Learning and Skills Solutions Pyefleet Week ends with fabulous finale

by Fiona Brown on 7 Aug 2016 Brightlingsea Sailing Club's Learning and Skills Solutions Pyefleet Week went out in spectacular style with a final day of racing in glorious sunshine and a lovely light to moderate of extremely shifty breeze. All fleets completed one last race, with some thrillingly close finishes to decide the overall class winners.

Back ashore the event concluded with the final prize giving where Vice Commodore Sailing Martin Worth took on the Master of Ceremonies Role, Sue Bouckley of title sponsor Learning and Skills Solutions presented the prizes and President Alice Davies rounded off proceedings with some truly heart felt thank yous to the event sponsors and to the dozens of volunteers who had worked so hard and given up so much of their time to make the event possible.

The first order of the day was to present every cadet who took part in the regatta with a medal. It was delightful to watch the youngsters beaming with pride as they came up to collect their medals and show them off for the photos.

Then it was into the serious prizes. A win in the final race for the Asymmetric Handicap Class secured overall victory for the Laser 2000 of Chris and Gillian Jordan with fellow 2000 sailors Nigel Edmunds and Kerrie Forster second and Chris Bines and David Gibbons in an RS800 third.

Jeremy Newman crewed by Piers Lambert and Ian Newman/Pete Kyne had already secured the 79 years young Brightlingsea One Design Class with a day to spare but the battle for second and third went down to the wire with Phil, Jessica and Chris Rust's final race win leapfrogging them up into second overall, a single point ahead of Chris Matthews, Sarah Bines and Tom Kyne.

Paul Aldridge's OK went into the day leading the Slow Handicap fleet by a single point, but nearest rivals Archie Penn and Ben Warrington in a 420 pipped him for victory in the final race to claim the winner's trophy. Third in the class were Tim, Zoe and Katie Bees in a Laser 2000.

It was a family battle royal at the front of the Parent and Child Fleet where assorted brothers, sisters, cousins, parents, uncles and aunts combined in three Mirrors to challenge for the top step on the podium. With a last race win Melissa Heppell crewed by Louis Hiscocks claimed the winner's laurels while Clive Goodwin, who was crewed by a combination of Anna Goodwin, Kaya and Herbie Nawrot, hopped up the rankings thanks to a second in the race to also claim second overall, with Tim Ashworth and Amelie Hiscocks in third.

Issy Taylor-Jones and Harvey O'Sullivan sailing an RS Feva were presented with the winner's trophies in the Cadet Handicap fleet having secured victory with a final race win. The RS Tera Pro of Oliver Johnson was second with Elizabeth Hill's Topper third.

Eddie Bridle came up to collect the Laser Radial Trophy having won his final race, beating Alexander Clarke and Tom Kyne into second and third respectively.

Pete Purkiss' victory in the RS700 fleet was already assured but he couldn't resist sailing the final race for the sheer joy of it and claiming his fifith race victory. Second in the class was David Bridle with Simon Redfearn third.

The Wivenhoe One Designs are one of the Colne River's two delightful historic dayboats and it has been wonderful to have the class actively racing in Pyefleet Week again in recent years. Nic Blower and David Tournay were the overall winners with Nigel and Peter Cook second and Rob Maloney and Peter Goldsmith third.

The Fireball fleet had enjoyed incredibly close racing all week with Alan Carter and Cheryl Jessop ultimately declared overall winners from Roger Etherington and Jo Adams with Barrie and Rose Winship third.

Piers Lambert and Tim Bees sailed their Merlin Rocket superbly consistently to beat the Contenders of Chris Bannister and James Spikesly in the Fast Handicap Fleet.

Pete Kyne and Chris Rust had secured first and second in the Laser class respectively with a day to spare, leaving Steve Williams, Ian Swan and Ed Slack to battle it out for third. With a second in the final race it was Steve Williams who took the last step on the Laser podium. There was a touching moment as Pete Kyne came up to claim his trophies which included the Jamie Green Memorial Trophy. Jamie, who was a exceptional Laser sailor himself and died far too young of cancer, was a very close friend of Pete's and the trophy was presented to him by Jamie's sister Sue Bouckley.

With the formal prizes presented it was time to present the fun prizes which included Most Bruised Lady Cheryl Jessop, youngest competitor James Herbert, Best Performance by a Cadet sailor Eddie Bridle, and fastest seadog in the fleet, which went to the diminutive terrier Treacle who was accompanied by her fellow crew Claire and Graham Bridle of the BOD Blue Peter.

With the formalities completed the final party got underway as the sun set over the famous Brightlingsea Beach Huts. With dancing to Contraband and a fabulous regatta to look back on great fun was had by all.

Learning and Skills Solutions Pyefleet Week 2017 will take place from 5 to 12 August.