Cadet UK National Championships at Brixham Yacht Club - Overall

We rejoin the Cadet Nationals half way through with, as we reported previously, "everything to play for throughout the fleet".

Wednesday saw a continuation of the breeze and big easterly seas with Will Shepherd and Joe Mycroft starting to find their mojo, registering a bullet and a second. Hannah Carruthers and George Cox Oliff after faltering a little in the first, won the second race of the day but Hamish Collingridge and Rhona Enkel scored a consistent 2,3 to start to close the gap to Hannah and George - down from 7 points at the start of the day to just 4 points in it as the day ended.

In the silver fleet, Evan Harris and James Vellacott held onto their overall lead with 12,17 and Olivia McMorris and Phoebe Millar continued to add to their haul of silverware in the regatta fleet with two more results pushing well up into the back-markers in the silver fleet.

Cadet UK National Championships at Brixham - photo © Tim Hampton / www.timhampton.uk

On Thursday the wind was forecast to drop through the day and drop it did. Only one race was sailed and Jess Watling and Annabel Shepherd were desperately unlucky. With a healthy lead all around the course and extending on the fleet throughout to the last leeward gate the wind literally shut down and the final beat became trickier than a very tricky thing.

Mish and Rhona kept their boat sailing low and fast (relative to those around them that is) and crept through to take the win ahead of Will and Joe with Hannah and George recovering to take 3rd. Jess and Annabel were ultimately 5th but should reflect positively on just how well they had sailed whilst there was wind. First silver fleet boat went to Monty Hampton and Tom Stoddart with a cracking 8th place with Olivia and Phoebe once again ahead of the back of the silver fleet boats with a 21st.

Cadet UK National Championships at Brixham - photo © Tim Hampton / www.timhampton.uk

So that left things yet more finely balanced going into the last 2 races on the final day. 2 points between Hannah and George and Mish and Rhona but with neither having a discard after their OCS's in race 1.

At the top of the first beat Mish and Rhona led but a spinnaker snafu at the leeward gate allowed Hannah and George to break cover and take the win and extend their overall lead to 3 points with just 1 race left. Evan and James took a 6th followed by an even better 3rd in the final race to secure silver fleet overall with once again Olivia and Phoebe prevailing in regatta fleet in both races to seal that victory overall.

Cadet UK National Championships at Brixham - photo © Tim Hampton / www.timhampton.uk

So back to the battle for overall 2021 UK Cadet National Champions... Mish and Rhona rounded the windward in the final race in second behind Will and Joe and they both held these positions throughout the race but Hannah and George were buried deep in the high teens and had to work hard to dig themselves out.

Ignoring the bananas sailed by others, they had reduced the deficit somewhat by the first leeward gate where they sensibly took the uncrowded port gate to avoid the melee, but at the start of the outer loop they still needed lots more places to take first overall.

Hannah Carruthers & George Cox-Olliff win the Cadet UK National Championships at Brixham - photo © Tim Hampton / www.timhampton.uk

They held this position to the finish - even then they had a tricky cross just metres from the line - and so ended equal on 23 points with Mish and Rhona but took the overall championship on countback by virtue of having won more races - worthy champions but undoubtedly pushed to the limit.

Proceedings ended with a cracking prize-giving - the cadet class has too much history and as a result too many trophies to list them all but everyone received at least a keepsake to take home.

Perhaps more importantly the experiences and memories these young sailors take away just cannot be replicated - Brixham Yacht Club served up a simply superb week of sailing and one which will rank up there with the best for years and years to come (I should know; its our 10th!).

A big thank-you to Richard, their Commodore who was in the water everyday helping launch and recovery, to Adrian who lead the arrangements and to their merry band of helpers who were always on hand with good humour and a beer. Arky, our unique PRO was brought in from the race course in a cadet sailed by Toby Bush and even managed to fly the kite.

Cadet UK National Championships at Brixham - photo © Tim Hampton / www.timhampton.uk

An epic end to an epic last day of an epic week. The class also says farewell as it does every year to the cohort who age out - they too are epic - but what a send off to give them. They will go from strength to strength and we hope "never forget their first cadets".

Overall Results:
If you finished in the top ten at the Cadet nationals then enter your Gear Guide information here

Cadet UK National Championships at Brixham - photo © Tim Hampton / www.timhampton.uk