Maidenhead Sailing Clubs intrepid Junior Racing team competed in the RYA Eric Twiname Youth and Junior Team Racing Championships weekend on 15th16th October. The event, held at Oxford Sailing club’s water at Farmoor Reservoir was attended by over twenty junior (U16) teams of six from all over the country as far away as South Shields.

The weather proved challenging for the race team who ran over seventy races for the juniors and a similar number in a parallel youth event.  The morning racing could not start until the gradient wind broke through the morning mist at 11am. Conditions from then on were spectacular for October with warm sunshine and a fluctuating breeze.

Racing on the first day was tight with Maidenhead getting consistently good starts and experimenting with race tactics. By the end of the first day and with most teams having sailed five races, Maids lay on the lower half of the ranking table overnight. The second day dawned with teams promptly at Farmoor at 8.30am. Racing eventually started at midday when the fog burned off and the breeze filled in. Maidenhead finished outside the ranked leagues. Full results are avalable at http://www.sailracer.org/events/event-v2.asp?eventid=73531

Special thanks go to Monty Dunlap of West Kirby Sailing Club who crewed with Maids on the first day.

Maidenhead’s crews  were:

Ian Stone/ Raphael Conte /  (Monty Dunlap   WKSC)

Chris Hudson / Jordan Giles

Richard Russel / Harris Maidment

photos courtesy Jeff Maidment