National Championships 2010 - Brightlingsea SC

Written by: Peter Sedgewick

The UK Mirror National Junior Championships were held within the overall Nationals with Juniors really performing well against all comers.  However, the Junior competition proved to be close and tightly fought with a good number and range of competitors.

The first 2 races saw Peter Sedgewick and Nick Pugh take 2 first places and build a short lead from Helena Pugh and Libby Courage, with Alex Lloyd and Liam Angrave in third on the same points.  A number of competitors struggled in the heavy weather and ended up taking race 2 as their discard as they struggled to finish.

Day 2 saw the heavy seas and strong winds prevent racing at all.

Back on the water on the final day race 3 saw the Lulham-Robinson boys, Ben and Matthew, enjoy their best race of the series followed by Sedgewick  and Pugh and then Lloyd and Angrave.

Race 4 was won by Lloyd and Angrave in Ptwootle 2, with Maddy Anderson and Kim May Papaillion coming in with a late run in second and Sedgewick and Pugh taking third in Aquas Lupus.

By race 5 it was clear that any one of 5 boats could have taken the championship.  All put in every effort to gain those vital top positions.  Everything was thrown wide open with Anderson and Papaillion winning an enthralling race, with the Lulham-Robinsons in second and Sedgewick and Pugh taking third.

Positions in the last race would almost certainly secure the Junior Championship.  The flood tide and increasingly heavy winds made judging the start a nightmare.  After two general recalls due to the number of boats crossing the line early in their desire to take pole position, the black flag was hoisted.  The challenge for the best start was again very aggressive and saw Lloyd and Angrave and the Lulham-Robinson boys over the line and sent home. In the resulting field Helena Pugh and Libby Courage made phenomenal progress to take first place, with Anna Watkinson and Rosie Watkins having their best result of the meeting in second place, and Peter Sedgewick and Nick Pugh again taking third place.

It looked as though Pugh and Courage in Benina Split had taken it at the last with their superb sailing, but protests and technical mistakes cost them overall.  As with the main championship it was consistency throughout the 6 races which brought about success.

At the award ceremony for 2010 the UK Mirror National Junior Championship went to Peter Sedgewick and Nick Pugh, representing Ripon Sailing Club, with second place going to Alex Lloyd and Liam Angrave, and third place to Maddy Anderson and Kim May Papaillion, both from the Brightlingsea Club.

The Silver Fleet Trophy, awarded to the highest placed junior boat from outside the National Junior Squad, went deservedly to Eddie Grayson and Matt Foster of Beaver Sailing Club.

Overall, the weekend saw exciting racing, a range of results, highs and lows and a great deal of challenging sailing.  The UK Mirror Class Association can feel truly proud of this event, not just because of the achievements of the winners, but because of the breadth of the smiles as sailors went off from the shore and as they returned.

Thank you to everyone who made this a safe, successful and highly enjoyable event.