Derbyshire Youth Sailing at Glossop Sailing Club

8 July 2006
By Mike Haynes 20 Jul 2006 07:36

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Photo © Phil Hewitt / www resolutiondv.com

Elliot Banks wins the Derbyshire Youth Sailing event on Torside Puddle
Photo © Phil Hewitt / www resolutiondv.com

Prize winners at the Derbyshire Youth Sailing event on Torside Puddle

Torside puddle lives up to its name for youth sailor’s event

As the county’s youth sailors arrived at Glossop & District Sailing Club – otherwise known locally as the Torside Puddle – for their seventh series event, they could be excused for being amused at the accuracy of the nickname for this North Derbyshire sailing reservoir. Maintenance work had required that the reservoir water level was temporarily reduced leaving a much smaller amount of available sailing area and the normally submerged shorelines very exposed.

Mike Pole, a DYS parent observed “During the day a number of the sailors ran aground in the soft mud close to one of the racing marks that was near the edge of the reservoir but they were soon rescued by the powerboat safety crews. These youngsters seem to take all of these things in their stride – the things they do to hitch a ride in a powerboat!”

The dinghies were split into 2 fleets for the races with a combined Laser and Topper dinghy fleet starting before the more numerous Optimist fleet. The eventual overall winner of the event, 16 year old Elliot Banks of Carsington SC won two of the three races in his Laser dinghy. The breeze strengthened during the day and a small number of the lighter sailors capsized and righted their dinghies while awaiting the start of the second race as they were caught out by gusts and lulls in the wind as it built.

Notable performances were achieved by Topper dinghy sailor 17 year old Sarah Blagden (Carsington SC) as well as 13 year old Ben Crossdale (Ogston SC). Leading local sailor was Iona Ludlow also in a Topper dinghy. The Optimist dinghies displayed some very close racing with 11 year old’s Timothy Thomas (Errwood SC) and Callum Lambourne (Swarkestone SC) as well as 12 year old Ben Pole (Staunton Harold SC) enjoying some highly tactical cover-tacking, good off-wind sailing and excellent race strategy between them.

However, it was not all plain sailing as the Race Officer had set a new course in the third race to include some tighter reaches and the two leading sailors were caught out. They were forced to retire after passing a mark of the course on the wrong side.

The results of the two fleets in the three races were compiled and taking 6th place overall and 1st Junior was Callum Lambourne further helping in his efforts to be the first winner of the new Junior series Ellen MacArthur trophy. 3rd place overall went to 15 year old Luke Bayliss of Carsington SC, again in a Laser and Ben Pole had another good result in his Optimist with 2nd place. Elliot Banks’ overall win puts him in a very strong position in the series.

The next DYS series event is after the summer school break and will be held at Staunton Harold Sailing Club near Melbourne on Saturday 16th September. The first race is at around 11:00 am. Details and pre-event registration for Staunton Harold and the remaining two events is available, along with lots more information and some fantastic photos of Derbyshire’s youth sailors in the gallery at www.dysailing.com

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