Kestrel National Championship at the Royal Tay Yacht Club

by Stewart Murdoch 9 Aug 17:54 NZST 3-6 August 2024

Fifteen Kestrel dinghies entered the UK National Championship hosted at the RYA Impact Award winning Royal Tay Yacht Club. Winds and tides combined to provide a highly competitive series of close races with places changing lap by lap.

A south westerly wind pattern over a flood tide allowed the race committee to set beats that offered both left and right options. The opportunity for peril on the start line, by being pushed over was largely avoided, there were no general and only a couple of individual recalls. At the top end of the beat, the flood tide gave opportunities for late arrivals on port tack to squeeze round inside starboard tackers who ended up over-standing the mark. On the runs, there was no hiding from the adverse tide which provided more time for boats to cover, overtake or choose wider routes. The angles were worked out very well and encouraged close racing. Over the four days, all but two of the 10 races were won and lost at the end of the last downwind leg.

Day 1

Race 1: Draycote Trophy (Barometer)

Wind west 18 kt with 25 kt gusts, sunshine and a flood tide.
Course - windward leeward, 4 laps close race with the top three boats all in contention until the mid-point of the race when Worsley and Harper drew out a decisive lead.

Sparkling sailing with the Tay at its best, but tough on the legs and abs!

Race 2: The Designer Trophy

Wind west 14 kt with 22 kt gusts.
Course - Triangle, sausage, triangle.

Another close race. The leading three boats locked together for a full hour of racing. Murdoch and Scott-Brown led going into the last lap and were still in the lead until the last mark at which Worsley and Harper established an inside overlap and went on to finish 2 seconds ahead.

Day 2

Race 3: The Kestrel 2000 Trophy

Wind south west, 14 kt gusting 20 kt. Flood tide.
Course - windward / leeward 4 laps.

In a repeat of day 1 Worsley and Harper reached the windward mark a clear boat length ahead of Murdoch and Scott Brown, places changed twice on the run and so it continued until the last beat when Worsley and Harper picked the shift correctly and established an unassailable lead.

Race 4: The Ashford Bowl

Wind south west, 14 kt gusting 16 kt.
Course - windward / leeward 4 laps.

One of the closest races with the top four boats always in close contention and swapping places. Enkel and Tebbutt led at the first mark but were pulled in by the chasing group and passed on the first run, they took back the lead on the last run by staying high, picking up the gust first and holding it all together to the finish.

Race 5: The Rock Trophy

Wind south west with big gusts and shifts to the south. 12 kt, gusts 18 kt.
Course - triangle, sausage, triangle.

Another clear and close start. The tide was still flooding, but softening. The first two rounds hinted at what was to come, there were big shifts with some uncomfortable lulls. The first reach became a close fetch and the second a dead run as the wind backed south. On the last triangle things became a little crazy with a huge shift to the south favouring the mid fleet group and allowing the top three to be caught right up and most passed. Worsley and Harper squeezed round the windward mark just ahead of the chasing pack and held onto their lead over the very uncomfortable last two reaches keeping Barnett and Lamb just behind until the finish.

Day 3

Race 6: The Ernie Miller Trophy

After a calm morning the forecast south westerly built nicely as the fleet left the beach, with some brisk gusts under a rather foreboding sky. Course - windward / leeward. Murdoch and Ken Scott-Brown led by a boat length at the windward mark but were rolled by Howie and Tebbutt to windward and Worsley and Harper who went through to leeward on the first run. At the second windward mark Murdoch and Scott-Brown were again first to round and managed to hold their lead onto the second beat, the first three boats locked together, never more than a boat length apart. This pattern continued. The Kestrel fleet is known for its close sailing, but this was one of the closest races over an hour, settled in the final analysis by Worsley and Harper, with Murdoch and Scott-Brown second and Barnett and Lamb a very close third.

Race 7: The Weird Wood Crystal

The forecast 33 kt gusts never quite materialised, but there were very big and volatile gusts with a base south westerly wind of 15kt. Course - triangle, sausage, triangle. Uncharacteristically, Worsley had a bad start leaving Murdoch and Scott-Brown with a clear lead. Despite the violent gusts as the fleet reached the first mark Murdoch and Scott-Brown hoisted their spinnaker and flew down the reaches, surviving the gybe and establishing a significant lead. A number of others spent some time checking out the finish on the underside of their hull. There was a close battle between Enkel and Worsley for second which Enkel won.

Race 8: The Tay Barometer - the long distance race

The wind had eased slightly to 14 kt with gusts after lunch and was to drop throughout the race. Course - west through the Tay Bridge, a 'sausage' off Riverside Drive and the V&A Dundee, before the reach back to the navigation spans and finally a long run to the finish off the grassy beach. In response to a recall at the start two boats went back. It was a lumpy first beat and the fleet became quite separated by the time Worsley and Harper led through the Road Bridge. It was a lead that they continued to extend. The race became slightly processional, but the opportunity of a passage race was appreciated and provided a unique experience.

On the run back to the RTYC, the wind died and it looked as if it would be a struggle to stem the now ebbing tide. However, after fifteen minutes spent failing to fill the spinnakers, a new westerly filled in from astern and the fleet closed up, finishing within a few minutes of each other after a 1hour 20 minute race. Both Murdoch and Barnett, however, finished to silence, both had been judged OCS at the start!

There were a few new names in the top finishers:

1st Worsley / Harper
2nd Enkel / Tebbutt
3rd Hunter / Hood
4th Moore / Wilson

With two discards now being counted Worsley and Harper had won the Championship with a day to spare. Podium places, were still very much up for grabs with several close scores going into the final day.

Day 4 (Races 9 & 10 designated as the Scottish Championship)

Race 9

Wind south west force 3, with big gusts. Flood tide. Sunshine.
Course - windward / leeward, 4 laps.

Another typically close start, with all boats on the line and clear. It was only on the first beat that the importance of picking the shifts correctly showed.

The first three boats reached the windward mark absolutely line abreast, Worsley and Harper had "water" and rounded on the inside with Enkel and Tebbutt and Murdoch and Scott-Brown both forced wide. This set the positions for the run... at least initially. With the gusts coming from astern there were many position changes within the fleet and several overlaps at the leeward mark. It continued thus with compression downwind on each of the four rounds. Those who pulled ahead would be reeled in, positions changed and every leg was a battle against the shifts as well as the competition.

Bremner and Anderson hit by a big gust, pulled off the most spectacular capsize of the championship as they rocketed towards the leeward mark, threading their way through beating boats only to wipe out before they could drop the spinnaker and regain control.

It was Enkel and Tebbutt who produced the best downwind speed to finish first, ahead of Worsley, followed by Murdoch.

Race 10

The last race of the UK Championship and the second of the Scottish Championship was started in a marginally fresher wind with marginally stronger gusts. These were strong enough to produce a few capsizes and to give exciting racing which kept the fleet bunched closely together.

There were some wicked shifts on the beats which could result in three or four places being lost or gained in the blink of an eye. This did not unsettle Worsley and Harper who once more produced a commanding performance to win the Scottish Championship day.

The competition for places was intense, none more so than the fight for second place overall. This was finally decided on the 20 metre hitch from the last mark to the finish line after an hour of close racing. Murdoch and Scott-Brown managed to gybe quicker and sail over Enkel and Tebbutt. Only one point separated their final scores after 10 races.

The championship dinner in the new RTYC clubhouse was a very splendid affair.

Retiring KOA chair Liz Le Mare gave a vote of thanks to the RTYC, the sponsors, the caterers, the safety crews, the PRO, and then passed comment on each of the teams!

During the event everyone had received a prize and there were special prizes and trophies awarded before the final presentation of the championship trophy. Prizes sponsored by Hartley Boats and a anonymous class supporter.

The championship had been blessed by great sailing conditions; a racing area just 4 minutes from the beach, allowing maximum time to enjoy the hot snacks and cakes served by the RTYC volunteers; the closest of racing; an experienced and very competent race management team; great socials ashore and the camaraderie that has become a hallmark of the Kestrel class.

Overall Results: (apologies that the crews aren't mentioned, but the supplied results table only had the helms)
If you finished in the top ten at the Kestrel nationals then enter your Gear Guide information here

Pos	Sail No	Boat Name	Helm	Crew	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	R8	R9	R10	Points
1	1638	Malcolm	Malcolm Worsley	Richard Harper	1	1	1	2	1	1	3	1	2	1	9
2	1648	Pure Dead Seathing	Stewart Murdoch	Ken Scott‑Brown	2	2	2	3	5	2	1	OCS	3	2	17
3	1574	Buttercup	Howard Enkel	Danni Tebbutt	3	3	4	1	3	4	2	2	1	3	18
4	1633	Purple	Paul Barnett	Robin Lamb	4	5	3	4	2	3	RET	OCS	4	5	30
5	1644	On the Fiddle	Ian R Hunter	Alisdair Hunter	7	4	7	7	4	11	9	3	6	4	42
6	1636	kestrel	Steven Worf	David Hearsum	5	6	8	RET	6	7	4	5	7	7	47
7	408	Chicken	Chris Grice	Kenny Hobbs	9	9	5	5	9	5	10	6	5	6	50
8	1632	The boat with no name	Alexander Bremner	Ailsa Anderson	6	8	9	6	8	6	6	8	RET	8	56
9	1606	Alison Jane	Angus Broadhurst	Rory Broadhurst	8	7	6	RET	7	8	5	7	11	10	58
10	1605	In the Red	Paul Wilkinson	Jane O Brien	11	11	10	8	11	9	7	9	12	13	76
11	1621	Ga Sands	David Sturrock	Edith Carmichael	10	12	12	9	12	13	8	10.5	10	9	80.5
12	1567	Windhover	Richard Le Mare	Liz Le Mare	12	10	DNC	DNC	10	10	RET	10.5	9	12	87.5
13	1472	Pure Genius	Karin Grice	Katherine Wilkinson	13	13	DNF	RET	DNC	12	11	DNC	13	11	101
14	1610	Newcome	Tom Moore	Tanya Wilson	DNC	DNC	11	RET	DNC	DNC	DNC	4	8	DNC	101
15	1640	Red	Larry King	Richard Roberts	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	128