Whitstable YC Club Championships 2024

Adam Whitehouse and Mike Hanson during the Whitstable YC Club Championship © Steve Gray

Phil Emery and Julie Nuttel during the Whitstable YC Club Championship © Steve Gray

WYC's annual club championships took place over the late May Bank Holiday weekend with six races over the three days. The weather exceeded the forecast on all three days with a good breeze on Saturday and Monday with the challenge of fresh to frightening on Sunday.

To make things as fair as possible across the wide mix of classes, a single start per race is used with a trapezoidal course to give one spinnaker reach and one tight reach per lap. Most classes had their chance to shine given the range of conditions, but at the end of the weekend the faster boats, and catamarans in particular shone.

The first two races were under clear skies and were dominated by Robert Govier and Club Commodore David Figgis in their Tornado with two bullets. Max Hunt in his ILCA/Laser radial followed with a pair of seconds with junior sailor Joe Barton in his Topper 4.2 third overall.

Black Sunday saw winds gusting to 28mph which tested the sailors and safety crews alike. Dart ace Dickie Ledger and Sarah Oliver came out to play in their Dart 18 to finish the day with a first and second, closely followed by the Fireball of Adam Whitehouse and Mike Hanson with a 1,3. Behind the leading two Rob and David's Tornado cruised majestically through the carnage with 3,2 whilst steady progress was made by Max Hunt with 5,4 and Rick and Sarah Perkins in their Tasar with a 6,5. Abby Ledger (Dickie's daughter) and Ami Moore were also proving consistent across both days until a capsize in race 4.

Monday was another brisk afternoon with a mix showers and sun - the clouds brought some stronger gusts which were enough for Dickie and Sarah to take two bullets in their Dart 18. Rob and David managed 3,2 giving then the series with no finish below 3rd, whilst Abby and Ami went 2,3.5 (a tie with Rick and Sarah's Tasar) to finish 2nd overall just ahead of the Tasar in 3rd overall.

Joe Barton won the under 18's trophy in 7th overall in his Topper 4.2, Charles Campion took the Laser trophy in 5th overall, Phil Emery and Julie Nuttel won the Merlin Rocket Johnson Cup, Max Hunt, who couldn't sail on Monday with a damaged back, still managed to win the Laser/ILCA radials and Alastair Gould took the Asymmetrics in his Musto Skiff.

Whitstable YC Club Championship prize winners - photo © Steve Gray

Despite the brisk conditions the turnout of 44 boats was impressive with a good sprinkling of youngsters coming through including a good number of Toppers.

None of the racing could have taken place without our volunteers, so thanks to the race officers, committee boat drivers, safety boat drivers and crews, the recorders and finally the hardy souls who helped out on the beach on Sunday to support the returning tired and broken sailors.

Overall Results: