Please select your home edition
Edition
Crewsaver 2021 Safetyline LEADERBOARD
Product Feature
Allen Self Aligning Mainsheet Jammer
Allen Self Aligning Mainsheet Jammer

Contender Final Fling at Rutland Sailing Club

by Carl Tagoe 17 Oct 2024 09:57 BST 12-13 October 2024
Contenders at Rutland © Martyn Emberson

With colder mornings, leaves covering the dinghy park, shorter days and an autumnal feel in the air, it can only mean one thing, it must be time for the Contenders annual trip to the waters of Rutland.

Day One

The weather was predicted to improve throughout the day, providing ideal conditions for the fleet of Contenders. The wind was also forecasted to shift to the right. However, this brought with it several challenges:

  • Issue 1: The wind started at a low base, only favouring those light enough to trapeze, leaving heavier sailors at a disadvantage.
  • Issue 2: The wind swung around erratically, like a manic pendulum losing its rhythm. While this swing was progressive and should have favoured the right side of the beat, it was unpredictable.
  • Issue 3: Don't rely too heavily on taking the right-hand side of the beat.
  • Issue 4: The strength wind was inconsistent across the course, making issues 2 and 3 irrelevant.
  • Issue 5: Rutland's merging valleys and their flip-flop effect on the wind in the direction from which it came, rendered all previous considerations moot.
Now that you have a picture of the conditions, let's get to the racing.

Race 1: The boats made their way up the course like a stop-motion film. Surprisingly, the fleet arrived in a pack. But stop-motion films can be painful to watch, as the leading boats were about to learn. With the help of a puff of wind, the rear guard rolled over the leaders. After the churn, positions became more fixed. Despite slipping in the rollover, Mr. Jones managed to work his way to the front, leaving Carl Tagoe and James Spikesley to battle for second and third place.

Race 2: The conditions remained similar, with Thomas Hooton in "prime" form was pursued by Mr. Jones. James secured third place. It was clear that these three excelled in these conditions.

Race 3: The wind began to pick up and swing to the right, and now the wind bend started to pay off. Tom nailed the race, followed by the two J's - James and Jones.

Race 4: With variable wind strengths, Peter Snowden decided to wake up. It was one of those "bang-a-corner and hope for the best" races. Tom, following Jones, who rounded the windward mark from the left-hand side, held a commanding lead and never looked back. Meanwhile, those on the opposite tack at the windward mark were begging for mercy. Carl held third place until Peter—perhaps a disciple—passed him on the last beat. However, in the two reaches to the finish line, Carl ground him down in true biblical fashion to reclaim third place.

Peter, on the rise, was improving steadily. However, he would have to wait until Sunday prayers to realize his full potential. By the evening's tally, Tom held the pole position, followed by the two J's.

Day Two

Race 5 & 6: The weather brought light air and dying wind, justifying the decision to move the fourth race to Saturday. Thus, Sunday consisted of two races, sailed in shifty, light conditions. Only one person seemed bio-engineered for such a demanding environment: Stuart Jones. Jones made quick work of the conditions, securing two consecutive second-place finishes. James sailed brilliantly in the fifth race, taking first, followed by a fourth in the last race. By then, Tom's position had plummeted, and he retired from the final race. Peter, meanwhile, steadily climbed the rankings and achieved first place in the last race, leaving him tantalizingly close to the coveted fourth overall position.

In the end, Jones won the event, with James in second and Tom in third. The racing was tight and a lot of fun. So, to those who were "no shows," you missed out.

As always, Rutland hosted a fantastic regatta! Thanks go to the race team that kept things moving to get in 4 good races on the Saturday and still get the two races completed on Sunday before the wind fell away.

Overall Results:

PosSail NoHelmR1R2R3R4R5R6Pts
1st2706Stuart Jones12‑31228
2nd705James Spikesley332‑51413
3rd678Thomas Hooton51125(DNC)14
4th2607Carl Tagoe25636‑1022
5th2725Peter Snowdon10‑14543123
6th2729Chris Howe967(DNC)4935
7th2383David Davies4446(DNC)DNC38
8th712Rodger White7915(DNC)8342
9th2661Nick Curry8‑1291010643
10th2733Neil Ferguson118‑12117744
11th2751Richard Buttner141388(DNS)548
12th2747Tony Brooks67117(DNC)DNC51
13th2477Daniel Hollands1210109‑151253
14th2574Nick Arran‑1511131214858
15th666Bill Hooton13‑16141391160
16th2704Nick Pye‑18151714131372
17th2373Gareth Lincoln171816(RET)111476
18th696Tony Cook1617(RET)DNC12DNC85
19th2713Tyler Harmsworth(DNC)DNCDNCDNCDNCDNC100

With this being the last of the British Contender events for 2024, it is time to start looking at your diaries for a packed list of events for 2025 (the list will be available soon). These events include a trip to Florida in February for the 2024 worlds, and back to one of the Contenders favourite locations of Lake Garda from 23rd July to 3rd August 2025 for more details visit 2025worlds.contender.it

The Contender National championships are to be held at Shoreham Sailing club in the first week of September. To keep up to date with the ins & outs of the British Contender fleet, go to our website, www.sailcontender.org.uk

For those of you that enjoy a bit of winter sailing, take a look at the Selden Sailjuice Winter series with 9 events to choose from, it would be good to see some Contenders taking part.

Related Articles

Kieler Woche Day 10
Seven nations celebrate victories at the finale On the final sailing day of Kieler Woche 2025, there were beaming faces all around the Olympic Centre in Schilksee. Eleven decisions were made on Sunday and alongside Germany, Denmark, France, GB, Malta, Sweden, & Hungary were able to celebrate victories. Posted on 29 Jun
SGS Gold at Kieler Woche goes to France and GB
The best German team, Theresa Löffler and Christopher Hoerr, finished fifth With a victory in the final medal race of the Kieler Woche, the British team of Martin Wrigley and Bettine Harris secured gold in the 470 class on Sunday (June 29). Posted on 29 Jun
Kieler Woche Day 9
Hosts without Sailing Grand Slam medals, but leading in five classes The final six medals in the mixed classes of the Olympic Sailing Grand Slam (SGS) at Kieler Woche will be awarded on Sunday (June 29) without any German contenders. Posted on 29 Jun
Kieler Woche Day 8
Mourniac & Retornaz take the lead in the Nacra 17 class A dream day ahead of the second weekend at the Kieler Woche regatta off Schilksee: Moderate to fresh westerly winds with strong gusts, alternating sun and clouds, provided ideal sailing conditions for all participants on Friday. Posted on 27 Jun
Poole Contender Open
Fine conditions for Travellers Trophy Round 4 The weekend of the 31st of May to the 1st of June saw the fourth round of the Contender travellers' trophy at Poole Yacht Club. With competitors making the trip from as far as Scotland, the last morning in May greeted them with glorious sunshine. Posted on 11 Jun
Yorkshire Dales Contender Open
Superb weather greeted the 17 helms over the weekend Superb weather greeted the seventeen Contenders attending the Open Meeting at Yorkshire Dales Sailing Club over the weekend of 10th & 11th May. The forecast for the two days was good with the promise of slightly more breeze on Sunday. Posted on 13 May
Contender Open at Mount's Bay
A 'take your pick' forecast for the sailors Despite a 'take your pick' forecast and a few unlucky regulars whose boats were still in delayed container from US Worlds, 12 Contender sailors were all smiles arriving at their 2026 Nationals venue - the stunning Mount's Bay SC, to join the Ospreys. Posted on 8 May
Oxford Contender Open
A weekend of thrills and challenges The Oxford Sailing Club played host to an exhilarating weekend of racing at the Oxford Contender Open, where sailors faced a mix of sunny skies and blustery winds ranging from 14 to 22 knots. Posted on 11 Apr
2025 Victorian Contender Championship overall
Bulka adds another regatta victory to his name Light weather continued to prevail, with glassy conditions greeting the sailors. Perhaps a few sore heads from the previous night's festivities—those who know, know. Posted on 23 Mar
2025 Victorian Contender Class Championship day 1
Exceptional talent converges... The picturesque waters and surroundings of McCrae, southeast of Melbourne, were the centerpiece for this year's Contender Class Victorian Championships. Posted on 22 Mar