Britain back on top

USA has lost their grip on the Optimist UK National Championship

Young sailor, Alex Mothersele (15) from Hampshire has moved up from sixth to poll position at the end of day three of the UK Optimist National Championship, after posting a fifth and second in the two races. The leader board has shifted around as both the senior and junior fleets have finished six races, allowing the sailors to discard their worst result from the past three days. This has also allowed Team America to dominate the top three places in the junior fleet.

The conditions in Weymouth Bay were not quite as “perfect” as the previous days with the breeze dying in the late afternoon, making the racing difficult. “It was very shifty out there, making it hard to know which side of the race course was the right one to choose. But I like it in the light breeze as I think the UK sailors are better in these conditions. It looks like it will stay like this for the rest of the week,” said Jamie Diamond (12), who is currently eighth in the junior fleet.

Hunter Johnson (12), from America is still leading the pack in the junior fleet, with his teammates, Duncan Williford (12) and Clay Danly (12) following consecutively. The American team all live in Chicago, US where they get to train on both Lake Michigan and more sheltered inland lakes. “You really have to be focussed when sailing out here on the Bay and pay attention to the shifts. You can gain and lose a lot in a short amount of time,’ said fleet leader Johnson.

In the senior fleet Alex Mothersele fights off the International sailors at the top of the results board, while Spanish sailor Eric Plancon (14) stays put in second with a bullet and a 13th. American Alex Curtiss has moved into bronze position from eighth, after losing his 19th place result from yesterday’s racing, with the discard system.

The regatta fleet managed to fit in one race in the variable conditions after playing a few games out on the water. They have been split into three groups for the regatta, the Pirates, the Brigands and the Buccaneers. The three groups take it in turn to sail against each other, whilst under the watchful eyes of the coaches and safety fleet from Mumbles Sailing Club and Cardiff Bay Sailing Club.

“We are so happy to be invited down here,” said Roland Evans (Herbie), Regatta Lead Coach. “We have had a brilliant day today. Some of the children have come here knowing very little about racing and now on day three they are all sailing round a course. It’s been the best day yet of a National Championships I have ever done!”