North West Junior Travellers' Trophy at Redesmere Sailing Club

North West Junior Travellers at Redesmere © Peter Baldwin

After the lack of wind for the same event in 2017, it was good to see a steady 8 knots from the South blowing at Redesmere, along with strong sunshine as competitors arrived, showing the club off to its best.

After a competitor briefing, the fleet launched slowly into the onshore breeze, leading to a 5 minute delay for the first warning signal. Race 1 finally started cleanly on the third attempt under a black flag. Seven Radial's led the fleet at the end of the first lap with Thomas Brindley (Youth) in the lead. These seven were followed by a Feva helmed by U14 sailor Felix Stewart and the Laser 4.7 of Lee Cunningham. The breeze held up well during the race with odd patches down to 5 knots, but occasional gusts leading to planing conditions for the Lasers. A total of 5 laps were completed by the Lasers at the end of the race. On handicap, the winner with a clear margin of over one and a half minutes was Brindley from Adam Din in another Radial and Stewart third in his Feva.

North West Junior Travellers at Redesmere - photo © Peter Baldwin

Redesmere's usual BBQ was available for lunch and competitors and supporters enjoyed the sunshine that still bathed the club. In fact everyone was enjoying it so much that the competitors seemed reluctant to launch again for the next two races back to back.

As in Race 1, three attempts were needed to get the fleet away for Race 2, finally under the black flag. Unfortunately, in this race, two Toppers were clearly identified as BFD at the start as the fleet got away. At the end of the first lap, Sam Cooper led the fleet in his Radial, from Brindley and Adam Din. Unfortunately Cooper lost ground to these boats by the end and Brindley again led a group of Radials. There were more holes in the breeze during Race 2 and so the course was shortened to only 4 laps. On handicap, Brindley was first but only by 45 seconds from the Feva of Stewart and the Radial of Jonny Latham who pulled through to third during the last lap.

North West Junior Travellers at Redesmere - photo © Peter Baldwin

As soon as the last boat was finished, the sequence for Race 3 was started. Once again, the fleet was pushing the line hard with only 30 seconds to go under the black flag and a general recall was required with three boats clearly identified as over during the last 5 seconds. At the next attempt under the black flag, the fleet held a little further back and the race started without any additional boats caught out. At the end of the first lap, Latham led the group of Radials, but Brindley passed him during lap 2 and kept in front of the group of Radials at the finish. Meanwhile, the Topper of Emily Page had pulled away from the other Toppers and had a sizeable lead on them, sufficient to give her the win from Brindley and then Stewart.

The final results gave a mix of both Youth, U17 and U14 in the top places. Brindley was first Youth, followed by Din and Marcus Howard in a Radial in 3rd. In the handicap fleet, first (and first U14) was Stewart (Feva), followed by Latham (Radial) and then Page in a Topper. Second U14 was William Burbedge and in 3rd Chloe Mills both in Toppers.

Round 9 of the NWJTT series continues at Bolton on the 13th October and the final event is at Leigh & Lowton on the 27th October.

Overall Results: