HAYLING ISLAND, UNITED KINGDOM-(18-4-2003) It was mixed emotion at the 2003 RYA Youth Championships and Trials as the
sailors left the shore of Hayling Island Sailing Club on the final day of
racing. For some they were sailing to win their place in the RYA National
Youth Squad and for others the plane ticket to Madeira for the 2003 ISAF
Youth Sailing World Championships was at the forefront of their minds.
The first race for most of the classes was started in eight knots of wind,
but the breeze quickly built and by the end of the second and for those
sailing a third, it was closer to fourteen knots and gusting sixteen at
times.
With a point separating first and third place in the Laser Standard fleet
the competition would be tough, making the decision that the selectors had
to come to on who was the best man to send to the Youth Worlds, even harder.
Scoring a tenth place and a bullet in the final race gave local sailor
Stephen Powell from Hayling Island Sailing Club the overall lead by four
points from last years Championships winner Andy Brooks of Elton Sailing
Club with Giles Scott from Grafham Water Sailing Club just one point behind
in third place overall.
Etchells world champion and past Youth Worlds gold medallist Stuart
Childerley assisted the selection for the Laser class and after a tough
decision it was decided that Powell was the best man to send to the Youth
Worlds.
Powell commented, `I am delighted that I have been selected. I have been
training hard for this event and it has been so close all week I wasn't sure
who the selectors would choose. I now look forward to training hard and
hopefully following in my brothers footsteps in bringing back a gold medal
from the Youth Worlds.`
The decision on who would be selected in the 420 class was also a tough one
and after a further three races Callum MacDonald and Haakon Karlsen from
Royal Northern and Clyde Yacht Club won the championships and that result
combined with their scores from the previous selection events meant that
they were chosen for the RYA GB Youth Worlds Team. Stuart Bithell and
Jonathan McGovern from Hollingworth Lake Sailing Club put in a good series
and finished second overall.
Karlsen said, `We felt that we have sailed well all week and enjoyed the
mixed conditions that we have had during the Championships. Bithell and
McGovern have pushed us really hard and we have managed to stay out of
trouble and win the regatta. We are delighted to have been selected as this
is what we have been training for and we hope that we can bring back a medal
from the Youth Worlds.`
Alison Martin and Bethan Carden from Burghfield Sailing Club finished in
third place overall and top girls, securing their place in the Youth World
team. Last years Championship winners Charlotte Savage and Maia Walsh from
Barnt Green Sailing Club put up a good fight and pushed all the way to
eventually finish in fourth place overall.
Martin commented, `We are pretty happy with how we sailed this week and the
competition has been really tough. My cousins have previously competed at
the youth worlds in the 420 and there is a bit of family rivalry so I am
looking forward to going to the event and trying to better their sixth
place.`
In the Laser Radial class Keir Clarke from Lyme Regis Sailing Club dominated
the fleet scoring eight first place finishes to win the Championships by 44
points from Vincent Christan of Ely Sailing Club with Paul Cox from Torpoint
Mosquito in third.
Clarke commented, `My aim was to come here this week and win but I was not
expecting to win by such a margin. I have really enjoyed the Championship
and the racing has been really close.`
The decision of which girl to send to the Youth Worlds has been a hard one
for the selectors and both Charlotte Dobson from Royal Northern and Clyde
Yacht Club and Colette Blair from Bewl Valley Sailing Club have been
swapping places all week. Dobson won the first race of the day with Blair
third and in the second Blair finished eight places in front of Dobson, but
Dobson had done enough to win the Championships by a point and with it her
ticket to the Youth Worlds.
Dobson commented, `I sailed a great first race and went into the second
knowing exactly where I needed to finish to beat Colette. Unfortunately I
panicked and sailed my worst run of the Championships, capsizing and then
having to do a penalty turn. I managed to gain back some places and did
enough to beat Colette. I am thrilled to have been selected, I didn't think
I would be but obviously I am very excited.`
The last two places in the Youth Worlds team have been filled by Mistral
sailors Peter Bird from Largs Sailing Club and Steph Thomson from Queen Mary
Sailing Club. Bird has lead the event from start to finish, discarding his
worst result a twelfth place and counting six firsts amongst his score line.
Thompson finished in sixth place overall and ten places in front Laura Bray
from Astbury Sailsports to win her place in the team.
Chairman of the Selectors Jeremy Vines commented, `With 250 boats, it was a
great turn out and a very high standard at the top which made the squad
selections very difficult. A very good series has been sailed this week but
ideally we would have liked a little more wind mid-week. Racing was
particularly close at the top of the 420's and Lasers and meant that a good
performance on Friday was essential.`
After a further two races in the 29er fleet, David Evans and Richard Peacock
from British Steel Sailing Club secured the Championships from local sailors
Tom Smedley and Steven Wilson from Hayling Island Sailing Club with Tristan
Jacques and Alain Sign from Stokes Bay Sailing Club finishing in third place
overall.
In the twelve boat Hobie 16 class, one of the best fleets ever seen at this
Championships, places have been changing regularly and after a further two
races, last years Championship winners Ben Mansfield and Ben Hinks came out
the victors by twelve points from Ryan Crawford and Lewis Crawford from
Penzance Sailing Club. Newcomers to the fleet, Tom Phipps and Jon Cook from
Restronguet Sailing Club suffered in the heavier conditions today but still
put in a credible performance to finish in third place.
Phipps said, `We are very pleased with how we did this week. It was a bit
windy for us today but we have really enjoyed our first major Championship
in the Hobie 16 and didn't expect to finish in the top three.`
RYA Youth Manager Steve Joel commented, `I am really pleased with how the
Championships has gone and hope that the sailors have had a fun week which
has benefited from excellent sailing conditions with good breezes and
sunshine. Thank you to everyone that has made the event a success and I wish
to congratulate all of the sailors that were successful in gaining selection
to the RYA Youth Squad and hope that those that just missed out will work
hard to gain places at their respected class nationals being staged later
this summer.` He concluded, `Finally I wish the RYA GBR Youth Worlds Team
the best of success at the 2003 ISAF Youth Sailing World Championships.
Provisional overall results
Hobie 16 - 12 1, Ben Mansfield/Ben Hinks, Royal Southern YC (1,2,2,1,4,7,(8),5,2,(13),2,1,1,3) 31 pts 2, Ryan Crawford/Lewis Crawford, Penzance SC (4,4,4,(9),(6),6,3,3,4,3,1,3,6,2) 43 pts 3, Tom Phipps/Jon Cook, Restronguet SC (6,(13),9,4,1,1,1,2,1,4,4,2,(10),9) 44 pts
29er - 29 1, David Evans/Richard Peacock, British Steel SC (1,1,2,6,5,2,2,3,4,7,2,1,5,4,(8),(10),6) 51 pts 2, Tom Smedley/Steven Wilson, Hayling Island Sailing Club (3,9,9,3,4,(30),6,1,1,1,(30),9,1,2,21,8) 60 pts 3, Tristan Jacques/Alain Sign, Stokes Bay SC (7,6,8,1,(30),1,1,2,2,3,10,(19),7,1,7,6,12) 74 pts
Laser Standard - 26 1, Stephen Powell, Hayling Island Sailing Club (6,(7),3,3,1,2,1,4,5,1,1,6,(10),1) 34 pts 2, Andy Brooks, Elton SC (3,2,2,2,5,6,7,2,1,3,2,(8),3,(11)) 38 pts 3, Giles Scott, Grafham Water Sailing Club (2,4,1,6,2,(11),2,(7),2,2,5,1,7,5) 39 pts
Laser Radial Gold fleet - 107 1, Keir Clarke, Lyme Regis SC (1,1,1,4,1,(13),1,1,1,1,3,(55),12,3) 30 pts 2, Vincent Christan, Ely SC (2,2,6,8,17,(56),5,10,8,3,(29),2,9,2) 74 pts 3, Paul Cox, Torpoint Mosquito (5,7,5,3,(9),2,2,(26),2,2,1,26,(32),8) 89 pts Girls 5, Charlotte Dobson, Royal Northern & Clyde YC (7,4,4,10,(27),12,17,4,28,(37),7,10,1,14) 118 pts 6, Colette Blair, Bewl Valley SC (6,7,3,10,(12),4,3,3,(48),12,18,44,3,6) 119 pts 18, Kellie Covington, Emsworth Slipper SC (16,13,23,3,16,28,4,9,(33),21,9,31,13,(41)) 191 pts
420 - 48 1, Callum MacDonald/Haakon Karlsen, Royal Northern and Clyde YC (1,2,3,(14),6,9,1,(10),2,6,4,3,5,7) 49 pts 2, Stuart Bithell/Jonathan McGovern, Hollingworth Lake SC (7,(47),5,1,4,5,(9),5,3,8,1,4,6,5) 54 pts 3, Alison Martin/Bethan Carden, Burghfield SC (10,10,8,2,5,(13),2,1,8,1,7,(18),10) 65 pts other girls 4, Charlotte Savage/Maia Walsh, Barnt Green SC ((47),11,11,(18),1,1,7,3,16,3,3,6,1,16) 79 pts 6, Pippa Wilson/Harriette Trumble, Royal Lymington YC ((47),(47),47,20,3,4,3,2,1,2,2,5,3,3) 95 pts
Mistral - 11 1, Peter Bird, Largs SC (1,1,1,1,1,2,1,(12),(3),3) 11 pts 2, Richard Potter, Notts County SC ((3),2,2,2,(4),1,2,1,2,1) 13 pts 3, Douglas Etheridge, Bray Lake Watersports (2,(12),3,3,2,3,(4),2,1,2) 18 pts Girls 6, Steph Thompson, Queen Mary SC ((12),(12),12,6,6,6,8,6,6,7) 57 pts 8, Laura Bray, Astbury Sailsports ((12),(12),12,9,9,12,6,5,8,6) 67 pts 9, Jilly Bromley ((12),(12),12,APA 10.11,8,8,10,7,10,12) 77.11 pts
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