NSSA National Youth Regatta at Draycote Water Sailing Club - Day 3
by Jeremy Atkins 27 Jul 2023 06:41 BST
23-28 July 2023
The middle day of the NSSA Regatta, sponsored by Fernhurst Books, saw a break from the fleet racing of the past two days, to be replaced with stadium racing.
It has to be said that the backdrop was not quite the same as the recent GP Sail regatta in Los Angeles, the craft didn't really compare and the technical wizardry wasn't so advanced, but the racing was equally exciting.
Draycote Water may not be as spectacular as Los Angeles, Fireflies don't really compare to foiling catamarans and the whiteboard didn't have quite the same advanced graphics, but teams were pitted against each other and a final, winner-takes-all, race was held. On the plus side, we had umpires who were present, on the water, not in a bunker in London watching on screens.
Each of the 15 teams who had entered the event were represented by two or four sailors (depending on the size of their team). Six heats were held with the top two in each heat progressing to the semi-finals, then the top 3 from the semi-finals went through to the grand final.
The Derbyshire team of George and Lily won through to win the amazing Mount Haes Trophy which was presented by Captain Eric Mount-Haes in 1963. He was very involved in the establishment of the NSSA. The spectacular trophy itself was created out of an old tea urn, but certainly does not betray its humble origins.
Mount Haes Trophy Final Results: (top six)
1st Derbyshire
2nd Cumbria
3rd Crawley Mariners Yacht Club
4th Plymouth
5th Kent
6th Northamptonshire
At the same time as the Mount Haes Trophy, a single-handed race was held in Topper 5.3s and 24 sailors entered this. Cambridgeshire were clearly the strongest team taking three of the top four places.
Single-Handed Race Results: (top six)
1st Robert Hole, Cambridgeshire
2nd Tyrii Bell, Cambridgeshire
3rd Dan Hebditch, Kent
4th Tabitha Blackman-Northwood, Cambridgeshire
5th Peter Astley, Northamptonshire
6th Sebastian Robb, Kent
Full results
In the afternoon there was an all-comers, 100-minute pursuit race which Draycote Water Sailing Club members were invited to take part. These included Regatta fleet race officer, Norman Byrd, in his 505, Club Commodore, William Whittaker, in his ILCA 7 and reigning Topper World Champion, Joe Rowe in an ILCA 6.
Joe won the race in what will be his last race before his Topper crown is handed to another sailor at the end of the Topper World Championships this week in Ireland.
In fact, rather rudely, it was Draycote Club members that took the first five places. Well actually the first 6 places since the first NSSA competitor was Peter Astley in his Topper, and he is also a member of Draycote Water Sailing Club.
Pursuit Race Results: (top six)
1st Joe Rowe, ILCA 6, DWSC member
2nd Derin Can Soyer, ILCA 6, DWSC member
3rd Freddie Sunderland, ILCA 6, DWSC member
4th William Whittaker, ILCA 7, DWSC Commodore
5th Will Sunderland, ILCA 7, DWSC member
6th Peter Astley, Topper 5.3, Northamptonshire
Full results
Tomorrow (Thursday) we return to fleet racing.
Results: