420 selector

Nick Martin on this final series at Hayling Island SC from where two teams will head to the ISAF Youth Worlds

52 boats sailed in the final selector for the 420 2005 World Championships, held at Hayling Island on the early May Bank Holiday weekend. Although the wind never rose above 9 knots, Race Officer Roger Palmer and his team of international race officials managed to get seven good races sailed. Hannah Mills and Peggy Webster continued their good form to win three races and take the meeting from Ben Ainsworth and Maia Walsh, who won the last two races, followed by Maria Stanley and Catherine Alton. The selection series is now complete with 17 races sailed. Tom Mallindine and James Clark have won the series from Mills and Webster, which must be a very encouraging result as both of these teams have already been selected to sail at the ISAF Youth World Championships.

Racing on Saturday started late due to waiting for the wind to fill in and the fog to lift. In the end the course was set with a light south easterly breeze giving a nasty little chop to make sailing very difficult. After the usual false start, Mills and Webster took the left side of the beat to lead at the first mark. They then sailed away to win comfortably from Matt Burge and Chris Evans, and Stanley and Alton. Race two was similar with Mills and Webster again taking a good lead, but this time from Chris Witty and Jess Savin, with Ben Ainsworth and Maia Walsh getting used to the conditions in third place. Even though it was past 4pm the wind was holding up so the Race Officer was able to start a third race. Once again Mills and Webster sailed a good first beat to lead at the first mark. This time they sailed away to a huge win. Mallindine and Clark hung on to second place ahead of Burge and Evans.

Sunday looked more promising with the wind in the south and better visibility. But still the wind was patchy with the possibility of losing a lot of ground through being in a hole. Ed Powys and Will Morgan took race 4 from James Goss and Elliot Parsons. Race 5 was the windiest of the day. Stanley and Alton led Mills and Webster at the first mark by a length. By the finish they have moved comfortably ahead. Ainsworth and Walsh showed good speed to move up to third again. By race 6 the sea was particularly sloppy. Ainsworth and Walsh finished ahead of Burge and Evans and Alison Martin and Ian Dobson. These three teams having just benefited from sailing a regatta in Mediterranean chop, which is just as difficult.

Monday’s forecast was for a bit more wind. By 1030 it was possible to send the fleet to sea. Again the wind was light southerly. Once more Mills and Webster led at the first mark benefiting from a left hand shift on the first beat, As the race progressed the wind dropped from 8 knots to very little. On the last reach Ainsworth and Walsh were able to creep through from fourth to first leaving Mills and Webster in second and Stanley And Alton in 3rd place. After a long wait the breeze filled in again and an 8th race was started. But as the fleet neared the windward mark it dropped to nothing. A lot of sailors became very frustrated, but in the end the Race Officer decided it was quite unfair and abandoned rather than finish the regatta with a bad race.

Results:
1st Hannah Mills & Peggy Webster 21 pnts;
2nd Ben Ainsworth & Maia Walsh 34 pnts;
3rd Maria Stanley & Catherine Alton 47 pnts;
4th Matt Burge & Chris Evans 47 pnts;
5th Niki Birrell & Chris Birrell 48 pnts;
6th Alison Martin & Ian Dobson 49 pnts