Topper Rooster Southern Travellers at Stokes Bay Sailing Club

Topper Rooster Southern Travellers at Stokes Bay Sailing Club © Bruce Keen

Saturday's planned training event may have fallen victim to strong winds in the Solent but thankfully the fleet and race team was greeted with more appropriate conditions on Sunday morning with twelve 5.3s and seventeen 4.2s boats tallied on and away.

A force 4 with a strong westerly bias dominated the day with some lighter patches that proved the forecast wrong by swinging South not North.

Race officer, Bruce Keen, made the decision to send the 5.3 fleet away first putting them on the outer loop where the bigger sails would better manage the worst of the tide.

The first start was away on time at 1100 under a U flag to help keep the programme tight.

Lewis Miller led the 5.3's home in the first race followed by Henry Noel and Lucas Keen. Henry Noel won races 2 and 3 on a slightly shortened course but a protest from race 1 and a UFD in race 4 went against him in the overall standings. Lewis Miller crossed the line first in race 4 taking first overall in the 5.3 fleet with Lucas Keen second and Finlay Rhodes in third overall, separated by just 3 points.

Topper Rooster Southern Travellers at Stokes Bay Sailing Club - photo © Robert Klaschka

In the 4.2 fleet the Stokes Bay duo of Reuben Wealthy and Joel Keen took all four first places. Reuben was the overall winner with wins in races 1, 2 & 4. They were hotly pursued by Thomas Murphy and Martha Hart of Hamble River SC who between them filled the remaining 2nd and 3rd place spots across the four races. Thomas just edged 3rd overall in the 4.2s.

The 4.2 fleet included a number of relatively new sailors doing some of their first traveller events and a number having their first taste of sea sailing. Great spirit and determination was on show across the board resulting in a number of Endeavour awards as well as Rooster visors for those doing their first Southern traveller of the year.

Endeavour awards for Monty Lewis (Spinnaker SC), Charlie Hughes (Stokes Bay SC), Noah Miller & Jacob Boyd (both Goring Thames SC).

Overall Results: