd181643PapercourtEmily Lewis3(DNF)DNCDNC13
4th217036King GeorgeMaddie Childs(DNC)DNCDNCDNC15

Related Articles

ILCA Women's Coaching Weekend at Weymouth
Sailors thrive in 'champagne to fruity' conditions ILCA sailors from as far away as Norwich gathered in Weymouth when The Andrew Simpson Performance Academy hosted the ILCA Women's Coaching Programme led by Georgina Povall and supported by Molly Sacker from the British Sailing Team. Posted on 3 Jun
ILCA Women's Coaching Weekend at King George SC
Sailing, skills, and sunshine - thanks to SailingFast and Wildwind King George Sailing Club played host to an ILCA Women's Coaching Programme, welcoming sixteen female sailors from as far away as Lancashire and East Anglia ranging from 14 year olds to, err, ladies of a certain age, all excited to learn together. Posted on 20 May
ILCA 6 Women's and ILCA 7 Men's Worlds overall
The northern wind arrives - Qingdao's final challenge Today marks the final day of the 2025 ILCA World Championships. While the champions have yet to be crowned, Qingdao's signature northern wind has already unfurled the curtain on the ultimate showdown. Posted on 17 May
ILCA 6 Women's and ILCA 7 Men's Worlds day 5
Clearing Skies and Fresh Breezes: Racing Finally Begins in Qingdao After four consecutive days of still air and thick fog, the ILCA World Championships in Qingdao finally saw its first official races on Day 5. Posted on 16 May
ILCA Women's Coaching Programme goes international
Sailors aged age 14 - 60 enjoyed a great week in Greece Maartje van Dam, Chief Instructor at Wildwind explained, "We have sponsored the ILCA Women's Coaching Programme in the UK from the beginning and saw the opportunity to offer a whole week of coaching with our first Women's ILCA Clinic at Wildwind. Posted on 16 May
ILCA 6 Women's and ILCA 7 Men's Worlds day 4
Wind yet to arrive, fog prevails Heavy fog returned from the south, choking off what little wind remained. At 11:17 a.m., AP over H was hoisted. The fleet was towed back to shore once again, for yet another stretch of waiting. Posted on 15 May
ILCA 6 Women's and ILCA 7 Men's Worlds day 3
The wind stays away and the day is cancelled once more For the third consecutive day, the ILCA World Championship race course remained stalled under a windless sky. A dense fog clung to the Olympic Sailing Center, muting the horizon and chilling the air to a damp 17 degrees C. Posted on 14 May
ILCA 6 Women's and ILCA 7 Men's Worlds day 2
A Windless Day, A Test of Patience The second day of qualification at the ILCA World Championships brought stillness rather than sail. With calm seas and motionless air, the day became a test of patience, resilience, and focus for all competitors. Posted on 13 May
ILCA 6 Women's and ILCA 7 Men's Worlds day 1
Wind drops during a period known for the strongest tidal currents The first day of the ILCA World Championship brought a dual challenge of tide and wind to the waters off Qingdao. According to the Chinese lunar calendar, today marks the 15th day of the fourth month — a period known for the strongest tidal currents. Posted on 12 May
ILCA Midland Grand Prix at Attenborough
A mixed fleet of ILCA 6 and 7s took to the water representing eight different clubs A mixed fleet of ILCA 6 and 7s took to the water at Attenborough on Saturday representing 8 different clubs. 3 races were held under clear blue skies but with a ESE wind direction it wasn't ideal for a perfect course due to islands within the small lake. Posted on 11 May