Junior Racing Regatta, 20th June 2005 at Tonbridge Town Sailing
Club.
The forecast was very hot and light airs. We arrived to find not only the
predicted sunshine but also a cooing south easterly 5 to 10 knot breeze. It was
ideal conditions for junior racing.
The race officers, Danny and Katie Martin, gave a short briefing, wasting no
time to ensure that we made the best use of the wind. Eight Toppers from Trinity
School and Bewl Valley hit the line at 10:30 to start the first of a tightly
contested 11 race series.
Tom Blachford from Trinity School had a narrow lead at the lunch time break from
Andrew Pickard from Bewl Valley and fellow school mates David Spedding and Jamie
Hemmingway from Trinity. With the wind holding up, the afternoon progressed with
Andrew Pickard and Mark Purkis from Bewl Valley putting in some good finishes to
close the gap on the leader, but wins in the last two races eventually saw Tom
Blachford a comfortable winner of the Appentice Master Trophy with Mark Purkis
aged 10 in third place winning the Chesworth Trophy for best young sailor.
My thanks goes to Tonbridge Town Sailing Club for providing the venue and
wonderful weather, Danny and Katie for setting good courses, keeping the event
moving and giving feedback to the sailors and to all the sailors themselves who
worked hard to improve their performances throughout the day.
John Martin