RYA / UKTRA National Team Racing Championships at Bough Beech Sailing Club
by Nigel Vick 27 Mar 19:20 BST
25-26 March 2023
2023 RYA / UKTRA National Team Racing Championships Final Finish in Race 1 © Nigel Vick
Bough Beech SC hosted the RYA / UKTRA National Team Racing Championships for the Prince Phillip Trophy this last weekend and, for the first time in many years, there were two days of good racing.
Saturday was pretty windy and there were pauses to allow some of the stronger gusts to blow through but despite this over 90 races were sailed under the HLS system, with every team getting 8 races. Sunday dawned wet and with a much lighter wind but a further 77 races in gold silver and bronze leagues were sailed before the knock out stages.
Knock outs began with a knock out, as the winners of the silver league, Rutland Raiders knocked out the fourth placed gold league team, RTYC White with a 1,2,5. This sent Rutland Raiders into the semi-finals against West Kirby Hawks, while semi-final 2 was Elmside Neighbours against Oxford and Cambridge Sailing Society. Both semis went 2:0 to West Kirby Hawks and Elmside Neighbours.
Full results can be seen on KSail.
The peti final saw Society take third place overall, having a 1,2,3 in the first and a 1,4,5 in the second race to give them a 2:0 win over the Rutland Raiders. The final also went 2:0 but in the first race practically everyone finished at the same time. Once the figures were in it was a win for the Hawks with 2,3,5 which might have demoralised the Neighbours, who had been leading at mark 4, because the second race went 1,2, 3 to the Hawks Team of Dom Johnson, Izzy Johnson, Andy Cornah, Fiona Harrington, Ben Field & Tom Foster. Once ashore the prizes were presented by event director Tom Clay.
Team Captain of the West Kirby Hawkes said "It's great to win another RYA/UKTRA Championship. We had a really hard fight with the Elmside Neighbours, I think in the first race we all crossed the line at the same time! We are now looking forward to taking the fight to the Americans at the Wilson Trophy in May."