CLUBS & CLASSES

Gilbert & McGrane take 505 crown

A close 505 National Championship at the Royal Lymington Yacht Club saw the top three top teams all heading into the 10th and final race with a chance of taking the title.

Throughout the championship the conditions had varied greatly, including the direction and strength of the wind, and a substantial current.

Many runs alternated between wire-running and sit-running and the puffy, streaky, pulsing wind took its toll on even the best of sailors, sometimes catapulting them hundreds of yards into the lead before sending them backward into the fleet. Ultimately the top three finishers scored 19, 20, and 20 points respectively, with Roger Gilbert and Ben McGrane taking the title and second place going to Dan Holman and Sam Pascoe, who managed to beat Mike Holt and Rob Woelfel in a tiebreaker.

Four boats from the 26-boat fleet managed to capture at least one first place finish, and at least eight boats finished with at least one race in the top three.

37-knot gusts for RS Aeros

The RS Aero summer season kicked off with weather warnings for Storm Hannah but 46 sailors pre-entered for the event at Island Barn Reservoir and 38 ventured out. Given the option to downsize, there were two good fleets of RS Aero 5s and RS Aero 7s, with the RS Aero 9 sails remaining rolled up in their bags. Five ballistic races ensued, with gusts peaking at 37 knots. The 5s were dominated by Jonathan Bailey (Gra›am) and local Gareth Griffiths with two wins apiece. Bailey took the overall win and top youth title, leaving Griffiths first Master in second overall. Completing the podium was Lynn Billowes (Warsash). In the 7s, Liam Willis (Lymington Town), Peter Barton (Lymington Town) and Tim Hire (Royal Lymington) shared the wins and were tied going into the final race. Hire took the overall win and the top youth RS Aero 7 title too.

University sailing successes

Exeter University sailors are celebrating a season of success after claiming silver in the BUCS/BUSA student match-racing championship and emerging victorious from both the team racing and yachting championships.

Southampton University, comprising Matt Whitfield, Will Birch-Tomlinson and Morgan Dibb, successfully defended their 2018 Student Match-Racing Championship title after a hard-fought final against Exeter at Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy. Next up, the annual BUCS/BUSA Team Racing Championship, which had 90 university teams competing in qualifiers and concluded at Spinnaker