WPNSA Regatta
9 - 10 June 2007
The final day of the annual WPNSA Regatta saw light but more stable winds of 5-10 knots. Both the Europes and Devon Yawls made the event their National Championships. In the Europe Class it was Chris Gill that took top place on the podium on an impressive score of 8 points. Both second and third were only four points behind, with James Eynon just ahead of Gareth Williams on countback.
Ed WIlliams Hawkes and Shane Buckley took the Devon Yawls National crown where only 3 points split the top three finishers. Mike and Simon Bennett finished in second, closely followed by Tim Petitt and Tony Calcutt.
Winners in the Wanderer Class were Gavin Barr and Mike Skipper, just one point ahead of Mike Hamilton and David Oats. Philip and Jill Meadowcroft took third.
This regatta is specifically aimed at fleets of up to 30 boats. If your Class would be interested in taking part for 2008, please email Rosie Julian for further details.

Back to top

A golden return for Shirley Robertson
15 October 2006

Two years after winning her Athens gold medal, Shirley Robertson saw a triumphant return to Olympic classes sailing on Sunday (15 October) clinching gold at the Skandia RYA Sail for Gold Regatta just 13 weeks after giving birth to twins.

Back in the Yngling and racing for the first time with her new crew Annie Lush and Lucy Macgregor, the double Olympic gold medallist won Sunday's final medal race and kept sufficient boats between her and her nearest Dutch rivals to seal the overall victory.

Robertson, Lush and Macgregor went into the day in third place with the Netherlands' Mandy Mulder, Annemieke Bes and Marye Kampen at the top of the leaderboard heading into the final double-points scoring medal race at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy, where big breezes around the 25 knot mark made for an exciting day's action.

Robertson's team were hotly pursued around the medal race track by the 38-year-old new mum's former crewmates Sarah Ayton and Sarah Webb, now sailing together with Pippa Wilson.

The two top Skandia Team GBR Ynglings ensured a British one-two in the medal race, which was enough to boost Ayton's team onto the podium in bronze medal position, in addition to Team Shirley Robertson's gold.

"It really feels fantastic to win our first event outing together but it was a bit of a surprise in some ways.

"We sailed well in some cases but at other points we made some bad choices which we will have to work on. But as we had a medal race today it allowed us to take back some of our previous mistakes. We knew this morning we just had to grasp the opportunity and pull it out of the bag. We started in a good position on the line and dominated the whole way round so we are very happy tonight."

Robertson continued: "Having not raced in the Yngling since the last race of Athens I am pleased with my performance and so proud of my new team, Annie and Lucy. We had an exceptional performance this weekend."

Austria 's Matthias Schmidt and Florian Reichstaedter won the 470 men's medal race, but it wasn't enough to knock Athens silver medallists Nick Rogers and Joe Glanfield off the top step of the podium. Rogers and Glanfield crossed in second to clinch the overall victory with a seven point margin, while there was disappointing end to Nic Asher and Eliott Willis' regatta. A broken kicker forced the new World Champions to retire from the final race, which also resulted in them being squeezed out of the podium places into fourth.

Skandia Team GBR's Luke Patience and Chris Grube took silver with the Austrian pair finishing in third, while Ally Martin and Lottie Clay took the women's 470 title.

European Champion Paul Goodison won the Laser event in spite of a near capsize in the medal race, while Charlotte Dobson came out on top in the women's single-handed Laser Radial class. World number one Nick Dempsey took his fifth race win from the six race series in today's medal race for the RS:X 9.5 windsurfers to take the title nine points clear, with Bryony Shaw topping the RS:X 8.5 fleet.

Ed Wright, crowned Finn European Champion just two weeks ago, continued his winning streak, while a ding-dong battle in the Tornado saw Leigh McMillan and Will Howden, in spite of nearly capsizing, come out ahead of Rob Wilson and Mark Bulkeley to take the overall win.

"This is the highlight of the winter series results - we had top class competition here to challenge us all the way to the finish, so we are pleased to once again come out on top," said Howden.

"It has again been great training for our Worlds in Argentina and we're pleased that we are once again moving in the right direction."

A superb comeback in the 49er medal race saw Spanish Olympic champions Iker Martinez and Xavier Fernandez snatch victory from Europeans Stevie Morrison and Ben Rhodes. In overall second behind the Skandia Team GBR sailors heading into the final race, the Spanish team needed to keep four boats between them and the British pair to take the gold.

The Spanish team were in overall second behind the Skandia Team GBR sailors heading into the final race. After a good start they were forced back into ninth place after having to take a penalty, but an excellent display of boat handling and superior speed allowed them to claw their way back up the fleet. It still wasn't enough for the gold, but then Morrison and Rhodes made a critical handling error on the final run which saw them lose four boat places the title slipped away.

"We managed to make a little bit of a hash in the last race. It was very windy, and quite a tricky day," a disappointed Morrison explained.

" We made a few silly mistakes. [Iker] made some mistakes as well which gave us opportunities to beat him. Unfortunately there turned out to be opportunities for us to make mistakes and we took those opportunities well and made some good mistakes!

"I hope we can learn from them and move on and I think we will. We know what we did wrong - we kind of got lost in the moment and didn't do the simple things right."

The strong winds saw the three Paralympic classes confined to shore today, resulting in Gustaf Fresk and Annika Lindgren being crowned the first ever European Champions in the new Paralympic SKUD-18 class. The Sonar title went to the German trio of Jens Kroker, Siegmund Mainka and Tobias Schuetz, with Damien Seguin winning gold in the 2.4mR class.

This inaugural Skandia RYA Sail for Gold Regatta saw an impressive 264 boats from 22 nations descend on the 2012 Olympic sailing venue for three days of world class competition, which also featured demonstrations of GPS boat tracking and radio commentary on the internet to enhance the regatta for spectators.

"I've been really thrilled with the turnout from the overseas sailors for this event, and we've been lucky as the weather has allowed us to get some top quality racing in over the past three days," concluded Event Director Rob Andrews . "Ultimately going  forward  we hope this event will become one of the prime Grade 1 regattas on European circuit and I think weekend has given us a good start.

"The experiments we've been running here with the GPS tracking of boats and the audio race commentary over the internet have proved extremely popular and are a big step in the promotion of Olympic classes sailing."

For full results and information, visit www.ryaevents.org.uk/sailforgold

Ends

For more information, please contact:

Copyright free images for editorial use are available to download from:

OnEdition on-line image library at : http://www.w-w-i.com/sail_for_gold/

For assistance or specific requests please contact :

Tim Stonton

OnEdition

M: +44 (0)7841337649

e: Tim@onEdition.com

Broadcasters can request rights free access footage from the host broadcaster by contacting:

APP Broadcast

Carrie Tooth

T: +44 (0)1865 260200

e: ctooth@appbroadcast.com

Live  Radio interviews and feeds will be available via ISDN (G722), pre-recorded interviews and "cuts" with cues available via e-mail (MP3) from Friday 13 October - Sunday 15 October
For more information, contact: Tracey Clarke, Event Broadcast

Email: tc@eventbroadcast.org

During  regatta - mobile: Tracey Clarke 07768 806699

Notes for Editors

Ø Sailing is the most successful Olympic sport in this country and Great Britain is the world's top Olympic sailing nation. The Royal Yachting Association (RYA) is the national governing body for all forms of sailing, windsurfing, and powerboat racing.

Ø The RYA is recognised by all government offices as being the negotiating body for the activities it represents. It continually fights for the rights and freedoms of its 103,000 personal members, the majority of whom choose to go afloat for purely recreational non-competitive pleasure on coastal and inland waters.

Ø It represents a further estimated 500,000 boat owners nationally through its 1600 affiliated clubs and boat owner associations.

Ø Olympic and Youth sailing is a beneficiary of the Lottery funded World Class Programmes (WCP) and administered by the Sports Councils. The Programmes focus on performance sport with the aim of achieving sporting excellence on the world stage. Further information can be found on the UK Sport website at www.uksport.gov.uk and Sport England's website at www.sportengland.org . The Volvo RYA Champion Club Programme and Volvo RYA Keelboat Programme are supported by Volvo.

Ø Further information can be found at www.rya.org.uk

Back to top

Goodison back on track at Skandia RYA Sail for Gold Regatta
14 October

Better breeze on Saturday (14 October) at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy saw some changes at the top of the leaderboards after day two of the Skandia RYA Sail for Gold Regatta.

Amidst 12-15 knot winds at the 2012 Olympic sailing venue, Laser European Champion Paul Goodison shook off his bad start to the regatta with a race win and two seconds from today's three races to see him take over the top spot ahead of Mark Powell and Nick Thompson, now in second and third places respectively.

Goodison,  the 28-year-old world number one f rom Rotherham, was relieved to have had a more solid performance to see him into Sunday's final medal race, and explained his apparent lack form on the opening day.

"I had a bit of trouble in the first race of the series when I got something caught around my centreboard, so a bit frustrating, but I guess quite funny for the rest of them who watched me disappear down the back of the fleet!," he explained.

"But since then I've either been first or second in every race so I'm pretty happy with that."

With the bitter taste of a double disqualification still looming from yesterday. Sarah Ayton, Sarah Webb and new crew Pippa Wilson went out determined for a strong showing to drag themselves from the bottom of the Yngling table.

It was mission accomplished, with the Skandia Team GBR trio posting two straight bullets and a third to boost them back into contention. They finish the day in fifth overall, just one point off the bronze medal place which is occupied by Ayton and Webb's ex-helm Shirley Robertson. The double Olympic gold medallist and her team of Annie Lush and Lucy Macgregor had a 3,8,6 today to see them into the third place, while the Netherlands ' Mandy Mulder and her team, and Janneke Hin's crew took over the top two spots respectively.

But Ayton seemed unruffled by the Dutch offensive. "They're putting a bit of a fight up but we were in control today and we dominated, so that will send them back to the drawing board I'm sure."

Ed Wright, European Champion in the Finn class, saw a better day today, posting two firsts and a third to see him take the lead over Matt Howard, while the 470 event saw Athens silver medallist Nick Rogers and Joe Glanfield leapfrog their World Championship-winning teammates Nic Asher and Elliot Willis with a three point lead at the top of the table going into the medal race on Sunday.

Spain's  Olympic champions in the 49er class Iker Martinez and Xavier Fernandez had a superb opening two races, with two wins followed by a ninth to challenge the Skandia Team GBR overnight leaders Stevie Morrison and Ben Rhodes. The Exmouth pair had a 2,4 followed by a discardable 21 which was enough for them to stay at the top of the ladder.

"Not such a good day today but pretty solid," concluded Morrison.

"We obviously had a very good day yesterday which put us in a pretty strong position and so today was a bit more of a day about being safer and not messing it up!

"The Spanish team, who are the Olympic gold medallists from Athens, are a little bit heavier than us - that means they've got a little bit more horsepower so when there's a bit more wind they've got the potential to go faster."

In the Laser Radial, Charlotte Dobson posted the perfect scorecard from today's three races to knock European bronze medallist Penny Clark off the top of the table, while European Champion Nick Dempsey remains in control in the RS:X 9.5 windsurfing class with Bryony Shaw leading the RS:X 8.5 fleet with two race wins and a second for her efforts today.

Ally Martin and Lottie Clay are still topping the women's 470 class, while Germany 's Johannes Polgar and Florian Spalteholz have a one point lead over Skandia Team GBR's Leigh McMillan and Will Howden in the Tornado class.

World silver medallist Helena Lucas broke into the podium positions in the 2.4mR Paralympic class, which is led by Frenchman Damien Seguin with Thierry Schmitter in second. Swedes Gustaf Fresk and Annika Lindgren remain in the top spot of the new Paralympic SKUD-18 event, in spite of a disqualification from race nine, with German trio Jens Kroker, Siegmund Mainka and Tobias Schutz two points ahead in the Sonar class.

For the Olympic classes, the top ten boats at the end of today will go forward into the final double-points scoring medal races which get underway at 1030 BST.   GPS tracking and live audio commentary will be available from the finals at  www.ryaevents.org.uk/sailforgold

End s

For more information, please contact:

Copyright free images for editorial use are available to download from:

OnEdition on-line image library at : http://www.w-w-i.com/sail_for_gold/

For assistance or specific requests please contact :

Tim Stonton

OnEdition

M: +44 (0)7841337649

e: Tim@onEdition.com

Broadcasters can request rights free access footage from the host broadcaster by contacting:

APP Broadcast

Carrie Tooth

T: +44 (0)1865 260200

e: ctooth@appbroadcast.com

Live  Radio interviews and feeds will be available via ISDN (G722), pre-recorded interviews and "cuts" with cues available via e-mail (MP3) from Friday 13 October - Sunday 15 October
For more information, contact: Tracey Clarke, Event Broadcast

Email: tc@eventbroadcast.org

During  regatta - mobile: Tracey Clarke 07768 806699

Notes for Editors

Ø Sailing is the most successful Olympic sport in this country and Great Britain is the world's top Olympic sailing nation. The Royal Yachting Association (RYA) is the national governing body for all forms of sailing, windsurfing, and powerboat racing.

Ø The RYA is recognised by all government offices as being the negotiating body for the activities it represents. It continually fights for the rights and freedoms of its 103,000 personal members, the majority of whom choose to go afloat for purely recreational non-competitive pleasure on coastal and inland waters.

Ø It represents a further estimated 500,000 boat owners nationally through its 1600 affiliated clubs and boat owner associations.

Ø Olympic and Youth sailing is a beneficiary of the Lottery funded World Class Programmes (WCP) and administered by the Sports Councils. The Programmes focus on performance sport with the aim of achieving sporting excellence on the world stage. Further information can be found on the UK Sport website at www.uksport.gov.uk and Sport England's website at www.sportengland.org . The Volvo RYA Champion Club Programme and Volvo RYA Keelboat Programme are supported by Volvo.

Ø Further information can be found at www.rya.org.

Robertson shakes off the cobwebs on her return to Olympic sailing
14 October

Racing at the inaugural Skandia RYA Sail for Gold Regatta got underway today (Friday 13 October) with double Olympic gold medallist Shirley Robertson currently in fourth after her first day of competitive Yngling sailing since the Athens Olympics two years ago.

The 38-year-old new mother of twins notched up a race win in the fleet's opening race of this regatta - held on the 2012 Olympic waters at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy - with her new crew of Annie Lush and Lucy Macgregor.

After a positive start, the second race proved not quite such plain sailing, with Robertson and her team posting a ninth.

"A good day and a bad day," said Robertson. "It was good to get out there and racing again and it certainly blew the cobwebs away.

"We just need to get some more racing time in as a team - today was quite tricky in some ways, but we're finding our way and every day we're getting better and better."

Robertson, Lush and Macgregor are in fourth with Sweden 's Ingrid Soderstrom, Johanna Larsson and Caroline Aberg leading the women's keelboat class after day one.

Robertson's former teammates Sarah Ayton and Sarah Webb, sailing with new crew member Pippa Wilson, got off to a conservative start, posting a couple of mid-fleet results before being subsequently disqualified from both of the day's races as Webb was judged to have infringed the regatta rules by not wearing a buoyancy aid.

Skandia Team GBR's European Champions Stevie Morrison and Ben Rhodes enjoyed a near-perfect start in the 49er event, posting two bullets and a second from their three races of the day. The world bronze medallists consequently lead the pack at the end of this first day, with Germany's Jan Peter Peckolt and Hannes Peckolt in second, Spain's Olympic Champions Iker Martinez and Xavier Fernandez in third, and World Champions Chris Draper and Simon Hiscocks in fourth.

"We couldn't really have asked for a much better start with two firsts and a second from today," said Morrison. "We're pretty pleased but it's still early days."

Competing here in Weymouth at the site of their European Championship triumph, Rhodes reflected on what's been a good year for the pair. "We've been working well together this season - our strengths as a team have really complemented each other and between us we make up for each others' weaknesses!"

Newly-crowned 470 World Champions Nic Asher and Elliot Willis lead the pack in the 470 men's fleet, ahead of teammates and Athens silver medallists Nick Rogers and Joe Glanfield, who are in second place on equal points with Luke Patience and Chris Grube after two races. The women's fleet saw the withdrawal of pre-event favourites Christina Bassadone and Saskia Clark through an injury to Clark, with Ally Martin and Lottie Clay currently topping the leaderboard after the first day's racing.

Things didn't quite go to plan in the Finn event for birthday boy Ed Wright - who turned 29 today - with the new European Champion and world bronze medallist lying in third after the fleet's opening two races. Matt Howard leads the pack, with Ireland's Timothy Goodbody in second, while Finn convert Giles Scott posted a 7,2 in borrowed equipment to see him into fourth in his first ever Finn regatta since switching from the Laser after the World Championship in Korea last month.

Laser European Champion Paul Goodison turned around a bad start to the regatta - posting a 15 th in his opening race - with two subsequent race wins to see him up into third at the end of day one. Mark Powell leads the fleet by just one point of Nick Thompson, who won the day's first race.

Penny Clark has gained a nine point lead over nearest rival Laura Baldwin after the Lasre Radial's first three races, thanks to a race win followed by 8,6, while David Jessop leads the male Laser Radial sailors in this Open class.

Nick Dempsey took two bullets in the RS:X 9.5m fleet's two races, while Kim Jiskoot currently heads up the 8.5m table, with Bryony Shaw in second and the top female sailor in that fleet.

Germany 's Johannes Polgar and Florian Spalteholz lead the Tornado fleet, with Skandia Team GBR's world silver medallists Leigh McMillan and Will Howden in second, while overseas contenders are on top in all three of the Paralympic disciplines. Dutchman Thierry Schmitter heads the 2.4mR single-hander leaderboard, France 's Joudren-Fulgoni-Balle top the Sonar table and Sweden 's Gustaf Fresk and Annika Lindgren lead the SKUD-18 European Championship by three points after five races.

Racing at the Skandia RYA Sail for Gold Regatta is due to get underway at 1200 on Friday 13 October and will run through until Sunday 15 October.

For more information visit www.ryaevents.org.uk/sailforgold

Ends

For more information, please contact:

Copyright free images for editorial use are available to download from:

OnEdition on-line image library at : http://www.w-w-i.com/sail_for_gold/

For assistance or specific requests please contact :

Tim Stonton

OnEdition

M: +44 (0)7841337649

e: Tim@onEdition.com

Broadcasters can request rights free access footage from the host broadcaster by contacting:

APP Broadcast

Carrie Tooth

T: +44 (0)1865 260200

e: ctooth@appbroadcast.com

Live  Radio interviews and feeds will be available via ISDN (G722), pre-recorded interviews and "cuts" with cues available via e-mail (MP3) from Friday 13 October - Sunday 15 October
For more information, contact: Tracey Clarke, Event Broadcast

Email: tc@eventbroadcast.org

During  regatta - mobile: Tracey Clarke 07768 806699

Notes for Editors

Ø Sailing is the most successful Olympic sport in this country and Great Britain is the world's top Olympic sailing nation. The Royal Yachting Association (RYA) is the national governing body for all forms of sailing, windsurfing, and powerboat racing.

Ø The RYA is recognised by all government offices as being the negotiating body for the activities it represents. It continually fights for the rights and freedoms of its 103,000 personal members, the majority of whom choose to go afloat for purely recreational non-competitive pleasure on coastal and inland waters.

Ø It represents a further estimated 500,000 boat owners nationally through its 1600 affiliated clubs and boat owner associations.

Ø Olympic and Youth sailing is a beneficiary of the Lottery funded World Class Programmes (WCP) and administered by the Sports Councils. The Programmes focus on performance sport with the aim of achieving sporting excellence on the world stage. Further information can be found on the UK Sport website at www.uksport.gov.uk and Sport England's website at www.sportengland.org . The Volvo RYA Champion Club Programme and Volvo RYA Keelboat Programme are supported by Volvo.

Ø Further information can be found at www.rya.org.uk

Tracking technology takes off at Skandia RYA Sail for Gold Regatta
13 October

This weekend's Skandia RYA Sail for Gold Regatta (13-15 October) at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy will feature an innovative tracking experiment which the organisers hope will help bridge the gap between live sailing and spectator entertainment.

In conjunction with UK-based Traxu and Norwegian company Pro Sail, the organisers will run live GPS tracking of the finals races on Sunday 15 October.

During the finals for each class, the top ten teams after two days of qualification, will race in a double point scoring, non discardable medal race to decide the final positions. Each of the boats, the start line and marks will have a unique GPS tag that will which will then transmit live data to the event specific website.

In conjunction with this live tracking of the boats, the 30 minute races will also feature commentary provided by Airwaves technology featuring expert input from America 's Cup commentator Andy Green. Joining Andy will be Skandia Team GBR Olympic Manager Stephen Park to provide additional insight into the tactics and strategy.

This will be the first time that live tracking with audio commentary has come to Olympic classes sailing, where the technology required is much harder to achieve due to the need for self powering units and restrictions on weight. Although commonplace in the America 's Cup, this weekend's events will mark a significant breakthrough for the smaller Olympic classes.

The tracking developments are not only expected to enhance the shore-side spectator experience, but it is hoped that the initiative will also provide data for coaches, information for Race Officers in helping to police OCS, as well as helping on the safety side as the position of each boat that is tagged will be known to the organisers.

The Skandia RYA Sail for Gold Regatta hopes to continue such technical developments on the spectator interface with future projects linked to live TV images on the shore, which will allow the regatta village to start to come alive.

To watch the live tracking on Sunday 15 October go to www.ryaevents.org.uk/sailforgold

End s

For more information, please contact:

Copyright free images for editorial use are available to download from:

OnEdition on-line image library at : http://www.w-w-i.com/sail_for_gold/

For assistance or specific requests please contact :

Tim Stonton

OnEdition

M: +44 (0)7841337649

e: Tim@onEdition.com

Broadcasters can request rights free access footage from the host broadcaster by contacting:

APP Broadcast

Carrie Tooth

T: +44 (0)1865 260200

e: ctooth@appbroadcast.com

Live  Radio interviews and feeds will be available via ISDN (G722), pre-recorded interviews and "cuts" with cues available via e-mail (MP3) from Friday 13 October - Sunday 15 October
For more information, contact: Tracey Clarke, Event Broadcast

Email: tc@eventbroadcast.org

During  regatta - mobile: Tracey Clarke 07768 806699

Notes for Editors

Ø Sailing is the most successful Olympic sport in this country and Great Britain is the world's top Olympic sailing nation. The Royal Yachting Association (RYA) is the national governing body for all forms of sailing, windsurfing, and powerboat racing.

Ø The RYA is recognised by all government offices as being the negotiating body for the activities it represents. It continually fights for the rights and freedoms of its 103,000 personal members, the majority of whom choose to go afloat for purely recreational non-competitive pleasure on coastal and inland waters.

Ø It represents a further estimated 500,000 boat owners nationally through its 1600 affiliated clubs and boat owner associations.

Ø Olympic and Youth sailing is a beneficiary of the Lottery funded World Class Programmes (WCP) and administered by the Sports Councils. The Programmes focus on performance sport with the aim of achieving sporting excellence on the world stage. Further information can be found on the UK Sport website at www.uksport.gov.uk and Sport England's website at www.sportengland.org . The Volvo RYA Champion Club Programme and Volvo RYA Keelboat Programme are supported by Volvo.

Ø Further information can be found at www.rya.org.uk

Olympic and Paralympic sailors from more than 20 nations will take to the water this weekend for the inaugural Skandia RYA Sail for Gold Regatta (13-15 October) at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy.

Over 260 boats have so far entered across the ten Olympic and three Paralympic classes at this three-day event, which sees double Olympic gold medallist Shirley Robertson making her return to competitive Olympic classes sailing for the first time since the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, and just 13 weeks after giving birth to twins.

Sailing with her new team of Annie Lush and Lucy Macgregor, 38-year-old Robertson will compete in the 15-boat Yngling fleet which includes her former crew and Skandia Team GBR teammates Sarah Ayton and Sarah Webb, sailing with Pippa Wilson. There will inevitably be some focus attention on how the former teammates fare against each other, but it's not something which Robertson is dwelling on.

"Our priority for this event is just to start working together," said Robertson. "It's still early days for us as a team so we've just kept everything simple, simple equipment and no changes. If we can get out there and do the basics right then I'll be quite happy."

This Skandia RYA Sail for Gold Regatta - which incorporates the European Championships for the new SKUD-18 Paralympic class - marks the first time that an international Olympic classes regatta has returned to the UK since the early 1990s.

"The turnout here has been really impressive," remarked Robertson, "particularly as it's in October as it's traditionally a slack month.

"But people are really keen to see what it's like here, and from our point of view it's perfect to have this event at home."

The 49er class will see strong competition both from home talents including reigning World Champions Chris Draper and Simon Hiscocks, and European titleholders Stevie Morrison and Ben Rhodes, as well as international contenders such as Spanish Olympic champions Iker Martinez and Xavier Fernandez amongst the 44 boats currently entered.

The Laser class boasts the biggest entry, with 52 boats due to compete. World number one and European Champion Paul Goodison headlines the fleet, while European and Pre-Olympics bronze medallist Penny Clark will be hoping to continue her excellent form this season with a result on British waters.

After a stint standing in for Shirley Robertson in the Yngling, Helena Lucas returns to Paralympic class racing this weekend in the 2.4mR. Nominated for ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Award for her achievements this year in both the Olympic and Paralympic class sailing, world silver medallist Lucas will count Frenchman Damien Seguin, Thierry Schmitter of the Netherlands and Norway's Bjornar Erikstad amongst her main rivals.

The host nation will be hopeful of honours in the men's 470 event, with Athens silver medallists Nick Rogers and Joe Glanfield, and newly-crowned World Champions Nic Asher and Elliott Willis both in contention, while Christina Bassadone and Saskia Clark head the women's 470 fleet.

New European Champion and world bronze medallist Ed Wright will be the man to beat in the Finn class, while Skandia Team GBR's World Champions John Robertson, Hannah Stodel and Steve Thomas will be pushing for home glory in the Paralympic Sonar class.

For the Tornado entrants, this event will prove a good warm-up for their end of year World Championships in Argentina this December, while the RS:X windsurfing events will provide a chance for youngsters such as Richard Hamilton, fifth at the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship, to compete up against experienced campaigners such as Athens bronze medallist Nick Dempsey.

Racing at the Skandia RYA Sail for Gold Regatta is due to get underway at 1200 on Friday 13 October and will run through until Sunday 15 October.

For more information visit www.ryaevents.org.uk/sailforgold

End s

For more information, please contact:

Copyright free images for editorial use are available to download from:

OnEdition on-line image library at : http://www.w-w-i.com/sail_for_gold/

For assistance or specific requests please contact :

Tim Stonton

OnEdition

M: +44 (0)7841337649

e: Tim@onEdition.com

Broadcasters can request rights free access footage from the host broadcaster by contacting:

APP Broadcast

Carrie Tooth

T: +44 (0)1865 260200

e: ctooth@appbroadcast.com

Live  Radio interviews and feeds will be available via ISDN (G722), pre-recorded interviews and "cuts" with cues available via e-mail (MP3) from Friday 13 October - Sunday 15 October
For more information, contact: Tracey Clarke, Event Broadcast

Email: tc@eventbroadcast.org

During  regatta - mobile: Tracey Clarke 07768 806699

Notes for Editors

Ø Sailing is the most successful Olympic sport in this country and Great Britain is the world's top Olympic sailing nation. The Royal Yachting Association (RYA) is the national governing body for all forms of sailing, windsurfing, and powerboat racing.

Ø The RYA is recognised by all government offices as being the negotiating body for the activities it represents. It continually fights for the rights and freedoms of its 103,000 personal members, the majority of whom choose to go afloat for purely recreational non-competitive pleasure on coastal and inland waters.

Ø It represents a further estimated 500,000 boat owners nationally through its 1600 affiliated clubs and boat owner associations.

Ø Olympic and Youth sailing is a beneficiary of the Lottery funded World Class Programmes (WCP) and administered by the Sports Councils. The Programmes focus on performance sport with the aim of achieving sporting excellence on the world stage. Further information can be found on the UK Sport website at www.uksport.gov.uk and Sport England's website at www.sportengland.org . The Volvo RYA Champion Club Programme and Volvo RYA Keelboat Programme are supported by Volvo.

Ø Further information can be found at www.rya.org.uk

Olympic medallists come out on top at National Ranker
9 October 2006

Britain 's Olympic sailing medallists were out in force at this weekend's first RYA Olympic Classes National Ranking event (7-8 October) at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy .

Yngling Olympic Champions Sarah Ayton and Sarah Webb, 470 silver medallists Nick Rogers and Joe Glanfield, bronze medal-winning windsurfer Nick Dempsey and 49er bronze medallists Chris Draper and Simon Hiscocks all came out on top in their respective classes after a weekend of solid breeze and world class racing at the 2012 Olympic venue.

In winds of up to 20 knots, Skandia Team GBR's World Champions Draper and Hiscocks emerged victorious in the 40-strong 49er fleet, with the Weymouth locals winning by just one point in spite of a strong start by Spain's visiting Olympic Champions Iker Martinez and Xavier Fernandez . Austria's Nico Delle Karth and Nikolaus Resch finished second, with the Spanish duo squeezed into third.

The 470 men's fleet promised an interesting battle between Athens silver medallists Nick Rogers and Joe Glanfield, and newly-crowned World Champions Nic Asher and Elliot Willis. The two-time Olympians took an early grip on the race series, with three firsts in their opening three races, and a further bullet in race five which helped them to a four point win over Asher and Willis. Ally Martin and Lottie Clay won the 470 women's event.

Nick Dempsey cruised to victory in the RS:X men's fleet, gaining such a commanding lead that he could sit out the sixth and final race - an approach also employed by Yngling sailors Sarah Ayton and Sarah Webb, sailing with Pippa Wilson on the bow, and also newly-crowned European Champion Ed Wright in the 11-boat Finn event.

World silver medallists Leigh McMillan and Will Howden were made to work for their win in the Tornado class, but eventually secured a two-point margin of victory over second placed Rob Wilson and Mark Bulkeley, and Hugh Styles and Tom Peel in third.

"This is another good result for us in the build up to our Worlds," said Howden.

"We were pleased to get the four wins in conditions which are not normally our strongest, but we still have to start the regattas better!  There are 3 more events before our Worlds so there is still plenty of practice to get in shape for our most important event of the year!!"

European Champion Bryony Shaw clinched the win in the RS:X 8.5m discipline, while Megan Pascoe took the win in the 2.4mR Paralympic class. There was disappointment for world silver medallist Helena Lucas, who was forced to retire from the 2.4mR event when her tiller and the foot pedals in her boat both broke.

"We saw some excellent racing conditions this weekend, and with such a star-studded entry both from the top the Skandia Team GBR sailors and international visitors, it was a great start to the 2006 National Ranking Series," said RYA Competitions Manager Rob Andrews.

"All eyes will now be on the inaugural Sail for Gold Regatta next weekend, where Olympic hopefuls both from home and abroad will be pushing for good results on the 2012 Olympic waters."

The three weekend National Ranking Series at WPNSA (7-8 October; 13-15 October in conjunction with the Sail for Gold Regatta; 28-29 October) will feature Skandia Team GBR's top talent against the new breed hoping to challenge for 2012, as well as domestic Olympic class racers.

The National Ranking Series forms the qualification for British sailors for the ISAF Olympic Class World Championships 2007, and, combined with the early season RYA Olympic Classes Spring Series are used as part of classes international championship places qualification and RYA grants for key Olympic regattas. Details of the grants and places selection system can be found at in the Olympic Classes Handbook at www.skandiateamgbr.com/events

For full results from the National Ranking event, visit http://www.wpnsa.org.uk/results.htm

ENDS

For more information, please contact:

Notes for Editors

Ø The Royal Yachting Association (RYA) is the national governing body for all forms of sailing, windsurfing, and powerboat racing.

Ø The RYA is recognised by all government offices as being the negotiating body for the activities it represents. It continually fights for the rights and freedoms of its 103,000 personal members, the majority of whom choose to go afloat for purely recreational non-competitive pleasure on coastal and inland waters.

Ø It represents a further estimated 500,000 boat owners nationally through its 1600 affiliated clubs and boat owner associations.

Ø Olympic and Youth sailing is a beneficiary of the Lottery funded World Class Programmes (WCP) and administered by the Sports Councils. The Programmes focus on performance sport with the aim of achieving sporting excellence on the world stage. Further information can be found on the UK Sport website at www.uksport.gov.uk and Sport England's website at www.sportengland.org . The Volvo RYA Champion Club Programme and Volvo RYA Keelboat Programme are supported by Volvo.

Ø Further information can be found at www.rya.org.uk

About Skandia

Skandia in the UK launched in 1979 and is now one of the leading international long term savings groups providing pensions, investment and protection products through intermediaries in the UK and overseas, with assets under management of £26.7bn (as at 31.10.05). Creators of the MultiManager approach, Skandia has teamed up with the world's top fund managers to create a range of funds tailored for investors' individual needs.

Skandia UK is part of a worldwide group founded in Sweden in 1855. The group is a leading, independent provider of long-term savings solutions.

In the first quarter of 2006 Old Mutual Plc completed a successful bid for the worldwide Skandia group and full ownership of the Group is currently being progressed.

Ownership by Old Mutual makes Skandia part of one of Europe 's largest financial service groups with a strong financial base. Old Mutual is a FTSE 100® company, headquartered in London , which understands Skandia's markets and customers well.

It has developed and evolved constantly over the years to reach its present position as one of the world's leading long-term saving companies with operations in over 20 countries and assets under management of £46.9 billion (as at 31.12.05). For more information on Skandia Insurance Company Limited visit www.skandia.com .

No pits for Cherry at RYA National Match Racing Championship
8 October

This weekend (6-8 October), Team Cherry had a near- perfect performance at the RYA National Matching Racing Championship, winning 10 of their 11 matches to be crowned the latest RYA National Match Racing Champions at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy.

Sailing on the RYA's J80s, 21 year-old Cherry, with High Wycombe's Nick Houchin, Hamble's Matt Adams and Connor Myant from London , proved to be a strong leader and a cunning opponent.

"It feels great to have come out of the event at the top." Southampton 's Cherry enthused. "I had a really good team behind me. We've been sailing together for three years and have put in a lot of practice recently so it's fantastic to have done so well."

Friday, the first day of the three day event, brought autumn gales with 55 knots gusting off the pontoons. Due to high winds and much to the frustration of the eager sailors, racing was cancelled.

However, Saturday dawned as a better day, with ideal match racing conditions breaking across Portland Harbour . In 15-17 knots racing got underway and the round robin with 22 flights was completed to determine the 2006 winner.

While Cherry's 10-win-one-loss record is impressive, the competition was still strong out on the water, with each team displaying effective boat handling, good use of rules and a strong understanding of the conditions.

Cherry continued, "It certainly wasn't an easy event to win. Everyone sailed well and there were some top sailors competing."

To claim the title, Cherry was able to count one more win than two-time national champion, Mark Campbell James and his tried and tested team of Andy Clark, Andy Yates and Graham Sunderland who finished the event in second overall.

Warsash-based, Andy Clark, bowman for Team Campbell James reflected on the event. "It was a shame to lose the first day of racing but the race committee did a great job getting the event back on pace and completing the round robin.

"We're disappointed not to have won the event, but Nick sailed well all weekend. You win some you lose some, that's all part of Match Racing. We'll be back again next year to try for a hat trick."

Results

1. Nick Cherry, Nick Houchin, Connor Myant, Matt Adams

2. Mark Campbell James, Andy Clark, Andy Yates, Graham Sunderland

3. Ali Hall, Rob Grieg-Gran, Gaz Owen, Tudur Owen

4. Andy Cornah, Andy Bryson, Matt Findlay, Rob Miller, James Roche

5. John Greenland, Tom Montgome, Annie Lush, Dan Sanders, Paul Harris

6. Robbie Allam, Tom Makey, Adam Richards, Ali Haylet, Matt Pinner

7. Ed Hill, Athol King, Andy Mackay, Chris Carden

8. Andrew Shaw, Nick Blevins, Dan Schieber, Tom Hodkinson, Elliott Parsons

9. Katie Archer, Victoria Rawlinson, Kate Fairclough, Hannah Kemlo

10. Mark Lees, Nicky Macgregor, Matt Radmore, Mary Rook, Lucy Macgregor

11. David Tabb, Rob Kemp, Ben Scroggig, Matt Waterhouse

12. Roger Tait, David Wallace, Robert Yeamans, Ewan Stirling

Round robin results can be found in the Match Racing area of the RYA website,   www.rya.org.uk/AboutRYA/programmesinitiatives/matchracing/MatchRacing2006.htm

End

For further media information, please contact :

Myrrh Walker

RYA Racing Communications Assistant

t. 02380 604 219

m. 07769505203

e. myrrh.walker@rya.org.uk

Notes for Editors

About the RYA:

Ø Sailing is the most successful Olympic sport in this country and Great Britain is the world's top Olympic sailing nation. The Royal Yachting Association (RYA) is the national governing body for all forms of sailing, windsurfing, and powerboat racing.

Ø The RYA is recognised by all government offices as being the negotiating body for the activities it represents. It continually fights for the rights and freedoms of its 103,000 personal members, the majority of whom choose to go afloat for purely recreational non-competitive pleasure on coastal and inland waters.

Ø It represents a further estimated 500,000 boat owners nationally through its 1600 affiliated clubs and boat owner associations.

Ø Olympic and Youth sailing is a beneficiary of the Lottery funded World Class Programmes (WCP) and administered by the Sports Councils. The Programmes focus on performance sport with the aim of achieving sporting excellence on the world stage. Further information can be found on the UK Sport website at www.uksport.gov.uk and Sport England's website at www.sportengland.org . The Volvo RYA Champion Club Programme and Volvo RYA Keelboat Programme are supported by Volvo.

Ø Further information can be found at www.rya.org.uk

Back to top

The most successful Weymouth Speed Week ever!
8 October

The harbour record was broken on the first day by Kitesurfer Nigel Bowley with an amazing 36.85 knot run which was not beaten all week and netted him $1000 prize purse donated by DaKine. The previous record holder Bjorn Dunkerbeck was not there on the day to challenge Nigel as he was on route from the Sylt World Cup event. He arrived champing at the bit to get out and reclaim his title, but other contenders were also hungry for the title including David (Whitey) White the current production world speed record holder. They got within 0.2 of a knot but could not beat Nigel's time.

With Whitey beating Bjorn by the slimmest of margins only 0.07 of a knot! It was not proving to be Bjorn's week. But showing the top sportsman that he is, he was the first to congratulate Whitey and vowed to return next year to reclaim his crown.

Other records broken were, the Ladies Harbour Record set by Zara Davis at a very respectable 32.44 knots. The previous record had stood for 22 years, set back in 1984 by Jenna de Rosnay. Zara finishing 1 st Lady and 18 th overall, which considering the company she was keeping, is a result to be proud of.

Dan Simpson the top junior from last year set a new Junior Record at 28.39 knots and won an X15 race sail from Tushingham.

From the boat camp, It was good to see the mighty Basilica, a 40 foot Extreme catamaran with six crew, flying the course with one hull raised and achieving a commendable 27.24 knots.

WSW came under much more of media a spotlight this year, which is great for speedsailing specifically, and windsurfing, kitesurfing and sailing in general. If you were there look out for yourself on SKY, Extreme sports channel, Discovery and the BBC. We also succeeded in attracting sponsorship from inside and importantly from outside the industry, in the case of Maui Jim, who provided their polarised sunglasses to the timing and support crew's and prizes for contestants, worth over £3000, and Kangaroo Poo who provided clothing and paid for the Saturday night Barbie.

But Weymouth is not all about winning records it is a place that ordinary sailors can pit there skills against each other, achieve their own personal bests and have a great time. This year a record number of 59 contestants achieved over 30 knots. Which goes to show the improvement in equipment and skill that is out there. Its also about experimenting with new Ideas in hull and sail design, the wackiest must be the dinghy with the spinning bernouli effect rotor built by Stephen Thorpe which achieved over 5 knots, or perhaps Graeme Fullers high aspect sail pictured, I know it looks like it was altered in Photoshop, but I assure you it wasn't.

We also had a new category this year with recognition to the amateurs that take part every year and with a prize of a brand new F2 Missile, the competition was hot. Simon Hinkley was the eventual winner with 34.11 knots. A special mention must go to a local sailor Tony Robinson who won the Rookie category, he has seen WSW running over the years but always thought it was too good for him. With some persuading from his friends and family he showed up gave his best and won a holiday from Club Vass for his trouble. He says he will be back next year to take the harbour record!

Speedsailing one of the simplest sports around you don't have to be able to tack or jibe you just have to be able to go fast from point A to point B and age is no restriction either. Our youngest contestant was 9 and our oldest was 72. Come on next year what is stopping you? But get in early as we had to turn people away as we were full by August.

Finally the question is.

Winners

Fastest Craft and Kite Overall Nigel Bowley 36.85K $1000 Chq *

2 nd Fastest Kite Jeremy Waitte 30.99K Maui Jims

3 rd Fastest Kite Stacy Vass 29.13K Maui Jims

Fastest Pro Windsurfer David White 36.64K Maui Jims *

2 nd Fastest Pro Windsurfer Bjorn Dunkerbeck 36.57K Maui Jims

3 rd Fastest Pro Windsurfer John Sanderson 35.76K Maui Jims

Fastest Amateur Windsurfer Simon Hinkley 34.11K F2 Missile

2 nd Fastest Amateur windsurfer Robin Penna 33.65K Naish bag

3 rd Fastest Amateur windsurfer Peter Cunningham 33.17K Anemometer

Fastest Master (+45) Windsurfer Robin Penna 33.65K DaKine B/Bag

2 nd Fastest Master windsurfer Pete Davis 32.45K Gaastra ext

3 rd Fastest Master windsurfer Barry Mason 30.20K Maui Sails Q/bag

Fastest Rookie Windsurfer Tony Robinson 32.29K Club Vass Holiday

2 nd Fastest Rookie Rupert Fisher 31.97K Fiberspar Mast

3 rd Fastest Rookie David Strudwick 31.09K Naish Bag

Fastest Lady Windsurfer Zara Davis 32.44K Gaastra ext *

2 nd Fastest lady Jane Sanderson 24.60K Naish Harness

Fastest Junior ( W/end only) Dan Simpson 28.39K Tushingham Sail *

2 nd Fastest Junior Richard Jones 26.19K Tushingham prize

3 rd Fastest Junior Sam Gooch 26.09K Tushingham prize

Fastest Boat Basilica 40' Cat 27.24K Maui Jim Glass's

2 nd Fastest Boat Trifoiler Exp/foil 23.51K Maui Jim Glass's

3 rd Fastest Boat Exajet Exp Cat 15.00K Maui Jim Glass's

Fastest Veteran Brian(Bruno)Warner 23.65K Dakine Harness

Wipe out of the week Tony Ireland Stiff neck & double vision

*New Harbour Record

Back to top

Olympic Classes National Ranking Series kicks off in Weymouth
6 October 2006

This weekend (7-8 October) sees the first event in the revised RYA Olympic Classes National Ranking Series, held at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy .

The three weekend Series at WPNSA (7-8 October; 13-15 October in conjunction with the Sail for Gold Regatta; 28-29 October) will feature Skandia Team GBR's top talent against the new breed hoping to challenge for 2012, as well as domestic Olympic class racers.

Amongst the entries so far are Olympic gold medallists Sarah Ayton and Sarah Webb in the Yngling class, Athens silver medallists Nick Rogers and Joe Glanfield and newly-crowned World Champions Nic Asher and Elliott Willis in the 470 men's fleet, world silver medallist Helena Lucas in the 2.4mR Paralympic class and 49er European Champions and world bronze medallists Stevie Morrison and Ben Rhodes.

For 2006 the RYA overhauled its UK Olympic Classes events in order to ensure both the best possible attendance from world class sailors, to provide quality national racing opportunities for aspiring 2012 sailors and to continue to provide quality racing and venues for the UK Olympic class sailors generally.

"With the new 2006 format the NR series should be the most keenly fought UK Olympic Classes Series for many years especially considering the attendance of Athens medallist in  in most classes and 2007 World Championship qualification places up for grabs," explained RYA Olympic Development Squad Manager Barrie Edgington.

"The winners of all the classes will have to be on top form to win and therefore the series champions will represent the best of British."

The National Ranking Series will form the qualification for British sailors for the ISAF Olympic Class World Championships 2007, and, combined with the early season RYA Olympic Classes Spring Series are used as part of classes international championship places qualification and RYA grants for key Olympic regattas. Details of the grants and places selection system can be found at in the Olympic Classes Handbook at www.skandiateamgbr.com/events

For further event information, visit www.ryaevents.org.uk/nr

ENDS

For more information, please contact:

Notes for Editors

Ø The Royal Yachting Association (RYA) is the national governing body for all forms of sailing, windsurfing, and powerboat racing.

Ø The RYA is recognised by all government offices as being the negotiating body for the activities it represents. It continually fights for the rights and freedoms of its 103,000 personal members, the majority of whom choose to go afloat for purely recreational non-competitive pleasure on coastal and inland waters.

Ø It represents a further estimated 500,000 boat owners nationally through its 1600 affiliated clubs and boat owner associations.

Ø Olympic and Youth sailing is a beneficiary of the Lottery funded World Class Programmes (WCP) and administered by the Sports Councils. The Programmes focus on performance sport with the aim of achieving sporting excellence on the world stage. Further information can be found on the UK Sport website at www.uksport.gov.uk and Sport England's website at www.sportengland.org . The Volvo RYA Champion Club Programme and Volvo RYA Keelboat Programme are supported by Volvo.

Ø Further information can be found at www.rya.org.uk

About Skandia

Skandia in the UK launched in 1979 and is now one of the leading international long term savings groups providing pensions, investment and protection products through intermediaries in the UK and overseas, with assets under management of £26.7bn (as at 31.10.05). Creators of the MultiManager approach, Skandia has teamed up with the world's top fund managers to create a range of funds tailored for investors' individual needs.

Skandia UK is part of a worldwide group founded in Sweden in 1855. The group is a leading, independent provider of long-term savings solutions.

In the first quarter of 2006 Old Mutual Plc completed a successful bid for the worldwide Skandia group and full ownership of the Group is currently being progressed.

Ownership by Old Mutual makes Skandia part of one of Europe 's largest financial service groups with a strong financial base. Old Mutual is a FTSE 100® company, headquartered in London , which understands Skandia's markets and customers well.

It has developed and evolved constantly over the years to reach its present position as one of the world's leading long-term saving companies with operations in over 20 countries and assets under management of £46.9 billion (as at 31.12.05). For more information on Skandia Insurance Company Limited visit www.skandia.com .

This weekend a battle of tactical wit and boat handling skill will ensue as some of Britain's top-ranked match racers fight it out for the RYA National Match Racing title.

In a three -day format, the RYA National Match Raing series will once again be held at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy, from 6 -8 October and will be contested in the fleet of RYA J80s.

The 2006 final will see an elite line-up of 1 2 teams with several familiar faces competing against some new names.

Mark Campbell James and his successful team are back to defend their title, hoping to win their third consecutive National Match Racing title. Team Campbell James are currently ranked second in the UK match racing rankings, just behind Ian Williams who will be absent from the event. After storming to victory in 2005, winning all their matches bar one, Team Campbell James are expected to pose a good challenge for the title.

Ranked third in the UK, Andrew Cornah with his team of Andy Bryson, Matt Findlay, Rob Miller and James Roche will aim to better their third place finish at the same event last year.

After finishing fourth at the Match Race Finals in 2005 Nick Cherry has a score to settle and will hope to wrestle away the trophy. The Southampton-based sailor has pulled together a familiar crew featuring Nick Houchin, Connor Myant, and new team-mate Matt Adams in the hope that this team will fit the bill.

The Women's National Match Racing Champion, Katie Archer, also from Southampton will helm the only ladies boat at the event, with her crew of Victoria Rawlinson, Kate Fairclough and Hannah Kemlo expecting to follow on from their good performance at the Women's finals.

Archer will go up against another sailor that she knows well, as her boyfriend, John Greenland, will also be competing with his team. If the two sailors go head to head in the first round robin, one of them might be walking home.

Scotland's Roger Tait, winner of the Scottish qualifier which took place for the first time in 2006, will make the trip down from Shetland with his crew David Wallace, Robert Yeamans and Ewan Stirling to contest for the top prize.

Mark Lees and David Tabb bring some new blood to the event with each helming their own team in a challenge to some of the more familiar names on the circuit.

Three youth teams will also join the foray, to try their hand at un-seating some of the more mature teams. Andrew Shaw, Robbie Allam and Ali Hall, who finished fifth in the 2005 event, will each helm their own teams.

Racing starts on Fri day 6 October and continues through to Sunday 8 October.

End

For further media information, please contact:

Myrrh Walker
RYA Racing Communications Assistant
t. 02380 604 219
m. 07769505203
e. myrrh.walker@rya.org.uk

A real David and Goliath battle is developing at the 2006 Weymouth speed week. On the first day a kitesurfer Nigel Bowley broke the harbor record, achieving an amazing 36.8 knots! He has therefore laid claim to the $1000 prize fund put up by Da Kine. Bjorn Dunkerbeck the previous title holder was not there to defend his title set in 2004 which previously had stood for over 22 years, as he was on his way from an international competition in Sylt, Germany. Bjorn has now arrived in Weymouth with his caddie and is determined to get his title and the $1000 purse.

With strong winds forecast for Thursday and Friday 40 plus knots is being predicted.

Let Battle commence!

Peter Davis spokesman for the event said "What an amazing start! We knew it would be good with a record number of entries including a 40 foot racing catamaran Basilica, and the largest number of 1 st timers ever. But no one could have predicted this, with strong winds coming and more competitors arriving including the juniors who knows what we can achieve"

Major talent on show at the RYA Zone Championships
3 October 2006

Winners have been named and prizes have been handed out at RYA Zone Championships, a multi-venue regatta that saw Britain 's best junior sailing talent gather across England .

Racing took place this weekend 30 September-1 October, in each of the six RYA Zones with nearly 1000 sailors signing up to take part in an event that would not only decide Zone Champions but would also help select the RYA Junior Racing Squads for the next competitive year.

Once again, the RYA Zone Championships have proved to be the biggest RYA Junior Racing event of the season and the most popular, with around 800 boats and boards competing across the country.

SOUTH
The South Zone Championship hosted by the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy boasted the largest entry of the six zones with over 300 sailors taking part.

Saturday in Weymouth brought gusting winds of up to 20 knots but with the weather forecast to bring stronger winds on Sunday, the sailors bravely hit the water to get in some racing.

Laser 4.7 sailors from around the UK attended the South Zone Championships, the last qualifier for the National 4.7 Squad. Close racing dominated the fleet with Martin Hayes, Shane Terry and Charlotte Greenhalgh gunning for the top three places. After some exhausting racing with sailors fully hiking to keep their boats upright, Hayes from Blithfield Sailing Club took the win with Terry in second and Greenhalgh in third.

The girls led the way in the Cadet fleet, with three female helms winning the top three places along with their crews. Joanna Freeman and Holly Francis from Poole finished in first overall and added another trophy to their growing collection, followed by Phillipa and Michael Horne from Frensham and Sophie Pearson and Liam Pardy from Parkstone.

As predicted Sunday brought winds gusting up to 29 knots and as a result, racing was called off and prize giving held early to recognise the sailors who had finished at the top.

SOUTH WEST
In the South West Zone , the Championship was hosted by Plymouth Youth Sailing who made the decision early to get in as many races possible on the first day of the event.

Racing in a brisk 12-16 knots, a battle between sailors from Restronguet SC quickly ensued in the Optimist fleet, with five sailors from the club finishing in the top five. George Wilson and Christian Townrow finished on equal points with Wilson winning on count-back with two firsts and two seconds. David Grant finished just behind them in third.

The Mirror fleet had some good racing with most boats capsizing in the fresh breezes. Rob and Will Searle got off to a rocky start with a DNF but followed it up with three first place finishes giving them the win. John Harvey and Alex Parks took second and Freya Adams and Mike Chapman took third.

WEST
The West Zone Championship , held at Blithfield Sailing Club saw over 130 sailors and the largest windsurfing fleet of all six Zones gather together to compete in the varying 6-15 knots of wind.

Blithfield, a relatively small lake, threw up several challenges for the race committee, none smaller than that of getting over 130 boats competing in a restricted area.

The 40 windsurfers were treated to a morning of training before hitting the racecourse, where Tom Dickinson from Covenham Sailing Club put his new skills to the test, going on to win all five races in the 5.5 Open Fleet.

The Bic Techno fleets also had some close racing with Finlay Forster Davies from Astbury Sailing Club finishing top of the heap on the 7.8 and North Lincolnshire 's George Bowles on the 6.8.

Draycote Water's Michael Wood was also on top form in the 51-boat Topper Fleet, counting only first place finishes on his score card. It was a close race for second and third with Andrew Salt from Chelmarsh just edging out Sam Watson from Nantwich for the second place position.

NORTH
At Derwent Reservoir , host of the North Zone Championship , the first day of racing brought a bright, late-summers day, with the wind filling in as if on cue, straight after the competitor briefing.

When the rest of the country were struggling with strong winds, a light shifty breeze descended on the reservoir, testing all the competitors to the limits throughout out the four races on day one and the one race on day two.

The Optimist fleet saw some hot competition with Ben Pole from Saunton Harold Sailing Club and Northampton Sailing Club's Lucy Childs tussling for first place. Ben mastered the light and shifty conditions on the first race of the first day posting a convincing win, enabling him to take the top spot. Racing between Ben and Lucy was nip and tuck all weekend, with Ben just scraping through to victory by one point.

The Derwent Reservoir Sailing Club Novice trophy, awarded to a sailor who had never competed in a championship before, was given to local Optimist sailor Daniel Trotter who finished 19 th out of 34, an awesome feat for a junior who has been racing for less than a year.

EAST
Strong winds were also on the table at the East Zone Championship , held at Dabchicks Sailing Club and West Mersea Yacht Club where racing took place on three courses on the River Blackwater.

The event, sponsored by the East of England Co-operative Society, got off to a rocketing start. Saturday saw three races completed for all fleets with winds increasing from 10 knots to 16 knots over the course of the afternoon, accompanied by gusts of 22 knots, often catching out the unsuspecting sailor. On Sunday the wind increased and continued to build making it possible to complete only one race before racing was abandoned for the day.

The 22-strong windsurf fleet had an action packed two days.  The conditions were tough for the younger competitors but all showed tenacity and determination, resulting in some spectacular racing. For many of the sailors this event marked their first experience sailing on the sea and all handled it well.

Racing in the Optimist fleet was full of excitement, with the top three boats all tied with five points following the final race. Ben Harden from Burnham on Crouch finally took honours on count-back with local sailors Sam Curtis and Ollie Gozzett from Dabchicks SC finished in second and third respectively.

The RS Feva class saw the weekend's most consistent performance with Nathan and Anna Ackroyd from Norfolk Broads YC placing first in all four races to convincingly win the class.  The pair took home the RYA Eastern Regions Junior Champions Trophy for the best overall performance at the event

SOUTH EAST
141 sailors made the trip to Bewl Valley Sailing Club for the South East Zone Championship . With 8-14 knots on the first day sailors got three races in with the Windsurfing fleet having a morning training session before beginning to compete for the Championship title later in the day.

Sunday brought bigger breeze but with 20-30 knots on the course, sailors still braved the conditions to get in some races and for some a bit of swimming.

The Topper fleet was dominated by Freddie Connor from Bexhill Sailing Club, who showed a high standard of racing from the moment the first starting gun was fired. Julia Beck placed second and finished as the highest placed girl in the Topper Fleet, proving an inspiration for many young female junior sailors.

"We had a host of bright young sailing talent participating in what I believe was the biggest RYA Zone Championships to date," said Duncan Truswell , RYA Junior Racing Manager.

"The conditions have been tough this weekend but we saw some fantastic sailing which bodes very well for the future. We have received many positive comments from all concerned but predominantly that the sailors were a credit to their sport.

"On behalf of the RYA I would like to reiterate our gratitude for the huge number of people who provided RIBs and the hundreds of volunteers who helped out nationwide."

For further information and results please visit the event website www.ryaevents.org.uk/zonechamps

End

For more media information, please contact 

Myrrh Walker
RYA Racing Communications Assistant
Tel: +44 (0)23 80 604 219 
Mobile : +44 (0) 7769 505 203 

Notes for Editors

Ø Sailing is the most successful Olympic sport in this country. The Royal Yachting Association (RYA) is the national governing body for all forms of sailing, windsurfing, and powerboat racing.

Ø The RYA is recognised by all government offices as being the negotiating body for the activities it represents. It continually fights for the rights and freedoms of its 103,000 personal members, the majority of whom choose to go afloat for purely recreational non-competitive pleasure on coastal and inland waters.

Ø It represents a further estimated 500,000 boat owners nationally through its 1600 affiliated clubs and boat owner associations.

Ø Olympic and Youth sailing is a beneficiary of the Lottery funded World Class Programmes (WCP) and administered by the Sports Councils. The Programmes focus on performance sport with the aim of achieving sporting excellence on the world stage. Further information can be found on the UK Sport website at www.uksport.gov.uk and Sport England's website at www.sportengland.org . The Volvo RYA Champion Club Programme and Volvo RYA Keelboat Programme are supported by Volvo. 

Ø Further information can be found at www.rya.org.uk

For further information and results please follow these links to the 420 website.

Back to top

420 Open Meeting and Selection Trials: Day 3
23 September 2006

A 15 - 20 knot southeasterly breeze and bright sunshine meant fantastic sailing for the 420 Class. Three races were completed, leaving Dave Brewer and Oren Richards overnight leaders having clocked up an impressive two 3rds and a 1st. They lie 23 points ahead of the Rusden brothers who are lying 2nd. Ben Saxton and James Foskett are in 3rd.

Owain Matthews and Joe Williams finished with a 1st and a 2nd to move into 4th place on 52points ahead of Tim Saxton and Claire Lasko in 5th on 56. Peter Irwin and David Kohler lead the fight for the remaining open places on 80 points with Stephen Tiernan and Jamie Crapnell and the Yeoman brothers, both on 84 points. Imogen Stanley and Kate MacGregor continue to lead the girls in 11th place on 92 points. The Parkinson sisters are 2nd girls in 18th with Amelia Hughes and Lesley Bannister in 20th.

Overall, Dave and Oren lead the open meeting and are 7points ahead of Owain and Joe on 11 points. Rob Struckett and Tom Hodkinson enjoyed the windy conditions and lie in 3rd on 14 points ahead of Ben and James on 17 points.

Selections 2 - Day 1 Snippets
Race 1 finishers: 1st Rob Struckett and Tom Hodkinson, 2nd Ben Saxton and James Foskett, 3rd David Brewer and Oren Richards. First all girl crew were Amelia Hughes and Lesley Bannister in 16th.

Dave Brewer and Oren Richards take lead on 19pts ahead of the Rusden brothers on 20. Ben Saxton and James Saxton move into 3rd on 35pts ahead of Tim Saxton and Claire Lasko on 38pts. Peter Irwin and David Kohler are in 5th on 48pts. First all girl crew are Imogen Stanley and Kate MacGregor in 9th on 63pts and the Parkinson sisters in 12th on 72pts.

For further information and results please follow these links to the 420 website.

Back to top

420 Open Meeting and Selection Trials: Day 2
17 September 2006

The fleet completed 3 races today with an increasing breeze. In a closely contested event James and Will Rusden took the title on 17 points after scoring 3,2 and a bullet in the last race, one point ahead of David Brewer and Oren Richards who in turn were only one point clear of the Belgian competition of Gertjan Cleeren and Koen Cleeren. Tim Saxton and Claire Lasko were 4th ahead of Ben Saxton and James Foskett in 5th. First all girl crew were Imogen Stanley and Kate MacGregor in 10th 4 points ahead of Sophia and Emma Parkinson.

The first race of the day was held in light winds, sea mist and after the second beat a large part of the fleet went to the wing mark whilst others headed back down to the leeward gate. The course had been Inner loop 1 but was changed to Inner loop 2 before the 5 minutes. It appears that some of the sailors had missed this vital piece of information. The discard has kicked in for the open meeting with Cleeren brothers on 6 points ahead of Tiernan and Crapnell on 10 and Brewer and Richards on 14. First girl after a bullet in race 4 are Stanley and MacGregor in 5th on 16 points.

For further information and results please follow these links to the 420 website.

Back to top

420 Open Meeting and Selection Trials: Day 1
16 September 2006

Forty three boats have travelled to Weymouth to participate in the selection series to represent Great Britain at the World Championships to be held in New Zealand at the end of December/ beginning of January 2007. The 420 class will also be selecting 7 all girl crews to attend the Women's World Championship and 7 mixed or all male crews for the Open World Championships.

The first three races of the series were completed in what was a day of snakes and ladders. In light 8-12 knot winds, the Belgians showed their class by scoring two bullets, giving them a clear lead 6 points ahead of the Rusden brothers in 2nd, with 20 points on countback, from Tim Saxton and Claire Lasko in third. David Brewer and Oren Richards are nipping on their heels on 21 points just ahead of Stephen Tiernan and Jamie Crapnell on 22 points. First girls are the Parkinson sisters in 7th on 26 points with Imogen Stanley and Kate MacGregor in 9th on 32 points.

For further information and results please follow these links to the 420 website.

Back to top

J24 Autumn Cup at Portland - Jardine back in top spot
10 September 2006

The J/24 Autumn Cup brought a long overdue return to the top spot for former National and European Champion Stuart Jardine.  But the weekend's most notable feature - once again - was the close racing enjoyed by the J/24 Class.  With the Sailing Academy hosting and Race Officer Derek Abbott and the team in charge, the closely matched fleet of 11 was guaranteed excellent facilities and racing, both in the wind and waves of Saturday and the gentler conditions of Sunday.  This was also a final chance for teams to shake down before the European Championships in two week's time at Parkstone YC. 

Saturday's South Easterly breeze had moderated from the stronger winds of Friday, but began squarely in the mid range for Jibs, with seas   that were difficult upwind, exciting downwind.  With Bob (the "Special One") Turner away, his rotated squad ( Serco Defence helmed, as usual, by Al Clarke), took the early lead, winning race one and placing 2nd in race two.   David Ellis' Hitchhiker's Guide stormed back from his disappointing initial showing by winning races two and three, the latter in a closely fought tussle with Jardine's Stouche - as competitors tried to decide whether Jibs or Genoas were quicker in the moderating breeze.  None of which fully captures the closeness of the racing - places continually changing, both up and down wind - with Duncan McCarthy's Madeleine and Jim Anderson's Boomerang closely grouped with the leaders.  Indeed, the upwind finish to race three required a second recount from the Returning Officer, before the places 3-5 were finalised.  Overnight, Clarke led by two points from Ellis and McCarthy (tied on points), with Anderson and Jardine a further three points back and looking out of the hunt. 

Sunday was a perfect late summer day for racing.  With the lighter breeze veering back towards the same direction as Saturday and the tide - strong by Weymouth Bay standards - thowing further variables into the mix, the first beat of race 4 presented an interesting conundrum.  Derek Abbot's square course and start line gave no clues, and the fleet divided off the start.  Ben Williamson's Rumble went right, followed by Jardine,  believing the wind had a little further to go that way and hoping that this would bring bigger gains than any additional breeze or reduced tide towards the shore.  So it proved, with Williamson's initial break giving him an early lead.  Once the breeze stabilised, the fleet bunched again at the top left of the beat, with Williamson in the lead at the weather mark and Gareth Robinson, helming J-Whizz , back in the leading bunch after going walkabout in races 2 & 3.  Downwind, however Jardine was on great form, picking the shortest route and finding the best of the breeze, to take the lead.  Ellis climbed back to take 2nd place from Robinson, with Williamson in 4th.  In the final race, it was once again a question of spotting the shifts, avoiding the light patches and judging the lay line in the increasing tide.  Once again, Jardine worked Stouche into contention, this time taking an early lead which he consolidated downwind.  Robinson took third place, behind Clarke. 

Overall, it could not have been closer and - with three boats tied on 9 points - it was back to the Returning Officer!  Jardine's perfect Sunday gave him first place from Ellis, with Clarke in third. 

Results

Back to top

Champions crowned at the Youth and Masters Windsurfing Championship
3 September
This weekend, 2-3 September, saw wet and windy weather prevail at the RYA Youth and Masters Windsurfing Championship hosted by the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy (WPNSA).

New champions in each class were crowned and newcomers celebrated in what has once again proved to be a successful event which brought together over 170 windsurfers of all ages and the biggest Bic Techno fleet seen yet at an RYA regatta.

Saturday brought fiercely gusting conditions and rain to WPNSA. Racing was postponed due to the strong winds averaging 30 knots until late afternoon when the race committee made the decision to send out the Formula Youth and Masters Fleets.

Several of the windsurfers took up the challenge but only six actually completed the one race of the day.

Sunday brought slightly more race-able conditions and after a one hour postponement, windsurfers prepared to hit the water with winds gusting up to 30 knots. With strong breeze in Portland Bay a downwind slalom course was set just off Chesil Beach in a bid to get some race results on the board.

A crowd of supporters gathered just off the beach to cheer on the sailors who brave enough to battle it out in the blustery wind.

By 1130 racing got underway and in misty sunshine, the Formula fleets were the first to launch. With winds averaging 25 knots, there was some fantastic sailing as windsurfers ripped around the course. The jybe marks brought some spectacular wipe-outs and traffic jams as sailors struggled to turn their boards in the tough conditions.

With three races completed the Formula, Race board, RS:X, 6.8 and 7.8 Techno sailors came off the water dripping wet and smiling. As the wind slightly eased off the young sailors in the remaining fleets were given the signal that their racing was to begin.

Still fully powered up the smaller-rig sailors had a good blast in a more sheltered area just off the WPNSA pontoons.

"We had really strong winds this weekend, so it was great to get some races in." Helen Cartwright, RYA National Windsurfing Coach and Event Director explained. "Getting out and racing in such strong wind was a challenge for some of our younger sailors but by all accounts has really given them a boost."

"It is also hugely encouraging to see so many Bic Techno sailors competing at this event. The RYA made the Techno one of its official junior and youth windsurf classes last autumn, and with the number of sailors using the equipment steadily increasing, it seems to be a success."

The afternoon's prize giving saw the top three in each fleet recognized for their success.

The 3.5 open fleet hosted sailors as young as eight years-old. The young sailors braved the windy conditions and following three races Josh Knight (Wirral), Noelle Finch (Clevedon, North Somerset ) and Thomas Addison took the top three slots.

Jade Rogers (Cheadle, Staffordshire) had a golden victory in the 4.5 Open fleet followed by Antony Milton and Connor Wells ( Biggin Hill , Kent ) with silver and bronze.

In the 4.5 Techno class Samuel Conroy ( Hythe , Kent ), Robyn Robinson (Nuneaton) and Joe Bennett (Rotherham, South Yorkshire ) took first, second and third respectively.

Aleksander Sedgwick-Wilde (Spaxton, Somerset ), Rory Yonge (Compton, Hampshire) and Maurice Guy (Wimborne, Dorset) took the podium in the 5.5 Open Class.

The 5.5 Techno class was won by Jack Brooks ( Hythe , Kent ), with Kieran Martin ( Stoke-on-Trent , Staffordshire) in second and Tom Davies in third.

Newcomer Connor Bainbridge, 13, ( Halifax , West Yorkshire ) was the top finisher in the 6.8 Techno fleet finishing the event with nine points. With equal points, Sam Latham, 12, (Redhill, Surrey) and Sam Sills, 13, (Launceston, Cornwall ) raced their way second and third respectively.

The 7.8 Techno fleet had the largest number of entries with 27 boards competing. Jacob Briber (Stockwell, London ) came out as top dog after racking up two firsts and a second on the slalom course. Elliot Taylor (Trentham, Stoke-on-Trent) and Jamie Ingram (Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands) jostled for the silver medal position with 14 year-old Taylor coming out on top after count back.

Alex Griffiths (Barton-upon-Humber) and Daniel Skudder ( West Wellow , Hampshire) had a close three races on the RS:X, going into the final race on equal points. After a close race, Griffiths took second over the line and Skudder third, giving Griffiths the gold medal. Richard Cleworth (Macclesfield, Cheshire ) took home the bronze medal, just ahead of Lewis Robinson who finished on equal points with Cleworth and was edged out of the medals on count back.

Two newcomers, Jamie Walker (Helston, Cornwall) and Adrian Wallis (Portsmouth, Hampshire), took gold and silver in the Formula Masters fleet with Bob Ingram (Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands) close behind in third.

With four races completed in the Formula Youth class, all sailors were allowed one discard. Dan Simpson (Bicester, Oxfordshire) sailed to victory earning a gold medal and trophy. James Simpson (Tamworth, Staffordshire) who stayed onshore for the first race was able to discard his score counting one first and two seconds putting him in silver medal position with Alex Smith (Burton Latimer) in third.

Race board Masters, Robert Kent (Southampton, Hampshire), Chris Gibson ( Hayling Island , Hampshire), Bob Warren ( Truro , Cornwall )

Race board Youth, Duncan Bryan ( Truro , Cornwall ), Richard Walker ( Bridgewater , Somerset ), Charlie Winn ( Winchester )

Complete results can be found on the event website www.ryaevents.org.uk/youthandmasters

End

For more media information please contact Myrrh Walker , RYA Racing Communications Assistant, Tel: +44 (0)23 80 604 219 Mobile : +44 (0) 7769 505 203 Fax: +44 (0)23 80 604 293 Email: myrrh.walker@rya.org.uk

Back to top

Windsurfing Championship continues to attract young sailors
31 August 2006
This weekend, the 2-3 September, over 170 windsurfers will battle for glory at one the largest annual UK-based windsurfing events, the RYA Youth and Masters Windsurfing Championship.

The Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy (WPNSA) will host the event, which showcases both experienced master windsurfers along with the youths who make up the UK 's hot new talent.

The 2006 RYA Youth and Masters Windsurfing Championships is one of the biggest to date, and the massive turnout is due predominantly to the continued growth of Team15 (T15), an RYA initiative encouraging children into windsurfing, and also due to the launch of the new BIC Techno as the recently recognised RYA windsurfer for sailors under 17.

In 2005 the RYA introduced the BIC Techno to the youth and junior racing programmes identifying a clear pathway from beginning to top level competition windsurfing, and providing an avenue to the Olympic Games. The RYA Zone Squad allows young windsurfers to purchase new equipment with the help of grants, resulting in the near doubling of the number of BIC Techno sailors competing at this event.

Competitors ranging in age from 9-64 are expected to take part in this annual event and several families will be competing with Mum and Dad sailing in the master class and the kids in the youth classes.

Whatever class the competitors are racing in, they are assured of a busy weekend with up to seven races scheduled for each class. An added incentive is the glamorous prize giving with loads of prizes that have been generously donated by the windsurfing industry.

Event director and RYA National Windsurfing Coach, Helen Cartwright , who has been involved in the event for the past seven years said;

"It is really encouraging to see that the number of sailors attending the event has  grow n over  recent years. This year we have seen a surge in the number of BIC Techo sailors ready to  hit the water  and as a result our sport will continue to grow and thrive. To see so many kids out racing is great for the future of British windsurfing."

END

For more media information please contact Myrrh Walker, RYA Racing Communications Assistant, Tel: +44 (0)23 80 604 219 Mobile : +44 (0) 7769 505 203 Fax: +44 (0)23 80 604 293 Email: myrrh.walker@rya.org.uk

Sunshine and relatively light winds greeted the fleet of 800s today as they prepared for the fourth day of racing. While the original plan was to sail out in the bay, the building breeze soon put an end to that idea and two races commenced inside the harbour.

Race one and left seemed to be the way to go up the beat. Ian Martin & Ben McGrane (Rooster sailing) lead the way at the top mark closely followed by Ian Martin & Claire Booth (Sail4Cancer), Steve Irish & Martin Gotrel (Magic Marine) and Spod & Jane Olive (Sola Harken). Another 4 lap course and by the end Martin & McGrane crossed the line in first, just ahead of Irish & Gotrel (Magic Marine).

Race two and the tactics were similar. Once again Martin & McGrane stole the show and took an early lead. Irish and Gotrel also well up in the leading pack along with Andy Jeffries and Ally Ody. By the end of the fourth lap Martin & McGrane launched themselves across the finish line to take first place, that's 8 out of 10 wins in the series so far! Irish & Gotrel settled for second once again.

Friday marks the penultimate day of racing and some seriously big breeze has been forecasted, will the Rooster boys hang in there to win the championship or will the Magic Marine boys step up the pace to defend the title for a third year running..?

After a seriously windy day yesterday for the GUL RS800 National Championship, the whole fleet was looking forward to some slightly more subdued conditions for Tuesdays racing. But of course the usual 20 knots whipped up and it was a battle of the big boys once again!

Race one and Ollie Page and Jim (Farecla) called the shifts perfectly to round the top mark in first place. Justin Deal and Sarah Marriott rounded just behind with Ralph & Sophie Singleton in third, having successfully port-tacked the entire fleet off the start line. By the end of lap three the S flag was flying signalling a shortened course but Page & Jim (Farecla) missed it completely rounded the starboard leeward mark and progressed back up the course handing the first bullet of the day to Steve Irish & Martin Gotrel (Magic Marine), Deal & Marriott took second and Singleton & Singleton crossed the line in third. Page and Jim eventually saw the error of their ways and managed to squeeze into the top 20.

Race two and a solid 20 knots was blowing across the course. The fleet got off without a single recall and the heaviest teams made to the top first! Once again Ian Martin and Ben McGrane showed us how to do it in the heavy stuff and took another convincing win, while Irish & Gotrel came second.

Race three and everyone was beginning to lag! Clean start by all but it was the shifts that determined the eventual winner! At the end of lap three everyone was thinking about post-race pasta and a nice long sleep but the race office sent us round for a fourth lap to really test the endurance of the fleet. While most boats cursed the committee boat as they began their fourth beat a huge shift popped through catching several teams out. By the finish though Martin & McGrane sealed the deal and took their sixth win o