BSDRA Schools Nationals and International Championships 2011

The British schools team racing national and international championships took place on 5-6 July at Bough Beech Reservoir. Sevenoaks have a fairly enviable record at the nationals; since it began in 1989 they have won it 17 times, and the previous two seasons have finished first and second.

This year saw a great turn out, with 23 teams representing 15 different schools, including two from Ireland and a team from both Denmark and Germany. Sevenoaks entered three teams.

Day 1 was frustrating with very unstable winds and only around one third of the races planned were able to be completed. However Sevenoaks had a good day with the first team coming second overall and the second team lying fourth.

Day 2 was again a waiting game, but this time when the wind did fill in, it filled in very well and a cracking afternoon was had with racing continuing to 6pm. Sevenoaks A were looking good and went into the semi-finals still ranked 2nd behind the Irish team from Schull who won the international title last year. Sevenoaks B narrowly missed out on the semi-final when they lost a play-off to the second Irish team from Rochestown; this did, however, place them third in the British Nationals so was not a bad result.

Sevenoaks raced Magdalen College School, their closest rivals in schools team racing in this country and a team who have been on good form recently. Unfortunately MCS took the semi-final 2-0, sending Sevenoaks crashing out of the competition and having to settle for second overall in the national competition and third in the international. MCS went on to beat Schull 2-1 in the international final.

The Sevenoaks third team consisting of much younger sailors competed well and finished 15th overall.

Results:

1st MCS
2nd Schull (IRL)
3rd (2nd GBR) Sevenoaks A: Laurence Gibbons & Emily McEachern; Henry Forward & Vicky Moynes; Nick Ashton & Immi Palmer
4th Rochestown (IRL)
5th (3rd GBR) Sevenoaks B: Harrison Hodgkins & Michael Forward; Jacob Rainbow & Fred Best; Rob Laurenson & Jack Colquitt
15th Sevenoaks C: Ed Broadhead & Flora Donald; Ben Moverley Smith & Issy Gordon; Ed Haynes & Henry Bowers