Cadets at the RYA Volvo South Zone Championships
by David Elliott (with thanks to Matt Carter, RYA) 27 Sep 2011 08:16 BST
24-25 September 2011
RYA Volvo South Zone Championship © Paul Wyeth / RYA
Over 250 sailors were at WPNSA last weekend for the RYA Volvo South Zone Championships, including 23 Cadet teams from Castle Cove, Frensham Pond, Parkstone, Royal Lymington, Royal Torbay and South Cerney. Other classes present included Laser 4.7s, Mirrors, Optimists, RS Fevas, Toppers and a range of windsurfers. Six races were scheduled with the Cadets sailing the outer loop of a trapezoid course.
Saturday saw a day of light winds with gusts of up to 10 knots. Alistair & Catriona Wallace from South Cerney in 7231 Sullom Voe made the best of the day scoring 4, 1, 2 to lead overnight. In second place were Ben Shorrock & Beatrice Sexton from Frensham Pond in 8441 It Takes Two having recorded 3, 5, 1 and in third Aliya & Aqil Jannaty sailing 9319, who followed a first in R1 with a seventh and a third.
Sunday was considerably windier, with gusts measured on the breakwater in excess of 30 knots. Parkstone’s Kirsten Glen & Rosie Gorringe in 9370 Y Knot led for the whole of Race 4 from club mates Harry Wilkes and George Kennedy in 9600 Bite The Bullet. Third were Will McMahon & Tima Malikov from South Cerney in 8402 V3 who had progressed from fifth place at the windward mark. Of the top three overnight, Alistair & Catriona finished 14th, Ben & Beatrice fourth and Aliya & Aqil, ninth.
Race 5 saw another victory for Kirsten & Rosie. Esme & Eliza Jones from Royal Torbay in 5966 Tumbling Dice finished second have briefly led, with Will & Tima third.
Going into the sixth and final race, Esme & Eliza were first with 10 points, Ben & Beatrice second with 13 points, followed by Kirsten & Rosie and Will & Tima both on 15 points. Aliya & Aqil had 16 and Alistair & Catriona, 19. First around the windward was Louisa Coxson & Katie Hynes in 9049 Point Blank, followed by Esme & Eliza and Kirsten & Rosie. By the first leeward, Louisa & Katie had dropped back into third place and during the next loop, Kirsten & Rosie took the lead and finished with a full house on the day! Esme & Eliza were second, with Louisa & Katie third.
Demonstrating superb consistency across both days, Esme & Eliza won the title of RYA Volvo Cadet South Zone Champions. Counting four second places and a fourth, they finished four points clear of Kirsten & Rosie on 16 points. Aliya & Aqil made it a clean sweep for female helms, finishing third with 21 points. Will & Tima were fourth and top male helm with 23 points.