Claridge and Husband on top

Phil Lawrence reports from the 420 class at the Harken Royal Lymington Youth regatta

Summer returned to Lymington as a good quality fleet of 31 420s enjoyed hot and sunny conditions at the Harken-sponsored youth regatta. With plenty of new names and helm/crew combinations joining the resurgent 420 class, this was a good opportunity to see who might be moving up to the front of the fleet over the coming months.

Race 1 started on Saturday afternoon in a gentle F2 to F3 sea breeze over a trapezoid course with Jodie Green & Amelia Hughes taking an early lead. The racing was very close with plenty of place changes before Tom Makey & James Wade pulled through to win from Maria Stanley & Catherine Alton and Oliver Dix & Tom Heywood

The strong tide and light wind resulted in most of the fleet forming a huge raft at the leeward mark in Race 2. The leaders escaped into a big lead whilst the rest attempted to free themselves from the mass of boats. Tom Mallindine & James Clark won followed by Sophie Ainsworth & Harriet Trumble and Tom Makey & James Wade.

Both the Tom & James combinations looked set for a repeat performance in Race 3 when they were early leaders after flying starts. Unfortunately the black flag blackboard was waiting for them at the windward mark and they were both pulled over for jumping the start gun along with 4 other offenders. Robbie Claridge & Jasmine Husband took over the lead and won the race followed by Claire Walsh & Clare Best with Robert Struckett & Tom Hodkinson holding onto third.

A further two races were held on Sunday morning in a steady F3 easterly wind. After excellent starts Ben Ainsworth & Ian Heywood and Hannah Mills & Peggy Webster were early leaders of race 4, but Rachel Wigmore crewed by Robbie Allam pulled through to a comfortable win.

The event was wide-open going into the final race with all the leaders carrying a poor result they needed to discard. James & Dan Ellis pulled out a large lead which they held to the finish followed by Robbie & Jasmine and Tom Mallindine & James Clark This left Robbie & Jasmine clear overall winners, with Tom Makey & James Wade second and Ollie Dix & Tom Heywood third. The fleet returned to shore to enjoy an excellent prizegiving tea and some very generously donated Harken prizes.

Top 10 results:

1. 51838 Robbie Claridge & Jasmine Husband
2. 51870 Thomas Makey & James Wade
3. 51740 Oliver Dix & Tom Heywood
4. 51357 Thomas Mallindine & James Clark
5. 51175 Maria Stanley & Catherine Alton
6. 51605 Rachel Wigmore & Robbie Allam
7. 51409 Charlotte Lawrence & Sam Pearson
8. 51410 Claire Walsh & Clare Best
9. 51773 James Ellis & Dan Ellis
10. 51283 Sophie Ainsworth & Harriete Trumball