Noble Marine & Ovington ILCA Autumn Qualifier (Q5) at Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy

by Will Webster 19 Oct 2023 16:50 BST 14-15 October 2023

The first day of racing was held in Weymouth Bay with moderate winds with a Northerly wind direction making it colder despite the sunshine.

Strategically, Saturday was a tricky day with rolling swell coming from the South which met the chop wind making boat speed a key feature. As well as this, the wind was quite shifty and inconsistent affecting strategy and made it key to stay on top of the shifts and looking out for the gusts coming down the racecourse.

UKLA ILCA Autumn Qualifier (Q5) at Weymouth & Portland - photo © Lotte Johnson / www.lottejohnson.com

Sunday saw the fleet back in Portland harbour with lighter winds from a North-easterly direction. Again, the focus was on the shifts and the gusts as well as boat speed in the lighter sections of the final races.

Jessica Powell from Draycote SC was the overall winner and 1st U16 girl of the ILCA 4 second Autumn qualifier in Weymouth, having some very consistent results on a tricky weekend of racing. She is followed up by Josie Kelly who finished 2nd girl (5th overall) and Katherine Gunn 3rd girl (10th overall and 2nd U16 girl).

UKLA ILCA Autumn Qualifier (Q5) at Weymouth & Portland - photo © Lotte Johnson / www.lottejohnson.com

In the boys category Alex Jones was 2nd overall and 1st U16, closely followed by Toby Waggett 3rd overall and 2nd U16 with Max Bromilow 3rd (4th overall).

There were many outstanding performances during the weekend but two are particularly noteworthy. In the final race, eventual race winner William Moss spotted a big shift and gust which carried him all the way into the 1st windward mark on the port lay line. He was then able to gain a larger gap away from the fleet when the wind dropped off and ended up beating the fleet by a large margin. In the first race of the series there was a great battle between two boats where Toby Waggett was leading the race and was under close pressure from Max Bromilow the whole race. Max never gave up and in the final downwind after a brilliant defensive effort from Toby, Max managed to overtake him to snatch the bullet.

UKLA ILCA Autumn Qualifier (Q5) at Weymouth & Portland - photo © Lotte Johnson / www.lottejohnson.com

William Moss, winner of Race 5 said: "The 7s had the first start and seemed to be getting more pressure to the left of the windward mark - so i followed the quick boats and went left after a reasonable start - It paid. I am new (this summer) to the class, from Optimists. Ali Brown (see his write-up for the ILCA7s) was a great coach during ILCA Skills Week. It felt reassuring getting a bullet after a solid performance in Paignton. The next challenge is to handle the heavier winds."

On behalf of all the ILCA 4 sailors, we would like to say a massive thank you to the UKLA, Race officer, Race committee, Mark Layers, Juries, Volunteers and WPNSA for putting on a fantastic event and allowing some great racing this weekend.

UKLA ILCA Autumn Qualifier (Q5) at Weymouth & Portland - photo © Lotte Johnson / www.lottejohnson.com

Also we must thank UKLA's terrific sponsors for their continuing support at the qualifiers. Many have been supporting us over a number of years through difficult times... thank you. Noble Marine, Ovington, Sailingfast and Rooster.

The final autumn qualifier is the same time and place next week!

Overall Results:

Pos	Sail No	Helm	Club	Age Group	Age	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	Pts
1	211078	Jessica Powell	Draycote Water Sailing Club	U16	13	4	7	1	5	2	‑11	19
2	213644	Alex Jones		U16	15	10	1	2	‑27	7	2	22
3	212670	Toby Waggett	Derwent Reservoir Sailing Club	U16	13	2	‑13	6	1	8	9	26
4	215303	Max Bromilow	Parkstone Yacht Club	U18	16	1	6	5	‑21	5	13	30
5	213516	Thomas Davey	Royal Harwich YC / Royal Hospital Sch	U18	16	8	3	3	‑12	4	12	30
6	212661	Josie Kelly	Felpham SC	U18	16	5	10	‑24	11	10	4	40
7	210099	Ben Anderson	Ryde School	U16	14	13	11	8	3	9	(BFD)	44
8	204915	Will Webster	Parkstone YC	U16	15	15	‑21	12	8	1	10	46
9	222567	William Moss	Barnt Green SC	U16	15	9	‑35	11	4	22	1	47
10	213140	Katherine Gunn	Notts County SC / Draycote Academy	U16	15	14	19	‑34	10	6	3	52
11	201022	Eddie Dorsett	Parkstone YC	U16	15	6	2	13	28	14	(BFD)	63
12	212109	Nina Marsh	Tenby Sailing Club	U16	15	20	15	‑22	9	13	7	64
13	211111	Ollie Atkin		U16	14	3	‑29	29	2	15	19	68
14	201861	Sara Goujon	Hunts Sailing Club	U18	16	7	‑26	25	16	18	5	71
15	210618	Jacoby Keegan		U18	16	22	5	9	15	17	‑33	73
16	221789	Tate Kump		U16	15	12	12	18	‑29	3	29	74
17	198317	Oliver McCormick	Parkstone yacht club	U16	15	‑27	14	14	17	23	6	74
18	213658	Oscar Bartlett		U16	14	16	4	7	36	27	‑38	90
19	212233	Amelia Nuttall	Tenby Sailing Club	U16	14	‑30	23	17	22	21	8	91
20	221496	Bronwen Thomas	PPSA	U18	16	‑31	9	30	7	29	20	95
21	219830	Gethin Kelly	Llyn Brenig	U16	15	21	17	21	19	‑41	21	99
22	197632	Thomas Saunders	Warsash	U16	15	42	20	4	14	20	(BFD)	100
23	187036	Kit Lester		U16	13	17	18	‑38	13	30	28	106
24	213540	Lucas Symons	Island Barn Reservoir Sailing Club	U16	15	19	25	19	‑32	19	25	107
25	197690	Chloe Grayton	Notts County / Draycote Academy	U16	12	‑33	16	33	23	12	24	108
26	166633	Robbie Hudson	Royal Lymington YC	U18	16	25	8	10	38	33	‑41	114
27	214587	Ethan Wild		U16	15	29	28	15	18	26	‑39	116
28	184840	Lottie Eyre	Poole YC	U16	15	11	27	16	‑40	34	31	119
29	219091	Jasmine Pillon‑Simpson	Hailing Island Sailing Club	U16	14	24	30	26	24	‑39	18	122
30	222766	Macsen barber		U18	16	35	24	20	34	‑43	15	128
31	198964	Merry Lewis		U16	15	23	‑34	31	30	32	14	130
32	215413	Holly Cole		U16	14	‑41	37	36	6	35	22	136
33	209216	Oliver Smith	HISC/Gurnard SC	U16	13	‑39	38	27	26	37	16	144
34	210220	Mortimer mastin	dabchicks	U16	14	18	32	32	37	‑38	26	145
35	6622	Peixuan Sun	RHS	U16	12	26	40	‑41	31	25	23	145
36	213052	Isla Todd	Island Barn Reservoir SC	U16	14	28	36	23	‑44	42	17	146
37	199495	Alanna Starkie	Derwent reservoir sailing club	U16	14	37	‑42	37	35	16	35	160
38	189314	Harry Franklin		U16	14	(DNC)	DNC	DNC	25	11	34	162
39	223444	Thomas Pontet		U18	16	34	33	28	‑39	31	37	163
40	193623	Jemima Chappell	Parkstone Yacht Club	U18	16	(DNC)	DNC	DNC	20	24	32	168
41	219838	Ryan Surguy		U16	12	32	39	‑42	42	28	27	168
42	171897	George Hutcheon	Burnham‑on‑Crouch Sailing Club / Corinth	U16	15	38	22	35	‑41	40	36	171
43	215613	William Haines	Gurnard Sailing Club	U16	13	36	31	‑40	33	36	40	176
44	213967	Noah Sutton		U16	13	40	41	39	43	‑44	30	193
45	160507	Wilf Tovey	Cardiff Bay yacht club / TATA	U16	13	43	43	43	‑45	45	42	216