NSSA Inland Championship at Datchet Water Sailing Club
by Nigel Vick 2 Jun 2016 20:16 BST
28-29 May 2016
The 2016 National School Sailing Association Inland Championships were hosted by Datchet Water Sailing Club on May 28/29th.
The weather was particularly kind to those camping at the venue, and was pretty good for the sailing with an Easterly force 3 on Saturday and only slightly higher winds on Sunday. The main fleets (Handicap, Radial and Toppers) managed six races, whilst the Rookie fleet got 11 races over the two days.
The Laser Radial fleet saw Pierce Seward of Kent dominate with six bullets (first places). Lower places were hard fought though, and the next four boats all finished on 17 points. The tie breaks put Michael Carver in second place and Imogen Cage-White third.
The Handicap fleet was a similar story with Cameron Tweedle from Oxford sailing a Finn. However, he appeared to relax in the final race finishing third but was able to discard that in favour of the five first places which he had already scored. James Oakley was second sailing al Laser 4.7 and Caitlin Atkin third in an Aero 7.
In the Toppers, things were looking good for Harrison Bennett from Barry Youth Watersports at the end of race four, but he was unable to hold on in the final couple of races. Isha Lowdon of Worcester won races 5 & 6 and was able to snatch first place, pushing Bennet into second overall. Third was James Widenbalm.
In the Rookies, James O'Donohoe of Datchet won with some consistent sailing beating Kyle Bird and Ollie Raine.
Thoughts now turn to the NSSA Regatta being held at Great Yarmouth, in Norfolk at the end of July details of which can be found at NSSA.org.uk.