Coveted title for sailor
Worthing Sailing Club member Paul Craft won the Gill Sprint 15 Winter TT held at Grafham Water Sailing Club.
A bright day and moderate breeze greeted the 16 boats competing for the Chris Black memorial trophy at the Huntingdonshire venue.
With the southerly wind forecast to swing to the East, Race Officer Nigel Denchfield, anchored the committee boat close to the Northern shore to set the Sprint 15 square course alongside Grafham’s club racing marks.
Four Yellow/Orange pillar buoys identified the course for the Sprint 15s to navigate over three back-to-back races.
In race one Mark Aldridge in 66 was first around the wind ward mark closely followed by Steve Sawford (1989) and Jenny Ball (2025), Paul Craft (1982), Stuart Snell (2022) and Ed Tuite Dalton (2023). Race one finished with Sawford victorious, Ball second, Aldridge listing third, Craft fourth.
In race two, Craft was first around the windward mark and wonfollowed by Tuite Dalton, J Ball and Sawford.
Race three saw Clarke keeping a lead despite various manoeuvres but Craft and others were not too far behind.
Final positions for the day were 1st Craft (Worthing Sailing Club), 2nd Sawford (Rutland Water SC), 3rd Jenny Ball (Marconi SC).
The overall winter series was also concluded with Class Chairman Tuite Dalton the winner, PCraft in second and Jenny Ball third.
JudithBlackandherdaughter attended the prizegiving to present the Chris Black trophy to Paul Craft in memory of Chris.