1997 UK Junior National Championships

Ten promising Snipe sailors entered the International Snipe Junior
National Championship at Blue Circle Sailing Club on Saturday 2
August.  Four of the southern Snipe fleets were represented.  Winds
never exceeded force 2 for the four races which were held over
Olympic Triangular courses.  On offer for the winner was a place
with the six strong senior team at next year's Snipe Europeans in
Portugal.

In the first race Phillip Marshall and Saskia Clark of Maldon YC
judged the start perfectly and and led throughout.  Alex Francis
and Anne Gregory of Erith YC worked their way up to second and Nick
Lett and Luke Tharp of the home club were third.

The second race was much closer as the shifting wind offered huge
gains or losses on the windward leg.  Tim Allardyce and Chester
Candish of Medway YC led early on, getting clear of an untidy start
which saw Lett do 720 degree turns for a port and starboard
offence.  Allardyce held on to second as Marshall gained another
first, and Francis was third.

In the third race Allardyce led all the way but in the last two
hundred yards ran into a hole and was passed by three boats.
Francis and Gregory won and Marshall went from fifth to second on
the final beat.  Lett and Tharp were third.

For the final race, Marshall and Clark just needed to beat Francis
and Gregory to be sure of the title.  Their start was perfect and
they were able to cover the fleet from then on.  Francis's
challenge died as he went too far left up the first beat, gifting
second place to Lett, and Anthony Paine and Andrew Lidstone of
Broadstairs SC sailed their best race to claim third.

Overall results:

1st GBR 20558  P Marshall/S Clark     Maldon YC        2.25pts
2nd GBR 23980  A Francis/A Gregory    Erith YC         5.75
3rd GBR 28385  N Lett/L Tharp         Blue Circle SC   8.00
4th GBR 20557  T Allardyce/C Candish  Medway YC       11.00
5th GBR 24776  A Paine/A Lidstone     Broadstairs SC  12.00

Richard Lambert (infopress@infopress.com)