Please select your home edition
Edition
Craftinsure 2023 LEADERBOARD

420 Nationals at Hayling Island Sailing Club - Day 1

by Gerald New 30 Jul 2002 09:56 BST

Asher and Willis dominate first day of 420 Championship

Photo © Gerald New

Event leaders Nic Asher & Elliot Willis
In a light wind and hazy sunshine, the British International 420 Class Open and National Championships began racing out of Hayling Island Sailing Club Monday. Difficult sailing conditions made for challenging racing in which the leading competitors established themselves firmly at the front of the fleet. Expectations were high for Britain's leading 420 pair, Nic Asher and Elliot Willis, who recently took an excellent second place at the World Championships in Tavira, but with many other experienced and Worlds Team sailors also competing, if Asher hopes to retain his National title then he will have to continue his excellent form.

In perfect sailing conditions, the first race of the day started cleanly with Asher and Willis beginning the race in the wake of Matt Burge and Simon Wheeler, who managed to retain their advantage for nearly a lap before losing the lead to Asher and Willis who subsequently controlled throughout. Worlds teammates Sam Carter and Paul Davies, who proved equally keen to retain the title he won with Asher last year, also gave an excellent and spirited performance, pursuing the leaders into third place. Local sailors Alison Martin and Bethan Carden, also recently returned from the Worlds, squeezed into fifth place to finish as first girls.

After a recall, Asher and Willis led the second race from the start, pursued by a group including promising Scottish sailors Callum Macdonald and Andrew Greer who finished second, consolidating their first race performance. Despite a wind shift on the second beat which disorganised the fleet, the skill of the leaders kept them ahead. In third, Irish twins Lisa and Geoff Tait displayed their experience, whilst Martin and Carden, again the first female pair in 6th, recovered from a confusing start. Finding themselves at the front, they returned unnecessarily to restart, but quickly recovered to reach the first mark tenth. Last year's runners-up Eamonn and Athol King showed a return of their previous form to take fourth.

With the wind dropping, the third race tested the competitors' patience and skill. With a comfortable lead at the first mark, Asher and Willis showed their class to win by a substantial margin and give them an overnight lead in the Championship. Youth National Champions Laurie Fitzjohn-Sykes and Tom Mapplebeck held off the lighter Malaysian crew of Jeremy Koo Wui Ken and Loo Sing Yew to take second. The King brothers finished fifth, to secure third place overall behind Macdonald and Greer, who again produced a strong race. Martin and Carden finished seventh, to lead the Women's Championship by a substantial 25 points from local Itchenor crews Joanna Brigg and Micky Boughton and Rachel Wigmore and Sophie Anderson. In demanding conditions, other local crews also performed well, with Hayling Island sailors and recent Flanders Youth Regatta Champions, Oliver Dix and Philip Lasko lying eleventh overnight. With three good races sailed and brilliant weather, both competitors and spectators can look forward to an exciting week of racing.

Results after Day 1: (3 races)

PosNatHelmCrewR1R2R3Pts
1GBRNic AsherElliot Willis1113
2GBRCallum MacdonaldAndrew Greer42410
3GBRAthol KingEamonn King84517
4GBRAlison MartinBethan Carden56718
5GBRSam CarterPaul Davies311620
6GBRLaurie Fitzjohn-SykesTom Mapplebeck618226
7IRLLisa TaitGeoff Tait1431128
8MASJeremy Koo Wui KenLoo Sing Yew1913335
9GBRLuke PatienceAdam Wagner723838
10IRLJohn DownieNicholas O'Leary1252340
11GBROliver DixPhilip Lasko10121840
12GBRJoanna BriggMicky Boughton9191543
13GBRRachel WigmoreSophie Anderson2591044
14GBRIain WatsonDavid Putt18102250
15GBRNick CherryChris Evans348951
16GBRGemma FarrellJoanna Allen13251452
17GBRNeil CrossouardSam Pascoe22161957
18HKGCheung Ka HoTong Ping Shun2073461
19GBRMatt BurgeSimon Wheeler2412063
20GBRCharlotte SavageMaia Walsh11243065
21MASWinnie Anthony AbahPatricia Kelly Yin Li Len28261367
22GBRJames GossDaniel Schieber23143572
23IRLJonathan O'DowdPhilip Reily16283175
24GBRLaura WadeJessica Makey26321775
25GBRLucy MacgregorNicola Macgregor27381277
26GBRSophie HarrisonSophie Dyer21431680
27GBRTome HebbertSusie Short39152882
28GBRBen AinsworthThomas Heywood15422784
29AUSLuc TaskerBrett Sharpe32292485
30GBRAndrew CornahJulia Cornah37223291
31GBRJoanne MacdonaldFaye Govan35174395
32GBREdward MalesJames Roche24442997
33IRLPhilip O'ReillyJames McCarter17394298
34AUSMathieu HigginsTim Lynch412139101
35GBRThomas MallindineBenjamin Cripps572026103
36GBRSam MaxfieldEd Wilkinson362740103
37GBRMary RookHannah Burke383737112
38GBRNeil BakerChris Dodds443138113
39GBRSusanne BennellJill Shorrocks293652117
40GBRJonathan BattyeThomas Wright464033119
41NEDJessica MapplebeckCarly Burge404736123
42GBRSimon LambertMichael McWilliams505421125
43GBRKaren SmalleyClaire Paramore473050127
44GBRLaura FarrellAlison Bennett315046127
45HKGTse Sui KitCheng Sze Kei Elsie307325128
46GBRSamantha GreenKate Sudell423353128
47GBRRobert CarterIan Robertson523541128
48GBRLaurie MarsdenNikki Stewart335244129
49GBRSophie AinsworthLucy Cripps493457140
50GBRRory SharvillJames Cooke434951143
51IRLKevin StallardAndrew Murphy485345146
52IRLLorraine StallardAvril Ormond455949153
53GBRGemma GreenToby Harris555148154
54NEDAlex BeddoesThomas Hurst534661160
55GBRGiles RollsWilliam Boyle605547162
56GBRLucy WordleyAlice Wordley516255168
57GBROliver WoodsPeter Halswell684559172
58AUSAlesandra MaskellSarah-Jane Yorke595658173
59GBRHodaka HashiRobert Whiddett565860174
60GBRAndrew BurkeWilliam Roper545764175
61GBRLaura-Anne DownieJennifer McClean616056177
62GBRAlfie RowsonJamie Rupar586163182
63GBRChris WittyRichard Mills656454183
64GBRDon HoughtonAlex Knight704871189
65GBRLawrence CavillWilliam Mayes627065197
66GBRLottie JohnsTom Brooks636669198
67GBRElaenor FowlesMartin van Niewenhuyzer666568199
68GBRRichard GoddardAlice Walton696962200
69GBRAlice BrotchieBilly Butler676370200
70GBRCavan FynesHenry Maples647167202
71GBRKirsten Claiden-YardleyNatasha Lister726766205
72GBRJames BoadleAshley Rudd716873212

Related Articles

Itchenor SC's Junior Fortnight week 1
Against a dramatic backdrop, an impressive 72 races were run across 8 fleets The 2025 annual competition opened under deceptively gentle conditions with more than 150 keen competitors prepared to vie for the top spots. The early part of the week saw light airs and calm waters. Posted on 5 Aug
Sail Canada's Youth Fest preview
More than 260 sailors in Kingston for the comeback event More than 260 sailors will gather in Kingston, August 1-5, for the comeback of Sail Canada's Youth Fest, presented simultaneously with Sail Canada 2025 Club 420 Youth Championship. Posted on 30 Jul
Sail Canada Regional Championships Preview
More than 300 young Canadian sailors in action this weekend across the country More than 300 young Canadian sailors will be in action this weekend as Sail Canada will present its three regional championships: Sail East at St. Margaret Sailing Club, Sail Central at Hudson Yacht Club and Sail West at Gimli Yacht Club. Posted on 16 Jul
KSSA Mid Season Training Camp & Regatta at Downs
Testing conditions and top talent in Kent Downs Sailing Club, nestled on the exposed coastline of Deal, Kent, delivered a weekend of demanding conditions, standout performances, and high-energy racing as it hosted the latest round of the Kent Schools Sailing Association Mid-Summer Regatta. Posted on 14 Jul
Bosham Sailing Club Junior Regatta
A gob-smacking 90+ entries take part A gob-smacking 90+ entries for the Bosham SC Junior Regatta, aligned with a late high tide and a wedding marquee on the meadow normally used for rigging and de-rigging created a unique challenge to celebrate its newly acquired RYA Pathway Club status. Posted on 3 Jun
Banger Racing, Back Racing and No Racing
Racing on the cheap, a return to racing for young Aussies, and ILCA struggles We start with racing on the cheap at the Colander Cup, then focus on a return to racing for the Aussies at the Youth Worlds, moving on to a complete lack of racing at the ILCA Worlds, and then looking at how SailGP should be back out on the water. Posted on 14 May
It's So Easy to Shop for Winning Sails Online
Shop North One Design sails online anytime for fast delivery Shop North One Design sails online anytime for fast delivery, in-stock availability, and podium-ready results. Don't wait, your next win starts here. Posted on 28 Apr
2025 RYA Youth National Championships
A week of varied and challenging race conditions at Pwllheli Over 230 of the UK's top young sailors descended on Pwllheli for the 2025 RYA Youth National Championships, where new champions were crowned after a week of varied and challenging race conditions. Posted on 24 Apr
First Ever US Sailing Youth National Team
Made up of 66 athletes spanning the United States from Hawaii to the east coast US Sailing is pleased to announce the inaugural US Sailing Youth National Team (USYNT), made up of 66 athletes spanning the United States from Hawaii to the east coast. Posted on 22 Apr
Draycote Academy update
Winter program really does support sailors' development That's a wrap for the 2024/25 Academy training, and we can see our winter program, with an ethos of time on the water, really does support sailor's development. While podiums and event wins are great we also focus on supporting sailors at all levels. Posted on 3 Apr