UK Cadet Class Vaikobi Clemenson Nautilus Trophy at Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy

UK Cadet Class Vaikobi Clemenson Nautilus Trophy at the WPNSA © CadetClass.org.uk

UK Cadet Class Vaikobi Clemenson Nautilus Trophy at the WPNSA © CadetClass.org.uk

Over the weekend of the 7th & 8th May the UK Cadet Class gathered at WPNSA for the third and final event of the Spring Series to determine qualification places for the World Championships in Melbourne at Christmas. WPNSA always put on a great event and this was to be no different.

With a somewhat less breezy forecast than the two preceding events the fleet was expecting that 7 races could be run to ensure a full selection series would be completed across a wide range of conditions. With our trusty race officer Arky in charge, despite the challenge of also running racing for the 420 class, there was little doubt we'd be in for some good racing.

Race 1 saw Will Shepherd and Joe Mycroft put down a clear marker of intent revelling in the light winds and taking the win in the main fleet from Sarah McEwan and Holly Jones and Mish Collingridge and Rhona Enkel. First in Silver fleet were Sam Nee and Audrey Giumali ahead of Alex McEwan and Amber Giumali, recently promoted having won Regatta fleet the weekend before. And in the coached Regatta fleet the racing was no less competitively fought with Ned Fairhurst and Sam English leading home from Oscar Bush and Emily Krailing.

On to Race 2 after some lengthy delay to reset the course as the wind swung hard right in the sunshine and it looked like a sea breeze, albeit light, was starting to establish itself. The wind was as shifty as anything as it came over Chesil Beach and across the harbour but once again Will and Joe figured out the shifts best and led to the finish ahead of Fiona Nee and Annabelle Shepherd and George Little and Hugh Voysey third. Silver fleet was again won by Sam and Audrey ahead of Alex and Amber. In Regatta Fleet it was the turn of Jemima McMorris and Harriet Davies to take the win from Oscar and Emily - this fleet were easily identifiable as all bar one sported blue spinnakers and stayed huddled together throughout the racing.

UK Cadet Class Vaikobi Clemenson Nautilus Trophy at the WPNSA - photo © CadetClass.org.uk

Race 3 and a couple of dolphins making their customary appearance in the harbour. This time Ed Fletcher and Alex Enkel were fired up to take the lead and hold it around the course to register the win ahead of Sophia Sfaxi and Evie Boddy second and Will and Joe third. In Silver Fleet it was the turn of Lulu Mayhew and Henry Camm to take the win from Sam and Audrey. Lulu and Henry had spotted the pin end bias and nailed the start to lead for a considerable period in the main fleet as they locked in a beautiful left hand shift out the first beat - it was good to see them showing so many how it could be done. In Regatta Fleet Oscar and Emily scored their first bullet for the weekend leading home the next blue spinnaker of Jemima and Harriet.

After the earlier resetting of the course it was starting to turn into a long day but the sun was shining and the wind was holding up well, if still shifting around to make the racing tricky and tactical. So race 4 was on and those (parents) with reservations in The Cove were going to have to wait a while longer. This time Sophia and Evie showed what they were capable of and took out the win although not before Lulu and Henry had repeated their pin end start and once again demonstrated that lovely left handed shift up the harbour. The finish was ever so close - Sophia and Evie just holding the nerve and squeaking across the line overlapped with each of Toby Bush and Kemmel Thorogood, Ines Green and Tom Krailing and Lulu and Henry and finishing in that order in what would have been a photo finish had it been F1 or the Grand National. Cadets and 420s had become intermingled down the last run and reach but it was good to observe no one at the front at least having their position affected. That gave Lulu and Henry another Silver fleet win ahead of Zach Windibank and Mave Parry-Shield. Regatta fleet kept its scoring tight at the top as Jemima and Harriet returned to winning ways to take the overnight lead by a single point from Oscar and Emily who finished second.

UK Cadet Class Vaikobi Clemenson Nautilus Trophy at the WPNSA - photo © CadetClass.org.uk

On to Sunday's racing - perhaps a touch more breeze but still light and shifty - this time the wind East clocking South East so inevitably going to be affected by that mighty stick of rock that is Portland Bill. The sailors launched nervously knowing that final places in the Worlds Team were up for grabs. Will and Joe kicked off in style what became something of a masterclass in light wind sailing through the day. In Race 5 they led home Ed and Alex and Ines and Tom always seeming to be in the right place to take the shifts when they came and staying in phase and in pressure. Silver fleet was won by Sam and Audrey ahead of Lulu and Henry and the Regatta fleet yo-yo continued with Oscar and Emily ahead of Ned and Sam at the finish.

UK Cadet Class Vaikobi Clemenson Nautilus Trophy at the WPNSA - photo © CadetClass.org.uk

Race 6, another win for Will and Joe and with the next two finishers arriving to an OCS-induced silence as they crossed the line, second went to Sarah and Holly ahead of Ed and Alex. Silver fleet again saw Sam and Audrey ahead of Lulu and Henry and well up in the main fleet at 6th and 7th respectively and Oscar and Emily took another bullet in the Regatta fleet to take a stranglehold on that competition ahead of Ned and Sam. Whether they knew it or not they had won Regatta fleet with a race to spare but no one was telling them so if they'd wanted an early shower they didn't take one!

UK Cadet Class Vaikobi Clemenson Nautilus Trophy at the WPNSA - photo © CadetClass.org.uk

Last race then of an excellent but challenging weekend. Will and Joe made no mistakes and thereby won the Clemenson Nautilus Trophy and at the same time secured first overall in the Worlds selector series. Race 7 saw Fiona and Annabelle second and Amelie Whitehouse and Maddy Sherwood third in the main fleet with Ed and Alex finishing the weekend second overall ahead of Fiona and Annabelle. First in the last race in Silver fleet were Zach and Mave ahead of Sam and Audrey who had done enough to win Silver overall ahead of Lulu and Henry. And not to be outdone by Will and Joe's picket fence of first places on Sunday, Oscar and Emily picked up their third straight win of the day in Regatta Fleet - first overall - once again ahead of Ned and Sam. Overall second in Regatta fleet were Jemima and Harriet split only from Ned and Sam on countback by virtue of their greater number of race wins. Good to see such tight race finishes all the way across the fleet.

So that was that - or almost - quite a lengthy delay as a couple of protests were resolved and then prizes kindly given out by British Sailing Team ILCA7 sailor Sam Whaley (thankyou; he also looked after my dog). A great weekend of sailing and the completion of the World's qualifying series with the full roster of 16 races completed ensuring that the top 10 were undoubtedly there on merit after a full range of conditions.

Next up is the RYA Regional Junior Championships on 18/19th June at Grafham Water before the Nationals and Europeans at Royal Torbay YC in July and August - entries for both open now.

Overall Results: