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Spinnaker
Club Junior Regatta
On Bank Holiday Monday, 3 May, despite the poor weather, 24
young sailors took part in the newly reinstated Junior Regatta. The event
has been in abeyance for some time but this year because of the increasing
number of junior members it was decided to relaunch the regatta.
The event is open to any sailor below the age of nineteen.
The Club was delighted to welcome sailors from Warsash Sailing Club and
Poole Yacht Club.
The wind was light and variable which meant that Race
Officer, Paul Irons needed all his skill to set a satisfactory course.
Four races were held in total. The day was dull and overcast, with
frequent showers, yet this did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of the
racers or their parents and supporters.
The standard of racing was high and it wasn’t until the
final race was completed that an overall winner emerged who was Joshua
Irons. Tarra Gill-Taylor, was second and Mark Lees, of Poole Yacht Club,
third. Rachel Bunt was the first girl. All were sailing
Optimist dinghies.
Rachel was also winner of the regatta fleet, which is
intended for less experienced racers. Ian Gibbons took second place in the
regatta fleet in his Topper and Matthew Hales was third at the helm of his
Feva dinghy.
The Handicap Fleet was won by Felix Newall-Smith and Izzy
Gill-Taylor sailing a National 12 with James Anderson sailing his Laser
Radial to second place and Edward Morris was third helming his Laser 4.7.
Classes represented at the Regatta were Lasers, Fevas,
Toppers, National 12s, the perennially popular Mirror class and off course
lots of Optimists. All these classes race and train regularly at the Club.
The two photographs show Commodore Brian Watkins, Race
Officer Paul Irons and all the competitors outside the clubhouse before
the racing and Matthew Hales at the helm of his Feva dinghy in hot pursuit
of Ian Gibbons on his Topper.
The event was considered by one and all to be a great success
and so it has been decided to run a second Junior Regatta on Sunday, 14
November 2004. Look out for further details.
Hywel Morris |
