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Zhik 2024 December

ILCA Eastern GP Open at Waldringfield Sailing Club

by Toby Tracey 2 May 08:57 BST 27 April 2025

A fleet of 35 sailors descended on Waldringfield on 27th April for our ILCA Open, the opening event on the new ILCA Eastern GP circuit.

It included 18 visitors coming from as far as Hickling and Burnham, with one even taking the coastal route from Orford.

The forecast of light winds early on proved correct and a number of ILCA 4s took the chance to change up to 6s. With racing postponed, the fleet adopted the familiar meerkat pose of peering at the end of the river hoping for glimpses of breeze. Dark spots began appearing around midday and race officer Ian Videlo promptly sent us onto the water for the first of four races.

The wind quickly filled in to F3-4 and a windward-leeward course was set. With such large numbers the startline was a hectic affair and finding lanes was tricky but opportunities could be found with the shifts and occasional wind bend at the top of the course. It was close racing throughout the fleet with those getting ahead early and separating from the pack doing well. Soon after the first race, the tide changed and it was champagne sailing from there on beating with the current followed by long runs back to the leeward mark, with big gains and calamitous losses depending on which side of the river you took.

Away at the top of the fleet it was also nip and tuck with Steve Videlo eventually winning the first three races, showing that 33 year old boats can still cut it in the right hands. Despite the dominance, it was tight racing all day with Nathan Russell, Dave Reason and Cameron Harris all having their moments. The most consistent challenge however came from Hamish Collingridge overtaking Steve on the last buoy of the day and taking a well-deserved second overall.

Congratulations to Steve who took the Laser Open Trophy for best overall and Hamish the Laser Challenge Trophy for best U21. Also many thanks to Ian and the team for helping the day go so smoothly.

The next event on the Eastern GP circuit is at Royal Norfolk and Suffolk YC on 24th May.

Overall Results:

PosClassSail NoHelm NameClubAge GroupR1R2R3R4Pts
1stILCA 7 / LASER146560Stephen VideloWaldringfield SC 111‑23
2ndILCA 7 / LASER221631Hamish CollingridgeWaldringfield SCU21‑33317
3rdILCA 7 / LASER21013Nathan RussellRoyal Harwich YCU21‑64239
4thILCA 7 / LASER224542Paul DaviesRoyal Harwich YC 45‑17413
5thILCA 7 / LASER171988Toby BushWaldringfield SCU21574‑1116
6thILCA 7 / LASER201478Ben ReasonHarwich Town SC 92‑11617
7thILCA 7 / LASER189322Toby TraceyWaldringfield SC 76‑8821
8thILCA 7 / LASER215205Harry WallheadRoyal Harwich YC 895‑1522
9thILCA 7 / LASERW1Ben StoneWaldringfield SC ‑16126523
10thILCA 7 / LASERTbcCameron HarrisWaldringfield SC 210‑191830
11thILCA 7 / LASERW2Euan HarrisWaldringfield SC ‑15891330
12thILCA 7 / LASER205712Will FinchRoyal Harwich YC 12‑16101032
13thILCA 7 / LASER46560Christopher VideloWaldringfield SC 1711‑29735
14thILCA 7 / LASER219825Dave ReasonHarwich Town SC 14157‑1936
15thILCA 7 / LASER188081Graham IrelandRoyal Harwich YC 1019‑26938
16thILCA 7 / LASER192729Hamish StoneWaldringfield SC 1113‑271640
17thILCA 7 / LASER167860Freddie Brasted‑WattsHarwich Town SC ‑2418131243
18thILCA 7 / LASER194130Tom NashOrford SC ‑2014181446
19thILCA 6 / LASER RADIAL176848Nathan ClarkWOBYCU2121‑26121750
20thILCA 7 / LASER224155Simon BeckettWOBYC 1320‑242255
21stILCA 7 / LASER161551Melissa FisherRoyal Harwich YC ‑3117142758
22ndILCA 7 / LASER107258Samuel JenningsWaldringfield SC 222315‑3060
23rdILCA 6 / LASER RADIAL189093Noah MathersBurnham SC ‑2921162360
24thILCA 7 / LASER200680Chris WoodardWaldringfield SC 2322‑282166
25thILCA 7 / LASER208856Doug Hutton‑SquireWaldringfield SC 1924‑322467
26thILCA 7 / LASER174492Angus StoneWaldringfield SC 1829‑342875
27thILCA 6 / LASER RADIAL221322George HutcheonBurnham SCU21252822‑3375
28thILCA 7 / LASER5058Joshua ReasonHarwich Town SCU21‑3027232575
29thILCA 7 / LASER164745Jamie WhittleWaldringfield SC 26‑32203177
30thILCA 6 / LASER RADIAL182213Harry WemyssNBYCU212730‑332077
31stILCA 6 / LASER RADIAL178525Jago JenningsWaldringfield SCU21‑3331212678
32ndILCA 6 / LASER RADIAL205337Mike SteeleSt Edmundsbury Sailing & Canoeing Assoc. 282525‑2978
33rdILCA 6 / LASER RADIAL223459Oscar BushWaldringfield SCU2132‑35303496
34thILCA 7 / LASER179547David JamesWaldringfield SC 343331‑3598
35thILCA 6 / LASER RADIAL200835Katie FoxHarwich Town SC ‑35343532101
36thILCA 6 / LASER RADIAL214134Amelie HackerAldeburgh YCU21(DNC)DNCDNCDNC114
36thILCA 4 / LASER 4.7202463Annabelle HackerAldeburgh YCU21(DNC)DNCDNCDNC114

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