Graduate National Championships 2024 at Carsington Sailing Club - Day 1

Twelve crews arrived to bright sunshine over Carsington Water, anticipating a great weekend's competition sharing the water with the Miracles who were celebrating their 50th anniversary.

After a briefing on Saturday morning the fleet made its way to the race course at the North end of the lake for a practice race in a nice Northerly breeze gusting 2 to 3. The Race Officer set a triangle, sausage, triangle course which had to wait for a bit as the fleet got a bit too eager resulting in a general recall. This meant the Grads had to follow on after the Miracles who were gradually caught during the race.

The top 3 places were hotly contested but ended with Fresh Abendstern and Ross Southwell taking the gun followed by John and Jamie Clementson with Chris and Chloe Parker completing the top 3.

After lunch Race 1 got under way in a freshening breeze. With an unaltered course the first beat was tight but Fresh gradually pulled away and by the second beat had established a healthy gap to Bryn and then John after a nice lift all the way up to the windward mark on the second beat. These positions were maintained to the gun.

The breeze continued to build with some good planning conditions in the 2nd Championship race. Fresh was in the pack at the start with Ric Lewis and Sarah-Jane Critchley showing early promise, Bob & Maggie Murrell thereabouts. However by the end of the second leg normal service had resumed and the top 3 places were contested by Fresh, Bryn and John, Ric keeping them on their toes close behind. By the gun John had broken through to take honours closely followed home by Fresh and then Bryn.

Overnight Fresh leads with 1 & 2, John next with 1 & 3 and then Bryn with 2 & 3.

With the forecast for Day 2 looking "interesting" it will depend on who can dodge the thunder and lightning.