RYA Scotland Winter Championships at Largs Sailing Club
by Marc Turner, RYA Scotland 12 Dec 2018 05:37 AEDT
8-9 December 2018
RYA Scotland Winter Championships at Largs © Marc Turner
The RYA Scotland Winter Championships is a great festive race weekend to round off the season hosted by Largs Sailing Club on the 8th and 9th of December 2018.
77 sailors in the Youth and Junior Classes managed up to eight races over the weekend. The format is designed for winter conditions with sprint style races close to the shore in the Largs Channel.
Saturday was a challenging day with rain and a very unstable breeze which was shifting up to 60 degrees, whereas Sunday brought perfect conditions in light NW winds and race teams managed to get lots of racing in under blue skies.
"It's a great opportunity half way through the winter training block for the sailors to check in how the training is going in a racing environment. We have short sharp races for maximum decision making and skills under pressure." Explains Matt Toynbee the Event Director and Class Academy Officer for RYA Scotland.
Topper sailor, Eilidh McQueen from Helensburgh commented. "It's quite tough, all of the people at the front were quite close because it was sprint race. You have to make the least amount of mistakes as possible and really focus as the slightest mistake messes up your whole race."
Laser Radial Fleet winner, Gordon Cogan Sivarajan said "As we had a lot of races you have to be consistent and I managed that today, although I do prefer longer races as I have quite good boat speed so I can usually pick up places on longer legs."
The racing was split over two race courses with windsurfers joining the double handed dinghies to the south and the single handed fleets of Optimist, Topper and Laser Radial and 4.7 to the North. All fleets had a sprinkle of seasonal decoration which has become a hallmark of the fun during the Winter Championships.
Keeping with the festive feel of the weekend Abbie Hewitt, RYA Scotland High Performance manger said. "We couldn't get a much better weekend in sunny Scotland for winter sailing, absolutely brilliant. Fast, fun paced racing with a bit of tinsel and singing at times on the water. We are also able to develop the sailors racing process and see what they may need to work on over the rest of the winter training."
"A big thanks to Largs Sailing Club, for again hosting a magnificent event working with Matt and some great volunteers. We have had some great feedback already. Looking forward to seeing everyone back in training in the New Year. Merry Christmas."
The RYA Scotland Academy and Development Team training will continue at Largs and sportscotland National Centre Cumbrae over the winter months and you can find out more about the performance Programme by visiting www.rya.org.uk/scotland/performance/Pages/hub.aspx
29er Open Class:
1 - Erin & Luke McIlwanie - Newcastle YC
2 - Ben Leffek & Harris Hayes - Dalgety Bay SC / Wormit BC
29er Girls:
1 - Fiona MacKay Hannah Scott (LVSC / Toward SC)
2 - Catriona Forrest & Evie Tynan (DBSC)
420:
1 - Calum Bell and Ruben Strokroos
Optimist Boys:
1 - Rory Gifford (8pts) RTYC
2 - James Gifford RTYC(16pts)
3 - William OKeefe LLSC (29pts)
Optimist Girls:
1 - Tess Crooks (PSC)
2 - Sophie Kennedy (ASYC)
3 - Morven Wood (CCC)
Laser Radial:
1 - Gordon Cogan Sivarajan, CCC (19pts)
2 - Lorcan Knowles, Leigh & Lowton SC (20pts)
3 - Scott Forbes, Loch Lomond SC (29pts)
Laser Radial Girls:
1 - Suzanna Homer, DBSC
2 - Catie Warburton, LVSC
3 - Molly Tullett, DBSC
Laser 4.7:
1 - Fergus Wilson, Largs SC
2 - Matthew McLullich, ASYC
3 - Sam Carr, LVSC
Topper Boys:
1 - Tom Mitchell, RTYC (12pts)
2 - Connor Kennedy, ASYC (13pts)
3 - Alastair Coombs, LVSC (22pts)
Topper Girls:
1 - Eilidh Mcqueen, HSC
2 - Jasmin Robertson, Nairn SC
3 - Ellise Fitzgerald, Largs SC
Bic Techno 4.5:
1 - Dylan Galloway
2 - Kai Beattie
3 - Sam Hawthorn
Bic Techno 5.8:
1 - Euan Lindsay
2 - Dylan Sangster
3 - Kyle Clark
Bic Techno 6.8:
1 - Millie Johnson