Craig & Lewis defy Storm Daragh at the Sailing Chandlery Datchet Flyer

While Storm Daragh deterred most sailors from getting on the water last weekend, a small weather window saw 23 intrepid sailors in 17 boats get on the water for the Sailing Chandlery Datchet Flyer. With winds gusting close to 30 knots at times, there were 13 finishers.

 

This was the first opportunity for sailors to take part in the nine events of the Seldén Sailjuice Winter Series, and an opportunity for Nick Craig and Toby Lewis to test themselves in the RS400.

 

Meanwhile, the next event in the Series is fast approaching, this weekend’s Robline UK Polar Chase at Chase Sailing Club. There are already 80 entries, close to the maximum limit of 90.

 

 

Multiple champions across many classes, including former winners of the Seldén Sailjuice Winter Series, Craig and Lewis were delighted to see the event go ahead despite the doubts about Storm Daragh. “We had a fantastic blast - the mighty 400 is so well mannered in big breeze, yet exhilarating,” said Craig, who later this month flies to Sydney to compete in the B14 World Championship. “We did have a dodgy moment during the pre-start when we capsized on a gybe after Toby missed his toe straps. Every manoeuvre had to be inch perfect to stay upright, which Toby nailed in all three races.”

 

The team at Datchet Water have built a reputation for keeping going with scheduled events even when the easier option would be to cancel. DWSC was one of the first clubs back after Covid lockdowns, and principal race officer Seb Camisuli and his team were keen to make the 12th edition of the Sailing Chandlery Datchet Flyer go ahead as planned. While Saturday was too strong, a brief window of opportunity on Sunday made it possible to hold three back-to-back races, with just minutes of waiting in between races so the sailors didn’t get too cold. 

 

There were some phenomenal demonstrations of grit and determination, including Datchet’s Dan Goodman who might have only completed one race in his Waszp, but showing great courage to get out there in the first place aboard such a high-performance foiling machine.

 

Nick Craig gave credit to the organisers. “I was so pleased the event went ahead, a lot of clubs would have canned it,” said the Frensham Pond sailor. “It frustrates me that so many events get canned early based on a changeable forecast. My favourite sailing is high winds, but we give in too easily to the Health & Safety busy bodies! Good on Datchet Water for running it, and huge respect to the other competitors, especially the fast charging youths. There are some names to watch in the future.”

 Top performing youth was Jess Powell in an ILCA 4 singlehander. Already proven as a serious talent in the Topper class, where the 14-year-old has won the GJW Direct Topper National Championships and the YJA Young Sailor of the Year Award. The Draycote Water sailor finished second behind the winning RS400 and just ahead of Paignton’s Ben Flower, one of the top ILCA 7 sailors in the country and an Olympic campaigner.

 

Joseph Warwicker and Adam Aziz put in a solid performance in their 470 to come fourth overall ahead of next youth sailor, Cornielle LePrince in an ILCA 4. Aged 16, LePrince was one of two representatives from Greig City Academy, the other being Max Guiget-Belcher who was competing in a 24-year-old ILCA 4 dinghy.

 

Finishing on equal points with Guiget-Belcher was 15-year-old Finlay Cochrane who made the trip from Yorkshire Dales to compete in his ILCA 6 dinghy. Further back in 12th was Bartley Sailing Club’s Sophie Forbes who battled her Topper round the track in all three races despite very limited experience of racing, let along in breeze gusting close to 30 knots.

While 13-year-old Sophie was tacking her Topper around the race course, her mum Rachel was crewing for Series regular Paul Young for a non-racing blast around Datchet Water. “Rachel only started sailing in April this year, when I took her out in an Enterprise at Midland SC on a friends & family day,” explained Young. “Rachel was keen to find out what sailing was like and is one of the many people who crew for me. I do not have the same crew all the time as no one is available to crew for me all the time.”

 

One of Young’s other young crews was away sailing in the Southern Ocean. “Nathan is about to go around Cape Horn on a tall ship to celebrate finishing his apprenticeship. Lauren who you saw last year at times is crewing for me at Chase next week, and I’m sailing with others two during this winter.” Young says he currently is without a crew for the Yorkshire Dales Brass Monkey or the re-run of the Fernhurst Books Draycote Dash but says he’s working on it.

 

Co-organiser of the Seldén Sailjuice Winter Series, Simon Lovesey, was greatly encouraged by the efforts of Datchet Water SC, the participating sailors as well as those who came to watch and soak up the atmosphere. “Even when racing didn't happen it was great to see over a 100 people in the clubhouse having a great time.

 

"Thank you to Simon Horsfield for running our Plan B and the GJW Direct Coaching Workshop on heavy weather survival.Also, to RYA Rules Guru Chris Simon, for bringing us up to speed on the new Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS), that come into force 1st January 2025.  

 

“It was great to have some of our sponsors present and able to help with their specific areas of expertise, notably to Andrew Dowley of Sailing Chandlery and Andy Tarboton of Seldén Mast.” 

Even if you stayed at home and didn’t come to Datchet you can still get some great insights and go-faster tips from watching the GJW Direct sponsored Coaching Debrief by sailing coach and multiple champion Simon Horsfield...

 

https://www.facebook.com/SeldenSailJuiceWinterSeries/videos/872475731634906

 

Next Event

 

Now the Series moves on to the Robline UK Polar Chase this Saturday, 14 December.

 

 

Top 3 and other results from Datchet 

 

Final Podium

 

1st RS400, Nick CRAIG Tobytastic LEWIS, Frensham Pond SC 

 

2nd ILCA 4 / Laser 4.7, Jess POWELL, Draycote Water SC  

 

3rd ILCA 7 / Laser Standard, Ben FLOWER, Paignton SC 

 

Fastest (sustained speed over 20 seconds)

 

Nick CRAIG, RS400  13.6 kts

 

Fastest, corrected to handicap

 

Tom AHLHEID, RS200 13.0 kts

 

www.cfbylandl.com Youth Rankings £75 voucher

 

Jess POWELL,  ILCA 4 

 

Zhik Old Boats

 

Max GUIGUET-BELCHER,  ILCA 4, Greig City Academy 

 

1st Junior <14

 

 Sophie FORBES, Topper, Bartley SC

 

Full Results from Sailing Chandlery Datchet Flyer

 

https://enter.sailracer.org/eventsites/content.asp?id=50598&eventid=226008

 

 

 

THE EVENTS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can find out more about the Series here: www.SailJuiceSeries.com

 

Further Information for media:

 

Please contact Andy Rice

 

email: andy@sailjuice.com

 

Website: www.sailjuice.com

 

Photo Credits: Tim Olin

 

Notes to editors:

 

Previous winners of the Seldén Sailjuice Winter Series

2023/24 Sam Pascoe (Musto Skiff)

 

2022/23 Peter Gray & Geoff Edwards (Osprey)

2021/22 Roger Gilbert & Ben McGrane (505)

 

2020/21 Simon Horsfield & Katie Burridge/ Natalie Johnson (2000)

 

2019/20 Simon Horsfield & Katie Burridge (2000)

 

2018/19 Simon Horsfield & Katie Burridge (2000)

 

2017/18 Alistair Goodwin (Laser)

 

2016/17 Matt Mee & Emma Norris (RS200)

 

2015/16 Ian Dobson & Andy Tunnicliffe (GP14)

 

2014/15 Nick Craig & various crews (Merlin Rocket)

 

2013/14 Michael Sims (Solo)

 

2012/13 Tom Gillard & Simon Potts (Fireball)

 

2011/12 Peter Gray & Rachael Rhodes (Scorpion)

 

2010/11 Andy Peake (Musto Skiff)

 

2009/10 Olly Turner & Richard Whitworth (Merlin Rocket)

 

 

SailJuice.com is the ‘how to sail and race faster’ website, with hundreds of articles and exclusive interviews with National, World and Olympic Champions. Professional sailing journalist and editor of SailJuice.com, Andy Rice, came up with the concept of the SailJuice Winter Series (originally known as the SailJuice Global Warm-Up) as a way of increasing participation levels in dinghy racing during the off-season in the UK.

 

SailRacer manages event websites and processes online entry for major National, International, Youth and training events, providing online scoring, analysis and advanced sports presentation including GPS tracking and live video.

 

Seldén Mast Ltd is the world leader in dinghy spars. More races are won by Seldén Spars than any other brand. Dinghy spars are made using Seldén unique XPS aluminium with CNC cut tapers, automated welding and heat treating resulting in the highest quality and most consistent dinghy spars available. Seldén also produces about 400 carbon masts per year for boats including high performance dinghies and race yachts using state of the art Mandrel Filament Moulding Technology.

 

GJW Direct Insurance provides you with comprehensive cover for your dinghy with instant quotes available online. Our self-service portal allows you to manage your policy online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Offering new for old policies, cover for your kit, rapid online claims settlement and refund of entry fees if the event is cancelled and expert knowledge to assist you back onto the water quickly. Subject to exclusions and limitations, for the full dinghy insurance policy wording, please read here...