Footy Team Racing Richardson Trophy at Watermead Model Boat Club
by Peter Shepherd 24 Jun 2013 11:49 BST
22 June 2013
Footy Team Racing at Watermead © Roger Stollery
The Angus Richardson Trophy is a team sailing competition for Footy Class radio yachts. Four teams entered the inaugural event, two teams from Guildford MYC, one a Senior team and the other a Junior team made up of the children of one family, the 'Vice' Squad, along with Abington Park MYC and a team of wanderers made from Frensham & Cotswold members called the Maverick Men of Frenswold.
The course was a short triangle and sausage and with 20 mph winds gusting to even greater strengths, the boats coped extremely well considering their diminutive size and light weight - in the order of ½ kg. They were so reliable that the rescue boat did not need to be launched in any of the 24 heats.
One team were the class of the field and deservedly took home the trophy after winning every heat they sailed. That team was Guildford Model Yacht Club and consisted of Roger Stollery, Rob Vice, and Alfie Hart. The'Vice' Squad of CJ (13), Lockie (12) and Gabriel (9), learnt a lot about sailing these lightweight boats in the strong winds and about the rules, as the race progressed. They worked well together, helping each other round the course and in difficult situations to finish with five wins. They tied with the Abington Park team of Nigel Rudd, Peter Shepherd and Peter Jackson and by virtue of the SI giving any tied result to the team with junior members they gained second place.
They were congratulated at the prize giving for working so well together as a team. It is clear that the future of Footy racing is in safe hands at Guildford MYC!
Finally came Frenswold, David Wilkinson, Keith Parrott & Graham Whitehead who managed two victories on the day.
Despite some heavy showers and some of the strongest winds we have seen at an event this year, the racing was often close and the assembled company made this a most enjoyable event.
The thanks of all the competitors go to the team from Watermead MBC who kindly administered the event for us and especially Clive Bardell who lead their team so well.
As well as racing a Footy for the first time, Alfie Hart was on hand to take some excellent video footage of the event and has produced a most entertaining documentary of the day's events, this promotional film can be seen below and on the Footy website, www.sailfootyuk.com.
To the winners went the spoils of the Richardson Trophy and the honour of holding the event next year.
Overall Results:
1st Guildford Model Yacht Club - 12 Wins (Alfie Hart - Roger Stollery - Rob Vice)
2nd The Vice Squad - 5 Wins (C J Vice - Lockie Vice - Gabriel Vice)
3rd Abington Park Model Yacht Club - 5 Wins (Nigel Rudd - Peter Jackson - Peter Shepherd)
4th The Maverick Men of Frenswold - 2 Wins (David Wilkinson - Keith Parrott - Graham Whitehead)
Filming racing from an elongated Footy during the Footy Team Racing at Watermead - photo © Peter Shepherd