Hot shot racing and beginning on the pathway: Solway Yacht Club’s Cadet Week 2024
Thanks to the tide times, the Solway Yacht Club’s Cadet Week 2024 in Kippford started a day earlier than usual with the welcome and briefing on Saturday evening. Young people, families and friends from many parts of the country as well as further afield were greeted by Jo Harris the Club’s Cadet Officer, Commodore Scott McColm, Training Officer Emma McRobert and briefed by the racing fleet Principal Race Officer Stewart Biggar. Other groups were introduced to their instructors and coaches. This year the progression pathway was changed slightly with the 2nd year beginners identified separately from the 1st year Red Caps, now having Burgundy (or possibly purple) Caps, no one seemed quite sure of the colour! The White Caps (the original “Kepis Blancs”), were the well-established improvers group and the hot shot racers, the Black Caps.
With the serious business on the water starting on Sunday, the beginners began their basic tuition while further out the racers were getting ready for the first in the week-long race series. Despite a promising breeze as the course was set, the wind shifted and dropped to almost nothing just as the race started. The effect was a slow drift to the windward mark with boats creeping round part of the course. First win in the fast handicap 1 fleet went to Toby Iglehart in his ILCA 4, fresh from his Junior Race win at the previous weekend’s Nottinghamshire County SC Commodore’s Cup Regatta. Race 2 and a 12-knot breeze arrived, again, just as race started changing conditions completely. This time Finn Harris, also in an ILCA4 got the win, starting a week-long battle between the two. In Handicap 2 the first win went to Ida Iglehart in her Topper with Lucy Leyshon winning race 2 in another Topper.
Day 2 dawned with very little wind; boats were towed out to course South of Rough Island where a light Easterly gave a favourable square course over one lap. The wind shifted as race 2 started meaning the windward mark was no longer an upwind beat. By good luck, or good course laying, another leg became a beat so Cadets’ skill at all points of sailing was tested. Race one saw the first win for Katie Harris and Sally Mackay in the RS200 but it was Toby Iglehart again in Race 2. Handicap 2 saw a first win for Lucy Leyshon in race 1 with race 2 going to Ida. The Solway YC’s unique “Mudlarks”; tug o’ war, fun and games and mud slide down into the Urr, had cadets muddy from head to toe and they didn’t spare the adult safety crew to similar treatment, much to the delight of the spectator crowd!
With an unusual forecast of zero wind at one point, Tuesday didn’t look promising, but the Solway sun shone brightly, a beautiful day, an on-time lovely sea breeze and perfect conditions! How wrong could the forecast have been locally! A welcome visit from Ben Luckett, RYA Scotland’s Interim Pathway Sailing Officer showed the Club at its best and he seemed impressed. Out in the bay racing continued but in the estuary the improvers group were getting into short practice races. In one day, they went from a clearly inexperienced group to “on the gun” starting and close tacking to the windward mark, culminating in a two-lap race with sweets as prizes for the podium places in all five short races, the young race coaches, Ben and Henry, doing a great job.
Wednesday, the traditional day for the Scauronian race, which is one long race round a big course. It was windy! The Black Caps got out to the Committee boat and the race got underway. Too much for some, there were many retirements, beached boats and busy safety boats. In the end no injuries or damage, just tired crews. Close inshore the Red and Burgundy cap groups were learning fast and getting more than their fair share of capsize practices but after more tired crews, the instructors called it a day an hour early. Probably a very good thing so energy was saved for the much-heralded Cadet Dinner (parents prohibited) and Ceilidh later in that evening.
Thursday and the final day and just one race to wind up the series. The traditional Cadets “splash down” off the pontoon was the preamble to the prizegiving and awards of certificates to the beginners, hopefully all who’ll be returning next year to follow the progression pathway. As well as the race winners, best improver awards in the White Caps went to Lucy Johnstone, while most progress in the beginners’ groups were awarded to Red Caps Tilly Stanning and Burgundy Caps Thomas Barton.
Special thanks for the week went to the hardworking Galley team led by Hilary O’Dwyer as well as all the Race Committee and Safety Boat crews but most of all, to Jo Harris and Emma McRobert.
Black Cap Results:
Handicap 1:
1st Toby Iglehart (ILCA 4)
2nd Finn Harris (ILCA 4)
3rd Katie Harris and Sally Mackay (RS200)
4th Murray Wilson (ILCA 4)
5th James Colbeck (ILCA 4)
6th Callum McRobert (Byte C1)
7th Connor Rennie (ILCA 4)
8th Tamsin Wallace and Mollie Keiley (RS200)
9th Jack Johnstone (ILCA 4)
Handicap 2:
1st Lucy Leyshon (Topper)
2nd Anastasia Yao Yao (Topper)
3rd Ida Iglehart (Topper)
4th Jessica Brown (Topper)
5th Maria McMiken and Hannah O’Dwyer (RS Feva XL)
6th Katie Brown (Topper)
7th Murray McKendrick (Topper)
8th Elise Reilly and Frazer McFadzean (RS Feva XL)
