Cadet class Peter Scott trophy at Brightlingsea Sailing Club

With a curtailed series starter in Plymouth due to storm Kathleen, expectations were high for last weekend's Peter Scott trophy, and Brightlingsea did not disappoint! This was the final selector event to choose the GBR team to compete at a home world championship in Plymouth, in August.

The Cadet class is seeing a resurgence, there was an increase in competitors on last year, with around 90 sailors excited to be taking part, many with hopes of securing a place in the GBR world team.

Brightlingsea Sailing Club could not have been more welcoming, Alec Mumford and the team were the perfect hosts. In the morning parents and sailors tucked into the excellent breakfast baps and in the afternoon treated to cakes that were to die for! On Saturday evening the club laid on their legendary chicken curry.

Cadet Class Peter Scott Trophy at Brightlingsea - photo © Tim Hampton / www.timhampton.uk

The forecast for the weekend (27th and 28th April) looked good. With winds gusting up to 19 knots on Saturday, there was enough wind, though rain was likely. The launch on the first day commenced just after low tide and was a wet and muddy affair. There was an excited energy with the Cadets all lined up on a mud bank in Brightlingsea creek, the 'beach' and launch teams supported parents to get all the boats into the water and off the bank before they got cut off by the rising tide! The flotilla of Cadets, and support boats headed out to the Colne estuary to commencing racing.

Day 1

Race 1 - Race 1 got away firdt time with an individual recall. Rhona Enkel and Sophie Ringland led the first lap. Sam Nee and Isabelle Davies overtook on the second beat but at the windward mark on the second lap both the leading boats missed the spreader allowing Gwen Thorogood and Primrose Denny-Pickess to capitalise and sail into the lead. First place in the regatta fleet went to Kyla Brezan and Alexander Nailer (South Cerney SC), with Immy Sherwood and Evie Buddy (Frensham Pond SC) in 2nd and Hugh Voysey and Hannah Muir Wood (Frensham Pond SC) in 3rd.

Cadet Class Peter Scott Trophy at Brightlingsea - photo © Tim Hampton / www.timhampton.uk

Race 2 - Leading boats went right up the first beat with Sam and Isabelle out in front followed by Alex Enkel and Jude Baldock. Sam and Isabelle built a fairly big lead throughout the race with a good last lap from Rhona and Sophie to move into 2nd. There was a tie for third place with Amelie Whitehouse and Maddy Sherwood in a dead heat with Alex and Jude.

First place in the regatta fleet went to Kyla Brezan and Alexander Nailer (South Cerney SC), with Immy Sherwood and Evie Buddy (Frensham Pond SC) in 2nd and Imogen Bush and Vivienne Letts (Waldringfield SC) in 3rd.

Cadet Class Peter Scott Trophy at Brightlingsea - photo © Tim Hampton / www.timhampton.uk

Race 3 - The first windowed mark saw Ned Fairhurst and Sam English leading followed by Oscar Bush and Harriet Walker. Both Hettie Thorogood and Clementine Denny-Pickess and Tom Shepherd and Annabel Shepherd were sailing fast downwind to make racing at the front very close. The race was shaken up when the leading pack rounded the starboard-side gate buoy, with the port-hand buoy much further up the course. The biggest gainers were Gwen and Primrose and Tom Krailing and Ella Edwards. Hettie and Clementine took the win from Monty Hampton and Wilf Kingsnorth, with Ned and Sam in 3rd. First place in the regatta fleet went to Charlotte Noram-Topham and Miles Hardy (Frensham Pond SC), with Kyla Brezan and Alexander Nailer (South Cerney SC) in 2nd and Imogen Bush and Vivienne Letts (Waldringfield SC) in 3rd.

Race 4 - With the tide on the ebb and the wind beginning to drop, the final race of the day got under way with a big split of the fleet up the first beat. More wind on the right side of the beat meant that the first 10 boats round the windward mark came from that side. Sam and Isabelle had a big lead at the first buoy, with Kemmel Thorogood and Georgina Loader in 2nd, Mia Stanislaus and Sophie Baer in 3rd and Monty Slump and Frankie Sherwood in 4th. Tom and Annabel worked their way up to 2nd on the second beat. With the wind reducing further, PRO Edwin Buckley shortened the race giving Sam and Isabelle the win from Tom and Annabel in 2nd and Mia and Sophie in 3rd. First place in the regatta fleet went to Hugh Voysey and Hannah Muir Wood (Frensham Pond SC), with Bruce Ward and Leo Cox (South Cerney SC) in 2nd and Charlotte Noram-Topham and Miles Hardy (Frensham Pond SC) in 3rd.

Cadet Class Peter Scott Trophy at Brightlingsea - photo © Tim Hampton / www.timhampton.uk

Day 2

Day 2 started in a similar fashion to the first, there was however anticipation of a large wind shift due around start time of the first race and everyone had their eyes on a bank of menacing clouds moving in.

Cadet Class Peter Scott Trophy at Brightlingsea - photo © Tim Hampton / www.timhampton.uk

Race 5 - The expected wind shift came during the sequence, and saw several boats capsize. Once recovery was completed and the course was relaid racing was under way. The first two laps saw a battle between Zach Windibank and Alice Boddy and Tom and Ella.

There was lots of change on the last beat with Alex and Jude taking the win, Dylan McArdle and Lewis Walker sailed up to 2nd place with Zach and Alice finishing in 3rd.

Conditions were perhaps a little more challenging on day 2 for the regatta fleet, however sailors acquitted themselves really well. Imogen and Vivienne adapted well to the conditions and found good pace upwind to take the regatta first place with Charlotte and Miles in 2nd and and Emmy and Evie in 3rd.

Cadet Class Peter Scott Trophy at Brightlingsea - photo © Tim Hampton / www.timhampton.uk

Race 6 - Race 6 provided to be a battle between Monty and Wilf and Dylan and Lewis, with the former taking the win, Dylan and Lewis coming second and Alex and Jude finishing 3rd.

First place in the regatta fleet went to Imogen and Vivienne with Hugh and Hannah in 2nd and Charlotte and Miles in 3rd.

Cadet Class Peter Scott Trophy at Brightlingsea - photo © Tim Hampton / www.timhampton.uk

Race 7 - It had been a cold day and by the start of the final race of the series a number of competitors had returned to shore. It was decided that race 7 would be main fleet only. Monty and Wilf secured their second win of the day with Gwen and Primrose in 2nd and Alex and Jude finishing 3rd.

Following two days of really competitive racing at lot was decided. The overall winners of the Peter Scott Trophy were Alex Enkel and Jude Baldock (Waldringfield SC) with second place going to Samantha Nee and Isabelle Davies (Frensham Pond SC) and in third were Tom and Annabel Shepard (Frensham Pond SC).

First place in silver fleet went to Dominik McArdle and Zoe Thomas (Waldringfield SC and Rickmansworth SC), in second silver were Benjy Bullock and Oscar Ward (South Cerney SC) and third silver went to Mia Stanislaus and Sophie Baer (Frensham Pond SC). In the

Regatta fleet first place went to Imogen Bush and Vivienne Letts (Waldringfield SC), second place Hugh Voysey and Hannah Muir-Wood (Frensham Pond SC) and in third place Charlotte Noram-Topham and Miles Hardy (Frensham Pond SC).

Overall Results:

There is great team effort needed to put on Cadet class events and we are grateful to everyone who made this such a fantastic weekend of sailing for our young sailors. In particular the team at Brightlingsea Sailing Club, our race officer Edwin Buckley who organised and delivered excellent racing to complete the selector series, and over 50 volunteers on the water and on shore as well as all parents and family.

We look forward to the National and World Championships in Plymouth from the 27th July 2024 to the 9th August where we will be represented by sailors from the worlds team and those participating in the open "Promo fleet".

Watch this space for further announcements on the team who will be representing Great Britain in the 2024 World Championship.

For further details and to register see cadetworlds.co.uk.

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