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Sailingfast 2018 2 728x90

Noble Marine / Sailingfast ILCA 4 UK Qualifier 2 at the WPNSA

by Fred Buckley 13 Mar 2024 06:05 GMT 9-10 March 2024

This weekend was an event with two very different days. The first day was blistering, with over 30 kts of breeze, whereas the second day was almost cancelled due to a lack of it. The combined fleets of 122 ILCAs were in for a very mixed set of races.

Day 1

The first race was a pin end bias line, with nobody over and the lane holding off of the line it was a struggle to maintain boat speed over the chop. Once the fleet separated the boats that started pin end were ahead coming into the windward mark. Some sailors struggled to bear away around the windward mark onto the reach which was fast paced and brutal. Onto the downwind, 1st place was Jessica Powell, followed by Toby Waggett and Fred Buckley. Most of the fleet followed with some sailors struggling in the harsh conditions to stay upright, and there was a big split left and right down the run. For the harbour, the waves were tall and close together, making catching and surfing them difficult but very exhilarating. The right gate paid and Jessica maintained her lead, while Toby, who went around the other gate, gave up a position to Fred. Going up the beat we sailed past many upside down sailors having trouble because of the unstable downwind. Toby struggled to bear down at the windward mark and so was put down into third place for good, the gaps between the three leaders were quite widespread. The race lasted about 40 minutes for the leaders, whereas some people didn't finish or were whiskey flagged. What a race!

The second race was similar, with a port bias line and harsh winds on the legs. Around the windward mark there were some different faces and more people together at the front on the reach and downwind. Once again, the right gate paid, and people were fighting downwind for the room at the mark. The rest of the race played out similarly to the first race, however, Jessica lost out to Oscar Bartlett on the last run with Fred in third.

The third race was just as difficult as the other two with the wind seeming to pick up even more. First place went to Jessica, second place to Fred and third place to Oscar.

Well done to any sailors who stayed out for the entire day because there were many who couldn't because of the high wind speed, and thank you to the safety team for helping out, with apparently 4 broken boats out on the water. The race committee called it a day and there was no 4th race as planned.

Great decision.

Day 2

The second day was a polar opposite to the first. With no wind on or offshore some were waiting in anticipation to amend their scores from yesterday with discards, or others not bothered, and content with their results. Finally some breeze gathered and the fleets launched at 1 pm. Once we got out on the water, we quickly got to racing in about 6 kts of breeze which was dependent on pressure and boatspeed.

After a hugely port biased start, the pin end starters tacked over the rest of the fleet with a huge lead on them, and furthermore, there was also more pressure on the left side of the course, which resulted in many sailors banging the left lay line. Nina Marsh was leading by quite a way for the rest of the race.

The fifth race played out very differently to the fourth, still with pin end as the priority, however a right shift came through, so sailors who banged left again struggled to make it back to the middle because of a header. The breeze then died down and the fleet had a shortened course. William Moss had a very good day 2 with a 1st and 2nd, Chloe Grayton with a weekend PB of 2nd in race 5, along with Ellie Thwaites leaving with 9th overall.

The weekend consisted of two contrasting days of sailing with different directions and wind strengths, meaning different priorities, and a strong mindset were required to kick back into sailing mode after the break in the morning of the second day. It was a really great weekend of racing, well done to all the sailors for some absolutely fantastic racing in extremely challenging conditions.

The UKLA Qualifier series is kindly sponsored by Noble Marine, Ovington Boats, Sailingfast and Rooster. In Qualifier 2 Noble Marine and Sailingfast supplied the prizes which were gratefully received by all the sailors.

Massive thanks to all the volunteers, who without this event would not be possible. WPNSA were also fantastic, making pasta after sailing and making us feel very welcome. Sailors are looking forward to the next weekend where we back in Weymouth.

Overall Results:

PosSail NoHelmClubR1R2R3R4R5Pts
1st211078Jessica PowellDraycote Water Sailing Club121‑1148
2nd221318Toby WaggettDerwent Reservoir Sailing Club35‑63314
3rd217303Alex JonesParkstone Yacht Club7645‑3022
4th220518Fred Buckley 23216‑4423
5th222567William MossBarnt Green SC‑211482125
6th166633Robbie HudsonRoyal Lymington YC485‑211633
7th213658Oscar BartlettHayling Island161315‑3535
8th209216Oliver SmithHISC/Gurnard SC12910‑20536
9th212026Ellie ThwaitesNBYC & Snowflakes1115114‑2041
10th189314Harry Franklin 5(DNC)2061041
11th213140Katherine GunnNotts County SC / Draycote Academy15‑16157643
12th212109Nina MarshTenby Sailing Club14‑201811346
13th221789Tate Kump 26779‑3349
14th224296Chloe GraytonNotts County / Draycote Academy191317‑38251
15th192844Tom YatesGurnard Sailing Club9111322‑4655
16th213644Sam RomerSt Catherines SC17‑262181157
17th213052Isla ToddIsland Barn Reservoir SC81212‑492759
18th210220Mortimer mastindabchicks101014‑262660
19th213540Lucas SymonsIsland Barn Reservoir Sailing Club2849‑352364
20th211166Seb Lyttle 13‑2716231567
21st209134Tristan Harding 181823‑341271
22nd220457Thomas SaundersWarsash2725(DNC)13974
23rd212233Amelia NuttallTenby Sailing Club‑242124102277
24th201861Sara GoujonHunts Sailing Club‑312925141482
25th219830Gethin KellyLlyn Brenig2517‑28241985
26th222777William Swann (DNC)322919787
27th210243Merryn Attridge 6(DNC)DNC18888
28th223452Kieran Vanhoutte 22191936‑4896
29th219091Jasmine Pillon‑SimpsonHailing Island Sailing Club‑302422272497
30th198964Merry LewisHayling Island Sailing Club232226‑4432103
31st198302Finley MonksWinsford Flash Sailing Club(DNF)30311242115
32nd192829Oliver WilsonSutton Bingham sailing club(DNC)23273238120
33rd194123Jago MooreFrensham332830‑4340131
34th187036Kit LesterRoyal Harwich YC(DNC)DNCDNC1728157
35th210021Mathilde PhillippsSnettisham Beach20(DNC)DNC2952157
36th215413Holly ColeThorpe Bay Yacht Club(DNC)DNCDNC2818158
37th20352Corneille Leprince 32(DNC)DNC4041169
38th212661Josie KellyFelpham SC(DNC)DNCDNC3721170
39th165641Finlay LloydLee‑on‑the‑Solent(DNC)DNCDNC4217171
40th216958Callum AldridgeHISC2931(DNC)DNCDNC172
41st212946Ben AngellDraycote Water Sailing Club(DNC)DNCDNC3329174
42nd210611Kate Shelley (DNC)DNCDNC3037179
43rd184840Lottie EyrePoole YC(DNC)DNCDNC4625183
44th204535natasha baker (DNC)DNCDNC2547184
45th215695Harriet ConnollyDraycote Water Sailing Club Shustoke Sa(DNC)DNCDNC3145188
46th204210Abbey Penny (DNC)DNCDNC4136189
47th185722Finlay ToddIsland Barn Reservoir SC(DNF)DNCDNC4834194
48th218694Emiliy CampbellIsland Barn Reservoir SC(DNC)DNCDNC5231195
49th189138Max Guiguet‑Belcher (DNC)DNCDNC4543200
50th222292Sun PeixuanRHS(DNC)DNCDNC3950201
51st219838Ryan Surguy (DNC)DNCDNC5139202
52nd213051Sylvie CarterSt Mawes(DNC)DNCDNC4749208
53rd21098Zoe Humphries (DNC)DNCDNC5051213
54th164422Dilara Soyer (DNC)DNCDNCDNCDNC224
54th171897George HutcheonBurnham‑on‑Crouch Sailing Club / Corinth(DNF)UFDDNCDNCDNC224

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