Noble Marine & Sailingfast UKLA ILCA 6 Spring Qualifier 2 at the WPNSA

by Freddie Sunderland 23 Mar 2023 11:01 GMT 18-19 March 2023

Qualifier 2 saw 156 sailors across the three classes (ILCA 4, 6 and 7), battle it out in a range of conditions. In the weeks leading up to the event, the forecast illustrated extremely windy conditions and it was a worry to many that it would've been too windy to sail; however, as the event grew nearer, the wind calmed and stabilised.

Day 1 of racing was held in the harbour, with around 7-8 knots of breeze. The 7s were released first, followed by the 4s and then the 6s.

UKLA ILCA 6 Spring Qualifier 2 at the WPNSA - photo © Georgie Altham

Race 1 was won by Ben Elvin, closely chased by Fred Salter and Ian Gregory. Calmly and collectively Ben and Ian chipped away at the fleet mastering the pressure and the shifts. However, Fred Salter had a rough start and had to work his way through the fleet - on the second upwind he picked out a lovely shift out of the left hand side of the course and led around the top mark.

Race 2 delivered similar conditions with a little pin bias. Max Steele managed to execute his start the best. Max and Edwin Cross found a lovely lane off the pin end allowing them to tack and cross the fleet. However as the beat proceeded, the wind just flicked further and further left. At the top mark Max managed to remain in the lead, but clever Robin Phipps and Ian Gregory predicted this, planned a route up the left-hand side and snuck into the top mark just behind. This order stayed constant as they defended off others.

UKLA ILCA 6 Spring Qualifier 2 at the WPNSA - photo © Georgie Altham

Race 3, yet again saw light winds and saw Ben Elvin, Oliver Allen Wilcox and Max Steele to seize the opportunity, intelligently matching up the shifts and gusts and taking the podium positions.

Day 2 was a day of two halves. It saw an opportunity to sail in the famous Weymouth bay (holding the 2012 Olympic sailing). The day was forecasted as a beautiful 12-15 knots; although, when the sailors arrived on the course, the wind died.

UKLA ILCA 6 Spring Qualifier 2 at the WPNSA - photo © Georgie Altham

Race 4 was interesting with the gun sounding in now a 5 knot breeze. Tactics now became a big factor as the left and right sides saw little breeze and a huge right shift that strung out the field. Elvin, Wilcox and Steele seized the opportunity, and took the podium positions. As the morning air came and went, the 15 knot breeze many sailors were hoping was delivered.

As race 5 commenced, the focus was now on shifts and boat speed. Wilcox and Christopher Marsh, showed blistering speeds up and downwind, stretching the field and taking the top two spots. They were closely followed by Freddie Howarth who worked his way through the fleet, overtaking boats left, right and centre.

UKLA ILCA 6 Spring Qualifier 2 at the WPNSA - photo © Georgie Altham

Race 6 showed similar conditions to race 5 with a shifting 15-18 knot breeze. Experienced Ben and Chloe Elvin had clean starts off the pin and shot off the line into the lead. They seemed untouchable, but Freddie Howarth came close, taking the third and final spot on the podium.

As many tired sailors set their way for the long sail in, the race committee finalised the results. The deserving winner Ben Elvin who illustrated his experience and composure, finished without a single result out of the top 10. Joining him on the podium was Oliver Allen Wilcox and Chloe Elvin, who also sailed a consistent series. Oliver Allen Wilcox was 1st under 21. Tim Evans was 1st under 19. Freddie Sunderland was 1st under 17 and Ben Elvin was the first master and first overall.

UKLA ILCA 6 Spring Qualifier 2 at the WPNSA - photo © Georgie Altham

On behalf of all the sailors in the ILCA6 fleet thank you volunteers for making this another great event. And thanks for WPNSA for hosting.

Thanks to Noble Marine and Sailingfast as primary sponsors of the weekend and Rooster and Ovington Boats for sponsoring the qualifiers.

Overall Results:

Pos	Helm	Sail No	Age Group	Club	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	Pts
1	Ben Elvin	220042	AM	Stokes Bay SC	1	2	2	1	‑10	2	8
2	Oliver Allen‑Wilcox	216724	U21	Chew Valley SC / Parkstone Yacht Club	13	‑15	1	2	1	4	21
3	Chloe Elvin	220040	A	Stokes Bay SC	‑21	5	11	4	9	1	30
4	Tim Evans	215835	U19	Grafham Water SC	7	4	‑23	8	4	9	32
5	Max Steele	219140	U19	Wembley SC; Stokes Bay SC	4	1	3	3	‑26	22	33
6	Freddie Howarth	220776	U19	Parkstone YC	8	‑28	4	18	3	3	36
7	Ian Gregory	220041	M	Frensham Pond SC & Stokes Bay	3	‑12	7	5	11	11	37
8	Fred Salter	221501	U19	Gurnard Sailing Club	2	9	13	‑32	8	6	38
9	Christopher Marsh	216212	U19	Whitstable YC	‑32	17	12	7	2	12	50
10	Freddie Sunderland	216023	U17	Draycote Water	11	8	8	‑41	17	13	57
11	Edwin Cross	216656	U19	Shoreham	15	7	5	17	20	‑32	64
12	Josh Lyttle	211165	U19	Queen Mary SC	18	18	10	‑61	5	14	65
13	Carys Attwell	221585	U19	Rutland SC	17	20	‑46	10	16	5	68
14	Henry Redmond	206839	U19	Covenham SC	‑28	11	28	9	13	15	76
15	Robin Phipps	221800	U19	Parkstone Yacht Club	‑50	3	24	33	7	10	77
16	Charlotte Videlo	221854	U21	Frensham Pond SC / Stokes Bay SC	‑41	29	25	6	12	8	80
17	Josh Morgan	205823	U21	Weymouth and Portland National Sailing A	‑35	14	6	25	24	16	85
18	Luiz Felipe Giagio	202045	U19	Royal Hospital School	9	26	22	‑36	6	26	89
19	Nicole Stovell	204788	U19		6	23	‑36	29	30	18	106
20	Jon Gay	218860	M	Lochaber Yacht Club	34	24	(RET)	14	15	19	106
21	Archie Burton	221236	U19	Beaver & Draycote	‑48	30	20	15	23	20	108
22	Alfie Noel	214203	U17	Stokes Bay SC	‑52	16	31	26	19	17	109
23	Iris Singleton	206856	U21	Draycote Water SC	23	‑31	30	20	18	21	112
24	Max Hunt	222555	GGM	Whitstable YC	14	6	15	39	39	(DNC)	113
25	Tom Thwaites	212026	U19	RNSYC & NBYC	‑45	27	18	27	14	29	115
26	Jude Stanley	183526	U19	Hayling Island Sailing Club	10	33	21	11	41	‑42	116
27	Aaron Evans	202543	U21		25	21	35	13	22	(UFD)	116
28	Freddie Maclaverty	221583	U17	Llandudno SC/ Rydal school	5	35	17	‑62	31	31	119
29	Tom Rawlings	218043	U17	Lyme Regis Sailing Club	31	22	16	24	‑43	28	121
30	Wai Chak Tsui	209950	U17	Hong Kong Sports Institute	26	41	27	‑52	21	7	122
31	Thommie Grit	190471	U21		42	10	9	37	25	‑57	123
32	Sam Grayton	221502	U17	Notts County Sailing Club / Draycote SC	43	‑44	14	22	34	25	138
33	Millie Lewis	220514	U19	Medway YC	12	32	43	16	‑45	37	140
34	Samantha Edwards	212008	U21		20	38	‑45	19	27	39	143
35	Samson Cross	205176	U17	Shoreham	16	36	41	30	‑44	23	146
36	Hamish Collingridge	214580	U19	Waldringfield SC	22	‑52	51	23	28	24	148
37	Spirit Alderson	220823	U17	Derwent Reservoir Sailing Club	19	19	40	12	‑59	59	149
38	Toby Smith	206959	U17	Rutland SC / Royal Hospital School	‑39	13	38	38	38	34	161
39	Thomas Bates	215383	U19	Ripon SC	30	34	33	‑42	35	36	168
40	Reuben Hudson	185603	U19	Shoreham Sailing Club	38	25	26	‑59	37	44	170
41	Joe Rowe	216703	U19	Draycote Academy	24	39	53	‑54	33	30	179
42	Megan Thomson	216513	U19	Island Barn Reservoir Sailing Club	29	48	‑58	28	36	38	179
43	Dru Townsend	208325	U19	Portishead/Chew Valley Lake	27	47	‑50	46	29	35	184
44	Toby bush	171988	U19		‑53	42	32	34	32	45	185
45	Sam Lowbridge	218156	U17	Rutland SC	37	40	37	‑49	48	27	189
46	Lucy Davis	214960	U21	RSrnYC & RTYC	36	37	‑44	43	40	40	196
47	Ruairi Herrington	215531	U17	Largs Sailing Club	‑58	55	47	21	49	33	205
48	Charlotte Allen	221577	U19		‑57	46	42	48	42	47	225
49	Jessica Watson	209016	U17	Guernsey Yacht Club	40	43	29	57	‑58	58	227
50	Issy Glazebrook	203910	U19	ASWC Portland/ Teign Corinthian Yacht Cl	47	50	19	‑63	62	53	231
51	Christopher Kilshaw	136028	M	Reading Sailing Club	54	53	39	44	47	‑61	237
52	Lauren Attwell	204013	U17	Rutland SC	56	54	‑65	35	50	49	244
53	Gretel Haines	217000	U17	Gurnard Sailing Club	33	58	‑64	53	51	52	247
54	Olliver Boyle	208971	U17	St Catherineâ€™s Sailing Club	62	‑64	55	31	54	48	250
55	Dominic Atherton	218524	U19	Grafham Water Sailing Club	46	‑66	56	50	56	43	251
56	Filip Wojcik	202437	U19	Hythe Sailing Club / Royal Lymington Yac	59	45	‑60	47	46	54	251
57	Georgia Hughes	219022	U19	Llandegfedd SC	44	‑59	48	56	53	55	256
58	Charlotte Fensom	215222	U21	Penine SC	51	51	34	‑66	65	65	266
59	William Tsui	211681	U21		61	49	52	‑67	55	51	268
60	Matthew Botten	210368	U19	Weir Wood SC	49	57	49	‑64	52	64	271
61	Rose Jury	156188	U19	Ullswater Yacht Club	‑65	60	61	40	57	62	280
62	Jack McCormick	209979	U19	Parkstone YC	63	‑69	59	58	61	41	282
63	Flo Tovey	160507	U17		‑67	56	62	60	66	46	290
64	Isabel Massey	211013	U19		55	67	57	45	(RET)	67	291
65	Emelia Tinch	217500	U19	Cardiff Bay YC	66	68	‑69	55	63	50	302
66	Jo West	177861	AM	Shoreham Sailing Club	60	62	54	65	68	(DNC)	309
67	Shu Li	220111	U17	Warsash	64	61	63	‑71	67	66	321
68	Poppy Lowe	221575	U19	Royal Hospital School/Dabchicks Sailing	‑70	65	68	70	60	60	323
69	Alex Strassberg Alonso	217672	U19	Bosham Sailing Club	‑71	71	67	69	64	56	327
70	Edward Gamble	205134	U19	HISC	68	63	66	68	‑70	63	328
71	Billy Morris	221508	U17	Delph Sailing Club	69	70	70	51	69	(DNC)	329