Starcross Yacht Club Junior Regatta 2021
by Dougal Scott 18 Aug 22:24 AEST 14-17 August 2021
Starcross Yacht Club Junior Regatta © Ben Newall 
An energetic fleet of 38 children took place in the inaugural Starcross YC junior regatta, held on the river Exe over four days from 14-17 August. The format of the event was 2-3 short races each day, with the fleets divided into a very competitive gold fleet, and a coached silver fleet.
In between racing a full timetable of beach games, camp-overs and discos took place, leaving lots of exhausted but smiling children at the end of four days.
The event experienced a wide variety of conditions, with races in 6 knots of breeze, up to the final two days in an 18 knot north westerly. The Gold fleet was won by Hannah Carruthers, sailing her Cadet with crew George Cox-Olliff, with Tom Semmens second in a Topper 4.2, and Huw Beare third in his Topper.
The Silver fleet was won by Jess Upchurch, with Amelie Ballantyne second in her Topper, and Noah Helm third, also in a Topper. The top three of the silver fleet were all sailing in their first regatta, and for many in the silver fleet this was their first ever racing!
The event was very generously sponsored by Exe Sails and Covers, Exeter School, Seawood Chandlery, Rope Locker, Admiral Trailers, and Sainsburys. This enabled a very full set of prizes, and entry fees to be kept to next-to-nothing.
A huge thanks to all our sponsors and also to the small army of volunteers who made this event such a huge success.
www.starcrossyc.org.uk/racing/events/junior-regatta
Gold fleet overall results:
1. Hannah Carruthers and George Cox-Olliff – International Cadet
2. Tom Semmens – Topper 4.2
3. Huw Beare – Topper 5.3
4. Kirsty Scott – RS Tera Sport
5. Jack Solly – RS Tera Sport
6. Harriet Paley – RS Tera Pro
7. Caleb and Rowan Greeves – RS Feva
8. Ben Fuller – Laser Radial
9. Philippa Paley – RS Tera Sport
10. Charles Bamsey – Laser 4.7
Silver fleet overall results:
1. Jess Upchurch – Laser Pico
2. Amelia Ballantyne – Topper 5.3
3. Noah Helm – Topper 5.3
4. Jessica Herdman – Topper 5.3
5. Emma Kaczor – Optimist
6. Tom Solly – Bug
7. Olly Skeldon – Optimist
8. Ella Hargreaves – Optimist
9. Arabella Upchurch – Topper 5.3
10. Will West – RS Tera Sport
