Craftinsure Lark Cartoon Open at Waldringfield Sailing Club
by Alan Krailing 15 Sep 00:45 PDT
12-13 September 2026
Craftinsure Lark Cartoon Trophy at Waldringfield © Alexis Smith
Waldringfield served up six races of snakes, ladders and tight finishes at the Cartoon Trophy on 12-13 September, with the River Deben offering two very different tests. 14 boats arrived ready to take on the tide, wind and challenging shifts that Waldringfield is renowned for.
Saturday arrived with a south-westerly of 15-20 knots, but anyone expecting straightforward conditions was quickly corrected by sharp shifts and punchy gusts. Alan Krailing, united with Adam Owens after Owens' long Lark sabbatical, made the quickest return to form. They won the opening two races, although neither was comfortable: Harry Pynn and Gemma Cook were locked into the fight, while Emma Harris and Matt White—another sailor making a welcome return to the class—kept the leading pair honest.
Pynn and Cook struck back in race three, taking the gun ahead of Krailing and Owens, with Harris and White third. That left the scoreboard finely poised and ensured nobody could relax overnight—least of all the crews trying to remember which bruises had come from which gust.
Sunday turned the regatta inside out. The breeze swung north-west and faded to 4-10 knots, replacing Saturday's hiking contest with a game of patience, positioning and finding the next narrow lane of pressure. Krailing also changed crew, bringing in Jemima Cox-Olliff for the final three races. The new pairing survived a topsy-turvy fourth race in which fortunes changed repeatedly, emerging with the win.
A fresher spell for race five suited Pynn and Cook, who levelled the momentum with another victory and sent the title fight into the final race. Then, shortly before the start, the breeze made a decisive shift to the right. With passing lanes at a premium, the start and first beat became critical. Krailing and Cox-Olliff seized their opportunity, controlled the race and signed off the weekend with another first place.
Across both days the fleet remained tightly packed, with great racing right throughout. The visiting competitors deserve particular thanks for travelling to Waldringfield and helping to make the racing so competitive and enjoyable. The Lark fleet also extends its thanks to sponsors Craftinsure and Musto for their valued support.
Overall Results:
| Pos | Sail No | Helm | Crew | Club | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | Pts |
|---|
| 1st | 2521 | Alan Krailing | Adam Owens / Jemima Cox-Olliff | Waldringfield SC | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | -5 | 1 | 6 |
| 2nd | 2520 | Harry Pynn | Gemma Cook | Waldringfield SC | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | -5 | 9 |
| 3rd | 2491 | Emma Harris | Matt White | Waldringfield SC | 4 | 2 | 3 | -7 | 6 | 6 | 21 |
| 4th | 2543 | Nigel Hufton | Megan Pascoe | Frensham Pond SC | 3 | 4 | 9 | 6 | -11 | 7 | 29 |
| 5th | 2541 | Ethan Davey | Collette Bacon | The Royal Thames YC | 6 | 5 | 4 | -11 | 7 | 8 | 30 |
| 6th | 2531 | Daniel Watson | Natalie Bannister | Waldringfield SC | 5 | (RET) | 5 | 10 | 4 | 9 | 33 |
| 7th | 2307 | George Graham | Jess Hooker | Locks SC | 8 | 9 | 8 | 3 | 9 | -11 | 37 |
| 8th | 2544 | Nigel Scott | Tegwyn Roberts | RYA | 9 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | -10 | 38 |
| 9th | 2494 | Christopher Fish | Cathy Fish | Waldringfield SC | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | 5 | 2 | 2 | 39 |
| 10th | 2477 | Alex Enkel | Hettie Thorogood | Waldringfield SC | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | 4 | 3 | 4 | 41 |
| 11th | 2534 | Hannah Carruthers | Amber Hale | Frensham Pond SC | 7 | (DNF) | DNC | 9 | 10 | 3 | 44 |
| 12th | 2540 | Max Cully | ` | Blessington SC | 10 | 8 | 6 | 12 | (DNC) | 12 | 48 |
| 13th | 2474 | Philippe Kerampran | Gery Ducatel | Waldringfield SC | 11 | 10 | 10 | -13 | 12 | 13 | 56 |
| 14th | 2288 | Patrick Cooney | Gus Cooney | Waldringfield SC | (DNF) | 7 | DNC | DNC | DNC | DNC | 67 |