Please select your home edition
Edition
Selden 2020 - LEADERBOARD

Richard Pye wins the Fernhurst Books Draycote Dash to take early Seldén SailJuice Winter Series lead

by Andy Rice 21 Nov 2022 18:51 GMT 19-20 November 2022

Richard Pye held off the faster boats in his RS Aero 7 to win Sunday's Pursuit Race and clinch overall victory in the Fernhurst Books Draycote Dash. The first event of nine in this season's Seldén SailJuice Winter Series, Pye won by the smallest of margins, beating overnight leader Jonathan Swain's Solo by a single point.

The event drew a diverse gathering of 62 entries, ranging in size and speed from the Topper to the VX One sportsboat, and in age from early teens to late seventies.

Saturday started fine for the scheduled four back-to-back handicap races around a quadrilateral course on Draycote Water. Despite the wind dropping for the last two races of the afternoon, the race team were determined to complete a full schedule of four and ran the two latter races as one-lappers.

Back in 2011/12 Peter Gray and Rachael Rhodes raced together in a Scorpion to become outright winners of that season's Seldén SailJuice Winter Series. Now married, Peter and Rachael (now Gray) are competing against each other as rival helms while both representing Staunton Harold Sailing Club. Between them the Grays won three of the four races on Saturday, Peter and his crew Geoff Edwards sailing their Osprey to handicap victory in heats one and four while Rach Gray and her crew Amy Clay sailed their Scorpion to a win in race three.

Gray and Clay's Scorpion was the most consistent across the day with scores of 4,2,1,5 showing impressive form in the variable breeze. However with one discard permitted, Jonathan Swain's Solo from Carsington became overnight leader counting scores of 2,1,2 and dropping in 8th in the last heat of the afternoon.

For Sunday's 120-minute pursuit race there was a good 10 knot breeze blowing. Dilara Soyer from the home club led for a long time in her Topper but was eventually overhauled by the Aero 7s of Richard Pye and Joe Scurrah. They in turn managed to stay ahead of the fast approaching Musto Skiff of Richard Smith at the finish. It was Scurrah's second time in a row as bridesmaid in the Dash pursuit which lifted him to 4th overall.

Victory in the non-discardable pursuit race proved sufficient for Richard Pye to win the event outright. This is the first time a home boat has won the Draycote Dash, and for his efforts Richard was awarded with the final copy of the late Bob Fisher's history of the America's Cup, the weighty tome known as An Absorbing Interest, published by Fernhurst Books. Fun fact: Richard was also the principal race officer for the Dash the previous year, and so winning a year later was an extra reward for his commitment to the event's success.

Seldén Sticker Winners

Richard Le Mare from series sponsor Seldén was on hand to help sailors attach their Seldén stickers before racing on Saturday. With spot prizes or Seldén R60 ratchet blocks being awarded to sailors with stickers, Tim Laws' Europe won Saturday's R60 and the RS200 of James Williams & Sarah Tuppen won Sunday's R60.

Top Fastest boats as measured by the SailRacer trackers were the VX One skippered by former Dash winner Andy Couch and Richard Smith's Musto Skiff. For handicap-corrected speed, the winners were Val Millward's Challenger and Richard Le Mare racing his Hadron H2 singlehander.

This was the last year for Jeremy Atkins to run the Draycote Dash as event director. Next season he hands over to his Fireball crew and long-time participant in many of the events on the Seldén SailJuice Winter Series, Richard Botting.

Online Prizegiving and Update at 7pm on Thursday 24 November

Series organisers Simon Lovesey and Andy Rice will be hosting a Facebook Live event at 7pm on Thursday 24 November, with an online wrap-up of the Draycote Dash and a look forward to the rest of this season's Seldén SailJuice Winter Series.

www.facebook.com/SeldénSailJuiceWinterSeries

Enter the Datchet Flyer in early December

It's less than two weeks until the Datchet Flyer near Heathrow Airport, taking place on 3 & 4 December.

Online entry for the event, and all others in the series, is open at www.sailjuiceseries.com

The Events

The following events are in the Seldén SailJuice Winter Series 2022/23:

  • Fernhurst Books Draycote Dash, Draycote Water Sailing Club
    20 & 21 November 2022
  • Datchet Flyer, Datchet Water Sailing Club
    3 & 4 December 2022
  • Yorkshire Dales Brass Monkey, Yorkshire Dales Sailing Club
    27 December 2022
  • Burghfield Breezer, Burghfield Sailing Club
    27 December 2022
  • Grafham Grand Prix, Grafham Water Sailing Club
    2 January 2023
  • Bloody Mary, Queen Mary Sailing Club
    7 January 2023
  • King George Gallop, King George Sailing Club
    21 January 2023
  • John Merricks Tiger Trophy, Rutland Sailing Club
    4 & 5 February 2023
  • Oxford Blue, Oxford Sailing Club
    18 February 2023
  • Prizegiving at RYA Dinghy Show, Farnborough
    25 February 2023

You can find out more about the Series at www.SailJuiceSeries.com

Related Articles

More than 60 entered for the Daffodil Regatta
The first event of this year's Sailjuice Challenge at Ullswater is in a week's time It's just over a week until the Magic Marine Daffodil Regatta at Ullswater, the first event of this year's Sailjuice Challenge... Posted on 18 Apr
Sailjuice Challenge on a mission
To build Bigger, Better Dinghy Racing events in the UK The organisers of the Seldén Sailjuice Winter Series are looking to promote better events across the whole year, not just the winter. Surveys and Daffodils are in the offing... Posted on 13 Mar
Seldén Sailjuice Winter Series Prize Giving
Gillard and Gray are repeat winners of the crown More than a decade after they last won the Seldén Sailjuice Winter Series, Tom Gillard and Rachael Gray have done it again... Posted on 25 Feb
Victory at Zhik Oxford Blue puts Snipe on the map
Matthew Wolstenholme and Lloyd Roberts win in 83-boat handicap fleet Matthew Wolstenholme and Lloyd Roberts sailed their Snipe to victory at the front of an 83-boat handicap fleet at last Saturday's Zhik Oxford Blue. Posted on 18 Feb
Zhik Oxford Blue set to conclude the Winter Series
The final Seldén Sailjuice event is this Saturday It's not been a straightforward few months of weather, but after a friendly Tiger Trophy it looks like the wind is also set fair for a favourable Zhik Oxford Blue this Saturday. Posted on 12 Feb
Gillard & Gray take Merlin victory in the Tiger
Finally almost perfect conditions in the Seldén Sailjuice Winter Series Even when they switch from the Scorpion to the Merlin Rocket, Tom Gillard and Rachael Gray come out on top of a 110-boat fleet at a mostly mild and benign Tiger Trophy on Rutland Water... Posted on 5 Feb
A Friendly Tiger?
More than 70 boats are entered for this weekend's John Merricks Tiger Trophy at Rutland After a winter of either too much or not enough wind, the forecast for this weekend's John Merricks Tiger Trophy points to breeze a bit more in the 'nice' range... Posted on 30 Jan
Teenagers shunt vintage Punt to Gallop victory
Seldén Sailjuice Winter Series event won by Edward Clifford and Alex Standley Two 18-year-olds, Edward Clifford and Alex Standley, sailed their 66-year-old Norfolk Punt to victory at a very light-airs Magic Marine King George Gallop last Saturday. This is one of the youngest teams combined with the oldest boat. Posted on 20 Jan
Gearing up for the King George Gallop
Seldén Sailjuice Winter Series looks set for light airs in North London The King George Gallop follows in quick succession from last weekend's GJW Direct Bloody Mary, as sailors continue to turn out in force for events in the Seldén Sailjuice Winter Series. Posted on 16 Jan
Panks sail to Bloody Mary glory
Using their light-airs skills to edge their Firefly to victory Jono and Freddie Pank used their light-airs skills to edge their Firefly to victory at last Saturday's GJW Direct 49th Bloody Mary. This is the most famous pursuit race in the UK dinghy racing scene. Posted on 14 Jan