Surfers find Kielder day plain sailing
WINDSURFING
THE second Royal Yachting Association Team15 event of 2018 in the North East took place at Kielder Water Sailing Club in Northumberland.
The competing teams were the North Lincs Invaders, the Coquet Crushers and the Kielder Kestrels.
The day dawned bright and not particularly breezy, but as usual the wind filled in a bit before the start of racing – and most unusually kept a steady direction for the whole day.
The 3.5 fleets raced from the shore, out around a mark and back to the shore.
They managed nine races, six of which counted, and followed this with a freestyle event.
Felix Chase of the Invaders started brilliantly with two firsts and a second but then had to retire during the fourth race.
There was a good spread of winners in the individual races – including Joseph Grice and Alex Cawkwell from North Lincs.
However, Archie NixeyGodfrey of Kielder managed to claim four of the nine events to clinch first place overall – as well as being judged most impressive in the freestyle.
The 4.5, 5.8 and 6.8 fleets raced out in the middle of the lake around a four-sided course.
The 4.5s and 5.8s sailed a square and the 6.8s a square and a sausage.
There were three races during the morning.
During the first the competitors seemed to sail well past the upwind mark before turning for the second mark – but moving the second mark downwind slightly before the second race improved the angle.
All the competitors made a good start in the second race and in the third.
Fay Tomlin of Kielder produced a cracking start from behind the committee boat, powering through the rest of the fleet with cries of “starboard!” to beat the others round the course. After lunch a further four races took place, with great sailing from all concerned.
George Stewart of Kielder took first place in the 4.5 fleet.
Harvey Leeds of North Lincs won the 5.8s and Adam Raistrick, racing for Kielder, registered top spot in the 6.8s.
A slalom race back to the foreshore concluded the afternoon’s events.
It was a close-run thing for the team award – but the Kielder Kestrels pipped the North Lincs Invaders by a point to claim the second event of the year.
Thanks must go to race officers Richard Longbone and Nick Pike, patrol crews, beach crews, the galley volunteers and the parents and windsurfers who made the day a great occasion.