Strong start for Sparks and Gratton

The RYA Volvo Youth Nationals get underway in Largs

Phil Sparks and Ben Gratton got their 2009 RYA Volvo Youth National Championships and Trials campaign off to emphatic start as they enjoyed a 420 class clean sweep at Largs Sailing Club.

Some 250 sailors took to the waters off Scotland’s West Coast for the opening day of the five-day event today.

And it was 16-year-old duo Christchurch’s Sparks, and Gratton, from Guildford, that capitalised on some champagne conditions to score two wins from their two races to sit at the top of the 420 boys’ leaderboard going into day two.

But the pair, who won 420 bronze at last year’s Youth Nationals, by no means had everything the way they would have hoped.

As Sparks explained: “We hit a boat on port on our first start and had to perform a 720 degree penalty turn. We managed to catch up on the first beat and because the wind was quite gusty there was quite a lot of opportunity to get back into it, which we fortunately were able to do.

“Race two was really tight, we got quite a good start but the wind filled in midway through the race and the fleet got really condensed. But we were able to take advantage of a massive lift on the run and again were pleased to be able to get the win. Overall with two wins you would have to say it was a good day for us but there is room for improvement.”

A third and second for Ben Palmer and Konrad Weaver sees them well-placed in second while an excellent day for Wimbledon’s Rebecca Kalderon and Rosie Sibthorp, from Thames Ditton, has them as the top ranked girls’ pair in third overall courtesy of their 5, 4 scores tied on the same points as Romford’s Amy Seabright and Katrina Brewer, from Poole.

The RS:X windsurfers got the 2009 RYA Volvo Youth Nationals underway on time with Clevedon’s Ali Masters topping the pile in the boys’ class and Izzy Hamilton, from Holsworthy, edging ahead in the girls.

Masters, 17, picked up a 1,2 in glorious sunshine and breeze gusting up to 18 knots to lead overall from George Bowles while 16-year-old Hamilton followed up an impressive race one second with a second race 10th to sit a point ahead of Claudia Carney.

Phil Reynolds enjoyed the end of day one bragging rights in the Laser Standard but there is almost nothing to choose between he and Alex Mills-Barton as both boys sit tied on five points.

With a lack of win delaying the start of racing on the Laser/420 course by an hour, Saltash’s Reynolds, who finished top of the British Youth Laser rankings last year, has his nose in front courtesy of his opening race victory and a second race fourth while Mills-Barton, from Seaford, posted scores of 2,3.

Bleddyn Mon, with new crew Nick Redding, will be looking to improve on the boys’ 29er silver he won at Pwllheli last year, and the Anglesey-based helm and Didcot’s Redding got their quest off to a cracking start with a first and second to hold a comfortable seven point lead over Lymington’s young duo Henry Lloyd Williams and Sam Batten.

Becky Diamond, from Warsash, and West Horsley’s Fiona Hampshire head the girls’ 29er with 15 points while Lilly Carlisle and Becky Wallbank sit in second on 20.

With the Radials boasting the biggest fleet of the Championships, 94 boats will contest a qualifying series of six proposed races. The fleet is split into four groups who race each other in rotation, with two flights being run per race. Boats will be assigned to final Gold and Silver fleets based on their ranking after qualifying.

Reigning Youth National champion James Grant from Falmouth got his title defence off to the best possible start with his 1, 3 scores putting him at the top of the leaderboard while his younger brother David sits in third with a 5,1. Max Robinson currently splits the Grant brothers in second with a 4,1.

Godalming’s Mary Fenton-Jones, the top ranked British Youth Radial girl last year, is the highest placed girl closely followed by Anna Carpenter and Kate Sargent.

Racing resumes tomorrow with the first warning signal scheduled for 10.55am.

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