CCF NATIONAL REGATTA – HMS RALEIGH 22ND OCTOBER 2016

2ND AND 3RD – BEST EVER RESULT IN THIS EVENT
Sedbergh A – James Thomas and George Thomas  – 2nd
Sedbergh B – Peter Fairbank and Walter Keegan – 3rd

After a slow start ten teams from all over the country took to the water on a good breeze and slack water. Race 1 caught a few teams out and there were two disqualifications due to incorrect mark rounding and failure to take penalties. After that the racing settled down to a competitive set of 5 races with all but a couple of teams in the mix for top places. Sedbergh A scored a 2nd in the first race with Sedbergh B in 4th so we knew we were in with a good chance of podium honours. 

The tide began to build so that judging the laylines for the windward mark became more complex. This was exacerbated by a tidal back eddy by the wing mark which often made the fleet bunch up as they came in this mark. As most of these teams don’t normally sail on tidal waters, the reach across the tide to the downwind mark was a difficult one to judge and many ended having to make big course adjustments to round the mark.  

Ccf National Regatta Hms Raleigh Oct 2016 Sedbergh Senior School 2

Those using gennakers had more interesting decisions to make to compromise between speed and direction across the tide.  James and George were consistently 2nd for the first two races, while Pete and Walter were more variable with a 3rd, 6th and 7th.  

For the final race to even up the boats (all having 2 races with and 2 without gennakers) all boats raced without gennakers and Pete and Walter had their best race of the day with a 2nd having led the race for the first lap.  Sadly, James and George continuing their run of bad luck with gear breakages, had a major breakage of the boom at the gooseneck fitting and were unable to start race 5 which had to be their discard for the day.  

The forecast for the 2nd day was dire with strong winds, and sadly the forecast was correct and sailing was not possible on the Sunday so the overall results on Day 1 stood as the final results with a clear winner from Exeter scoring 1, 1, 1, 3 – total 6 and our two boats scoring respectively 11 and 15 coming 2nd and 3rd.  This is the highest rankings we have ever achieved in the National Regatta. 

The sailing club is pleased to award Sailing Colours to George Thomas and Peter Fairbank.  

MP Ripley

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