RS Sailing
Premier Way, Abbey Park
Romsey Hampshire SO51 9DQ
01794 526760
RS Sailing
Premier Way, Abbey Park
Romsey Hampshire SO51 9DQ
01794 526760

RS Aero UK Youth Championships 2020

November 2, 2020
Aero

RS Aero UK Youth Championships – Burghfield SC, Berkshire, 30 Oct – 1 Nov 2020

By Nigel Rolfe

 

The forecast was very windy and many events across the country were cancelled. With a suggested peak in the wind around midday we looked to get racing in early on Saturday and review at lunchtime. The new balcony, modelled on the Yacht Club in Monaco, was in place and this created optimism on the weather which did not disappoint. The gusts were far lower than forecast topping out at a modest 26knts. The sun came out and if you closed your eyes you could easily imagine yourself overlooking the Mediterranean in the south of France!

Saturday was epic. Four races were completed before lunch with a further three in the afternoon. With 36 sailors the RS Aero 5 fleet was the popular rig choice due to a number of RS Aero 7 sailors downsizing due to the gales. We already had four separate winners including Oliver Meadowcroft, Jonathan Bailey, Cameron Sword and Ben Hutton-Penman. By the afternoon Ben had put his stake in the ground with two more bullets. Former world champion, Andrew Frost, got off to a slow start to the championship adding pressure to his later races.

On Sunday Ben had mixed results with some new names on the podium including Tom Ahleid and Ralph Neville. After twelve races Ben had done enough to secure the gold medal position and Frosty had pulled himself into silver. David Peaty, with probably the most consistent results, secured the bronze.

In the Juniors honours went to Tom Ahlheid with Abby Hire second and first Junior Female. Burghfield’s Joseph Jones was 3rd Junior.
Ladies 2020 honours goes to Iona Willows with Abby Hire in second and Maisie Bristow third.

In the RS Aero 7 fleet, only two sailors remained to duke it out in the fresh breeze, so the match racing series was set and what a series! It was a race to the end as Tim Hire’s upwind speed was more than matched by Chris Hatton’s downwinds. In the final three Tim dominated to com back from behind to take the crown. It was like the Americas Cup in RS Aeros!

Overall it was a fantastic weekend and a pleasure to see such friendly, happy competitors at Burghfield. Well done to the race, safety and shore teams who did a fantastic job to get all 12 races in and the competitors all fed between and after races!

Many thanks to event supporters Rooster and Harken for the generous prize awards. GPS tracking was provided by Simon Lovesey of SailRacer which provided entertainment for the onshore support crews as well as the many online observers.

The 2021 RS Aero UK Youth Nationals is set for Torbay, Devon, hosted by the Royal Torbay Yacht Club on 16-18th April 2021. Save the date!

 

RS Aero 5
Rank Sail Name Club (Category)
1st 3200 Ben Hutton-Penman Hayling Island SC (Youth)
2nd 1312 Andrew Frost Sutton Bingham SC (Apprentice)
3rd 2966 David Peaty Draycote WSC (Youth)
4th 1047 Oliver Meadowcroft Upper Thames SC (Youth)
5th 3042 Jonathan Bailey Grafham WSC (Youth)
6th 1164 Matthew Taylor Royal Mersey YC (Apprentice)
7th 2105 Leo Wilkinson Maidenhead SC (Youth)
8th 2077 Tom Ahlheid Frensham Pond SC (Junior)
9th 1099 Ralph Nevile Frensham Pond SC (Youth)
10th 1672 Fergus Pye Draycote WSC (Youth)
11th 2356 David Calder Burghfield SC (Youth)
12th 2057 Curtis McKay Queensmead SC/HOAC (Youth)
13th 2071 Sam Blaker Benfleet/Thorpe Bay YC (Youth)
14th 3127 Fred Barry Warsash SC (Youth)
15th 3330 Iona Willows Dorchester SC (Apprentice/Lady)
16th 1533 Ted Ball Draycote WSC (Youth)
17th 1566 Abby Hire Lymington Town SC (Junior/Lady)
18th 2708 Maisie Bristow Island Barn RSC (Youth/Lady)
19th 2214 Yana Skvortsova Island Barn RSC (Youth/Lady)
20th 1215 Cameron Sword Queen Mary SC (Youth)
21st 8 Joseph Jones Burghfield SC (Junior)
22nd 1065 Arthur Bailey Burghfield SC (Youth)
23rd 1181 Mark Ripley Paignton SC (Junior)
24th 2195 Joseph Blaker Benfleet/Thorpe Bay YC (Youth)
25th 1502 Elinor O’Leary Island Barn RSC (Youth/Lady)
26th 3019 Jake Faithfull South Caernarvonshire YC (Junior)
27th 2841 Nat Jones Leigh & Lowton SC (Youth)
28th 2505 Tom Wharmby Lymington Town SC (Junior)
29th 2929 Elliot Toms Fowley Gallants SC (Youth)
30th 1705 Kate Wharmby Lymington Town SC (Youth/Lady)
31st 1175 Natasha Sion Lymington Town SC (Youth/Lady)
32nd 3021 Ollie Leeson Queen Mary SC (Junior)
33rd 1135 James Smaggasgale Queensmead SC/HOAC (Youth)
34th 3409 Ben Throup Burghfield SC (Junior)
35th 1587 Charlie Howard Burghfield SC (Junior)
36th 2147 Harry Leeson Queen Mary SC (Junior)
37th 3065 William James Royal Torbay YC (Junior)
37th 3073 Alice Lucy Rutland SC (Apprentice/Lady)
37th 1846 Megan Rhodes Paignton SC (Junior/Lady)
37th 2418 Miles Ripley Paignton SC (Junior)
37th 3297 Esme Barraclough Yorkshire Dales SC (Junior/Lady)
37th 1685 Lucy Greenwood Farmoor RSC (Apprentice/Lady)
37th 2317 Theodore Deverell Hunts SC (Youth)
37th 1077 Sarah Probert Babbacombe SC (Youth/Lady)
37th 3301 Alice Davis Great Moor SC (Youth/Lady)
37th 1301 Oskar Shepherd Great Moor SC (Junior)
37th 2323 James Cutter Carsington SC (Youth)
37th 2472 Sam Cole Hayling Island SC (Youth)
37th 1178 Alex Simmonds Eastbourne Sovereign SC (Junior)
RS Aero 7
Rank Sail Name Club (Category)
1st 2439 Tim Hire Lymington Town SC (Youth)
2nd 1590 Chris Hatton Bowmoor SC (Apprentice)
3rd 2147 Harry Leeson Queen Mary SC (Junior)
4th 3127 Fred Barry Warsash SC (Youth)
4th 1312 Andrew Frost Sutton Bingham SC (Apprentice)
4th 2325 Ned Stattersfield Wells Next-To-Sea (Youth)
4th 3021 Ollie Leeson Queen Mary SC (Junior)
4th TBC Ollie Jenkins Hayling Island SC (Youth)
4th 3342 Jack Miller Felpham SC (Apprentice)
4th 3200 Ben Hutton-Penman Hayling Island SC (Youth)
4th 1135 James Smaggasgale Broadwater SC (Youth)

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