Volvo Gill Optimist Selection Trials at the WPNSA
by Alan Williams 8 May 2012 19:03 BST
4-7 May 2012
A hotly contested start at the Optimist Selection Trials © Alan Williams
WPNSA played host to the Optimist Selection Trials, one of the most important Optimist events of the year which was held over the bank holiday weekend.
The top 86 Optimist sailors in the country, completed a 15 race series over 4 days in Portland Harbour and in Weymouth Bay, for the honour of representing GBR in this year’s World and European’s and Development teams, the Flanders team and training in Greece. Only the top 5 GBR sailors are able to qualify to compete in the worlds, and 7 including the top 3 girls in the Europeans.
Ainslie, Mills, Clark, Percy and Patience, all members of our GBR Olympic team, made this right of passage in their younger years, so there is a lot of prestige attached to a sailors CV in making a team.
Friday dawned dry and bright with a cold shifty north easterly at 8-12 knots, and 4 races were run back to back in the Harbour. The long slower shifts caught many out and there were a lot of inconsistent results. Arran Holman made the most of the day and opened his account with an exceptional 1,1,8, 1, Max Clapp 2,3,5,11, Benno Mastaller 9,4,2,17, and Martin Wrigley 5,2,4, 30. Milly Boyle won the other race of the day and scored a 5th in race 4.
There were several protests and one was heard for us by the USA and Danish umpires who were umpiring USA and Dutch Olympic match racing trials.
Saturday
Saturday was another day of the shifty challenging nor easter, and it was cold all day. The wind peaked early on at 15-17kts and dropped off as the day went on.
Karyna Manuel won the first race of the day in fine style.
Martin Wrigley had the best of the day scoring 17,1,2,1. Max Clapp scored 18, 2,4,3, Dan Whitely, 4,4,1,23, Jamie Calder 3,8,8,10. James Clemetson was also had a good day scoring 2,6,20,8.
Jenny Cropley had a 7,7,4,46. Special mention must be made of the 46, because Jenny’s mast foot ripped out and Jenny fought to keep the mast upright all the way to the finish - good effort.
There was some concern that the pin boat might sink but the bailer was located and the pin stayed afloat.
Milo Gill-Taylor, fresh from the oppy worlds in New Zealand was having a quiet sort of event, but that was about to change...
Sunday
The plan was to sail in Weymouth Bay and to start early as there was a chance of the wind fading away after lunch. The fleet was afloat and being towed out into the Bay by 0845, and were out in the middle of the Bay ready to start by 0945. There was plenty of muttering about going out into the Bay, but it turned out to be a glamour day that most won’t forget in a hurry.
The wind was north east at 8-11kts and it gradually went right to south east during the day. Protecting the right was really important. Sadly for some in the first race of the day they headed for Weymouth and oblivion - check the forecast, and Alex Platt gained one of the few Black flags of the trials. [Tim Saxton once went right in his oppy years and won a race in the Bay by a whole leg-not today].
The day challenged the race team led by Olympic Course Race Officer, Stog, assisted by Frank and Jenny Newton, Peter and Catherine, Henry on the pin and the mark layers, who were second guessing how much the wind would go right next! After race 3 we thought the wind was going to die away and we were going home, when suddenly the sun came out and the breeze became thermally enhanced, and a decent sea state developed providing great conditions for the 4th race, which created a big grin factor for most.
By this time the current was also moving right to left towards the top of the course, and considerable gains were made by sailors who used the current to their advantage. Following the 4th race of the day the whole fleet sailed back in an armada on a reach to the academy, for some it was their longest sail and their first time on Weymouth Bay.
Milo Gill-Taylor started to wake up scoring 21,1,1,2. Max Clapp had an up and down day scoring 23,15,4,1. Martin had an average day including 2 and 7. Jamie Calder ever consistent scored 5,7,5,2. Robbie King who had been bashing out a really good series had a good day with 6,7,5,8.
David LaBrouche and Jo Burns who both had excellent results in Holland at Easter, were both struggling to maintain their form and were a bit down in the dumps. But Max Moyles had a big smile on his face after winning the first race of the day.
It was interesting looking around the Harbour on the way in, with some famous Olympians on the water, USA’s Zach Railey, Silver in China in the Finn, the top Belgian Laser Radial sailors. The Dutch,and American match racing trials were taking place, including Anna Tunnicliffe Gold in the radial in China. Also gracing the Harbor was GBR Skud, Sonar, 49er, 470, RSX and 420’s a great sight.
Monday
After 12 races it was still all to play for and no one was safe in the teams. The final day dawned wet, miserable and windy [ well it was a bank holiday!]. Fortunately the rain stopped, and the sun came out. The wind was southish and coming just from just right of the Bill which made it a bit tricky but it was it was pretty obvious that the middle right was good and far left was oblivion because of the wind shadow over the Bill. Later the wind went further right, became steadier and made race course easier to read.
William Wall had two great races scoring a 4th and a bullet to finish off the trials and Clark Rutter scored a 1st and a 9th.
Milo Gill-Taylor [Spinnaker] , Max Clapp [Royal Southern], Martin Wrigley [Cardiff Bay] , Jamie Calder [Royal Forth and Loch Tummel], and Arran Holman [Hollowell], all did enough to secure their places in the Worlds team which will travel to the Dominican Republic for the worlds in July.
Milo continued his excellent run of form with a 3,1,4 to win the trials [and his coach and dad, Ravi gets a new bike as a performance bonus].
Benno Marstaller [Restronguet] and Jo Burns [Spinnaker] were on equal points going onto the last race and even though both had quite good starts Benno pulled out a 5th to take the final boys Europeans place joining Robbie King [Warsash/RLYC], David LaBrouche [West Mersea/Dabchicks], and Dan Whitely [Port Dinorwic]. The girls Europeans places will be filled by Sarah Norbury[South Staffs] who finished 8th overall, Jenny Cropley [Royal Lymington], and Karyna Manuel [Grafham].
The Development Team will be going to Hungary in the summer and the team includes; Milly Boyle [Royal Lymington], George Ford [Royal Lymington], Jemma Viney [Cardiff Bay], Emma Baker [Weir Wood], Alistair Grant [Alton Water], Josh Haynes [Trent Valley], Alex Platt [Restronguet], and Max Moyles [Royal Lymington].
The Flanders team will include; Sam Thomas [Cardiff Bay], Rhys Lewis [Cardiff Bay], Ryan Orr [Royal Lymington], William Hall [Cardiff Bay], Clark Rutter [Emsworth], and Hamish Taylor [Clyde Cruising].
The racing was challenging and everyone learnt a lot from it, a top class fleet, dealing with shifty conditions, tough starts and sailing in the Bay, all great experience for the future. There were a few protests, mainly port and starboard and tacking inside at the windward mark- some lessons to be learnt there about risk.
Class Chairman Simon Rogers presented Milo with the winner’s trophy and Milo made a great speech thanking everyone for their help and support with the event.
Thanks to everyone for making it such a great event, WPNSA for being so helpful, Stog the and the race team, Chair of selectors Carla Stanley, Ant the Jury, Brooke the event rep, Fiona in the office, Sian Nunn who produced the results and not forgetting the safety fleet and anchor pulling brigade on the pin.
It was a great event and lots of fun, and if you are interested in Optimist sailing check out the IOCA website for more information.
Good luck to the teams.