Cambridgeshire Youth League at Grafham Water Sailing Club
by Hilary Talbot 23 May 2022 05:54 BST
21 May 2022

Cambridgeshire Youth League event at Grafham Water © Paul Sanwell / OPP
Twenty-seven young sailors from Cam SC, Ely SC, Hunts SC and Grafham Water SC converged on Grafham Water for the second event in the 2022 Cambs Youth League event. This annual five-event series brings together young sailors from five Cambridgeshire clubs to race in very different environments, from the river Cam, to small lakes to the large expanse of Grafham Water, which can be very daunting for those not used to it.
Despite the forecast at the start of the week for high winds, causing the Race Officer to be concerned that the event would have to be cancelled, the winds were light to moderate from the west providing friendly conditions for all. The day started with the Race Officer, John Aston, briefing the competitors on the arrangements, the flags to be used and the race area where sailing would take place. All competitors had to stay on shore until a flag informed them that the safety crews were in place to guide them to the racing area across the lake from the clubhouse launching area.
Race 1 got under way with the fleet divided into three flights, first the Optimists, then the Toppers and finally the Lasers, plus a Topaz Uno. Race 1 was very close with five boats finishing within one minute on corrected (handicap) time, Tim Evans of Grafham Water SC in a Laser Radial winning ahead of Sara Goujon from Hunts SC in a Laser 4.7 and Jason Kilstruck from Cams SC in an Optimist.
The fleet then came ashore for lunch before heading out for races 2 and 3 sailed back-to-back.
After lunch, in race 2, Cam SC sailors took the first three places, with Tyrii Bell in a Topper taking first, from Jason Kilstruck second and Elisabeth Collins third, also in an Optimist. Tim Evans took fourth place.
Race 3 saw everything to play for as Tim and Jason were both on 5 points, with Graydon McLeod Fleming from Hunts SC having a fourth and discarding a DNS, while Tyrii Bell had a first and was discarding an RTD. In the end, line honours went to Tim, with Graydon taking second, and GWSC sailor Adele Burbidge taking third in a Laser Radial.
More photographs of the event can be viewed at the Grafham Water SC Photo Gallery.
The final results were: Tim Evans (GWSC) first, Jason Kilstruck (Cam SC) second, Graydon McLeod Fleming (Hunts SC) third. The team prize went to Grafham Water SC. It was great to see the young sailors out on the water and having fun and we are looking forward to the next CYL event at Ely SC on 9th July.
Overall Results:
Pos | Fleet | Class | Sail No | Helm | Club | PY | R1 | R2 | R3 | Pts |
1st | 3 | Laser Radial | 215835 | Tim Evans | Grafham Water Sailing Club | 1147 | 1 | ‑4 | 1 | 2 |
2nd | 1 | Optimist | 5761 | Jason Kistruck | Cam Sailing Club | 1642 | 3 | 2 | ‑6 | 5 |
3rd | 2 | Topper | 46921 | Tyrii Bell | Cam Sailing Club | 1365 | (DNS) | 1 | 5 | 6 |
4th | 2 | Topper | 48744 | Graydon Mcleod Fleming | Hunts Sailing Club | 1365 | 4 | (RTD) | 2 | 6 |
5th | 1 | Optimist | 6465 | Elisabeth Collins | Cam Sailing Club | 1642 | 5 | 3 | ‑15.5 | 8 |
6th | 3 | Laser 4.7 | 201861 | Sara Goujon | Hunts Sailing Club | 1208 | 2 | 7 | ‑11 | 9 |
7th | 3 | Laser Radial | 215303 | Adele Burbidge | Grafham Water Sailing Club | 1147 | ‑8 | 6 | 3 | 9 |
8th | 3 | Laser Radial | 196559 | Malcolm McLeod Fleming | Hunts Sailing Club | 1147 | 6 | 5 | ‑8 | 11 |
9th | 3 | Laser Radial | 197899 | Matthew Donley | Grafham Water Sailing Club | 1147 | ‑10 | 10 | 4 | 14 |
10th | 3 | Laser Radial | 0 | Skye Collard | Grafham Water Sailing Club | 1147 | 9 | ‑14 | 7 | 16 |
11th | 3 | Laser 4.7 | 218524 | Dominic Atherton | Grafham Water Sailing Club | 1208 | ‑11 | 8 | 10 | 18 |
12th | 1 | Optimist | 5701 | William Swann | Grafham Water Sailing Club | 1642 | ‑20 | 9 | 12 | 21 |
12th | 2 | Topper | 45701 | Tabitha | Ely Sailing Club | 1365 | ‑21 | 12 | 9 | 21 |
14th | 1 | Optimist | 6478 | Sophie Kistruck | Cam Sailing Club | 1642 | 7 | ‑20 | 15.5 | 22.5 |
15th | 3 | Topaz Uno | 1723 | Barney Wragg | Grafham Water Sailing Club | 1251 | 12 | 11 | ‑17 | 23 |
16th | 3 | Laser Radial | 154746 | Jack Screaton | Grafham Water Sailing Club | 1147 | 13 | 15 | ‑18 | 28 |
17th | 2 | Topper 4.2 | 46007 | Thomas Matthews | Grafham Water Sailing Club | 1409 | 16.5 | ‑19 | 13 | 29.5 |
18th | 3 | Laser 4.7 | 154746 | Kiera French | Grafham Water Sailing Club | 1208 | ‑16.5 | 16 | 14 | 30 |
19th | 2 | Topper | 45152 | Kieran Vanhoutte | Ely Sailing Club | 1365 | 14 | 17 | (RTD) | 31 |
20th | 1 | Optimist | 5504 | Edward Millett | Cam Sailing Club | 1642 | (DNS) | 13 | 19 | 32 |
21st | 3 | Laser Radial | 123872 | Matilda Hall | Cam Sailing Club | 1147 | 18 | 18 | (DNS) | 36 |
22nd | 2 | Topper | 44144 | Joshua | Ely Sailing Club | 1365 | 19 | ‑22 | 20 | 39 |
23rd | 2 | Topper | 6152 | Jasper Paddick | Grafham Water Sailing Club | 1365 | ‑22 | 21 | 21 | 42 |
24th | 2 | Topper | 42612 | Niklas Maclay | Grafham Water Sailing Club | 1365 | 15 | RTD | (DNS) | 43 |
25th | 1 | Optimist | 1 | Isaac Wilcox | Cam Sailing Club | 1642 | RTD | RTD | (DNS) | 56 |
26th | 2 | Topper | 0 | Sebastian Parkinson | Grafham Water Sailing Club | 1365 | (DNS) | DNS | DNS | 58 |
26th | 3 | Laser Radial | 201847 | Alfie Scott Davison | Grafham Water Sailing Club | 1147 | (DNS) | DNS | DNS | 58 |
Grafham Water SC is based in Cambridgeshire and offers some of the best inland sailing in the country. The club is open to all classes of boat with strong fleets of Sprint 15’s, catamarans, Lasers/ILCAs, Solos, D-Zeros, RSs and Flying Fifteens. For more information about the club please visit the website at www.grafham.org or call the club on 01480 810478. Follow the club on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pg/grafhamwatersc