Cadet Inland Championships at Rutland Sailing Club

One hundred and eleven Cadets took part in the Inland National Championships held at Rutland Water on the 4th and 5th of April. Ninety-eight in the Gold and Silver fleet and thirteen in the Bronze fleet. With most of the top helms from last year moving out of Cadets into other fleets this event was eagerly awaited to establish the new pecking order. It was also the first qualifier for the World Championships in Germany later on in the year.

Photo © Paul Clay The massive Cadet fleet stretches across the start line

Both days saw uncharacteristic Rutland Easter weather, warm and bright sunshine, with three races scheduled for each day. The Gold and Silver fleet starting together on a course set in the dam area. All races were a triangle, sausage, sausage and beat.

Day 1, race 1 was sailed in an Easterly 10 to 12 knot breeze. The race officer got them off promptly, first time. The fleet was spread out all over the course. As they approached the windward mark it was clear those who went up the right hand side had been favoured. First to round was ‘Who Dares Wins’ with Sam and Sophie Pearson, closely followed by ‘Vache Mystique’ David Brewer/Richard Yeoman and ‘Flirting with Danger’ Richard and Christopher Moss. Fourth to round was ‘Pan Galactic G Blaster’ Oliver Gray/Clare Dallimore followed by ‘Cyclone’ Jack Lees-Smith/Alex Young, ‘Heatseeker’ Alex Hill/Claire Lewis and ‘Art Attack’ Rob Graves/Charlie Hatfield. By the leeward mark Sam Pearson had opened up a clear lead. Oliver Gray was second and David Brewer third. ‘Bad Influence’ Thomas Makey/James Harley had fought their way up to fourth. By the second windward Thomas Makey was third and ‘Crème de la Crème’ David Ellis/James Wall had pulled up through the pack to fifth place. By the next windward mark Oliver Gray had overhauled Sam Pearson to round first. Positions remained unchanged until the last beat when the leader Oliver Gray went left up the course. The rest went up the right, which had been favoured all race. This saw Oliver drop to sixth at the line. First across was Thomas Makey, followed by Sam Pearson. Third was Richard Moss who gained six places on the final beat to just pip David Brewer and ‘Touch Wood’ Adam Richards/Sam Muskett who had hovered in the top pack all race.

As soon as the last boat had finished the marks were re-set and the starting procedure commenced. Again the race was away first time. Unfortunately, David Ellis dropped out with some hull damage following a collision. The first mark saw two boats clear, Thomas Makey and ‘The Foo Fighter’ Thomas Hall/Andrew Mcintosh. They were pursed in very close racing to the leeward mark by ‘Enigma’ Poppy Husband/Phillippa Weguelin, ‘Teen Spirit’ Victoria Cooper/Phillipa Horne, ‘The Red Cadet’ Andrew Jakson-Suumner/William Shepherd and Jack Lees-Smith. By the second windward Thomas Makey had extended his lead. Adam Richards rounded second and ‘Polling Power’ Georgie Blaver-Mann/Georgie Akin-Smith were third. Poppy Husband was fourth and Andrew Jackson-Sumner fifth. The first three sailed in that order to the finish. Fourth was Jack Lees-Smith and fifth was ‘Tantrum’ Jodie Green/Daniel Stone followed by Sam Pearson.

After lunch the third race saw the first general recall before they got away. The first beat saw a pretty even split with Oliver Gray rounding first followed in close succession by David Ellis, Adam Richards, ‘The Buisiness’ Peter Johnson/Joss Haslam, David Brewer and ‘Dangerous Buoyz Thomas Bartlett/Ryan Tweddell. By the Leeward mark David Ellis, Adam Richards and Oliver Gray had broken clear of the rest. David had extended this lead to 28 seconds at the windward mark, from Adam and Oliver. Fourth round was ‘Black Otter’ Andrew Mackay/Jonathon Kimber followed by ‘Northern Exposure’ Oren Richards/Mark Treviss-Bell and Thomas Makey. By the third windward mark David Ellis’s lead was down to nine seconds over Adam Richards who led Oliver Gray by fifteen seconds. Andrew Mackay and Oren Richards were locked in a duel some minutes later. The rest were a further minute down. The Race Officer shortened the course and Adam couldn’t quiet catch David up the shorter beat, and David took the gun. Third was Oliver Gray, followed by Andrew Mackay, Oren Richards and Peter Johnson.

Day Two saw a stronger wind, blowing 15-20 knots, again from the East. The three races were sailed back to back. Race four saw Oliver Gray to the windward mark closely followed by David Ellis, Adam Richards, Andrew Mackay, Thomas Makey and Oren Richards. By the leeward mark Andrew Mackey had squeezed past Adam Richards and Jodie Green had come through the pack into sixth. There was quite a duel at the front, with David Ellis rounding just ahead of Oliver Gray. ‘Lithium’ Becky Jones/Zoe Atkins had moved up to seventh and ‘Aslam’ Harriet Barber/Sam Bates to tenth. By the next windward mark David Ellis led Thomas Makey, Oliver Gray and Adam Richards. Fifth was Sam Pearson and Rob Graves had sailed up to sixth followed by Harriet Barber and Oren Richards had fallen back to eighth. The last lap saw very good racing with Sam Pearson taking the honours from David Ellis and Thomas Makey. Fourth was Harriet Barber, closely followed by Robert Graves and Adam Richards.

Race five, the second of the day, saw the wind freshening. Sam Pearson led Adam Richards, Andrew Makey and ‘El Nino’ Ben Lyon/Dominic Tarrant. Jodie Green was fifth with Georgie Blaver-Mann sixth. Three boats were then very close with Oliver Gray just rounding in front of ‘Lethal Menace’ Guy Brearey/Chris Proffitt and ‘Lift Off’ Charlotte Lawrance/Molly Bridges. Oliver Gray then took off under spinnaker and was third at the Leeward mark, as did Thomas Makey who came from tenth to fifth. Andrew Mackay fell from third to tenth. The next beat saw the pack shuffled. Adam Richards led Sam Pearson, and ‘Executrix’ James Wade/Anna Graves had gained five places to be third. Ben Lyon was fourth and Andrew Makey had fought back to fifth closely followed by Guy Brearey and Oliver Gray. First and second swopped by the next windward mark and Oliver Gray was lying third with James Wade fourth. AdamRichards held on to take the gun from Sam Pearson, James Wade and Oliver Gray.

The last race saw sadly saw Thomas Makey over at the start as he was always in the top six until dropping out at the last leeward mark. It also found two other boats over the line. With the wind freshening further eighteen boats retired during the race and two did not start. The race saw a pumped up David Ellis, after a poor last race, lead from start to finish. Adam Richards was second at the first windward followed by ‘Blue Moon’ Robbie Allam/Katrina Brewer, Guy Brearey, ‘Whatever’ Alex Shanahan/George Ayre and ‘Great White’ Elliott Parsons/Michael Fisher. The reaches saw exciting sailing with Robbie Allam second just ahead of Guy Brearey. Rob Graves had gained places to be fourth with Adam Richards and Alex Shanahan just behind. Oliver Gray was tenth. The second windward saw Guy Brearey effectively second behind the OCS Thomas Makey. Oliver Gray had moved up to fourth. A sausage later saw Oliver second with Guy Brearey third, Adam Richards fourth, Robbie Allam fifth and Robert Graves sixth. This is how they finished a sausage later.

This saw Adam Richards and Sam Muskett from the Lymington Sailing Club first and Inland National Champions with 14 points, 8 points clear of the second placed boat. First Silver Fleet boat and eigth overall was Oren Richards and Mark Treviss-Bell from the Lymington Sailing Club. This marked a fine National Championships for the Richards family!

The Bronze fleet was dominated by two boats who both finished on 8 points. With first place going to Hugo Bull and Chay Atkins, sailing ‘La Peste Noire’ from Stone, on count back. Second place was Christopher Videlo and William Branton from Waldrinfield, sailing ‘Crisis’. Third with 18 points was Oliver Herve and Alex Wilmore from Otters sailing ‘Free Spirit’.

Overall Results: