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Cadet News : Autumn Report 2007 : by Carl Taylor

 

It has been a good year for the Barnt Green Cadets. With Cadets competing at a number of competitions, including the National and World Championship at Pwllheli.

 

We are also delighted to report that the Barnt Green Cadet Open had the largest number of home boats competing for many years with 8 Barnt Green Boats competing. Big congratulations should go to Angus and Harriet, Kate and Charlotte, Taylor and Ellis, and Jess and David who were all competing in there first event and were a credit to the club.

 

 

The 2007 Barnt Green Cadet Open Meeting was sailed on Saturday 15th September. We had 20 boats turn up.  All boats put in fantastic performances in fabulous sunshine with light winds. Particular mentions should go to Charlie Impey who's two first places and a third made him rightfully the winner of the meeting whilst Emma Best and Hannah Lennox sailed to become the first placed Barnt Green Boat. The prize for most improved boat went to Jess Pickworth and David Allenby, who, sailing in their first ever Cadet event put in some very impressive starts.

 

We should say a big thank you to all the Barnt Green sailors, Bob Suggitt for being race officer, Mike Pickworth for all his help, and most importantly all the Galley staff who worked tirelessly from 9 till 9 to make the event such a success. The whole day was rounded off with a highly enjoyable BBQ as the sun set over the Lake.

Cadet 9047 from Frensham Pond S.C. was the winner of the BGSC Open, helmed by Charlie Impey with crew Jack Wilson. 
Gallery here   Full results can be seen here

 

Remember we have three club boats that you are welcome to take out. We have checked the boats out to make sure they have spinnaker poles, and sheets etc, so we can promise that they are in good condition and ready to sail. Please use them. If you are looking for crewing roles then please do come along any Sunday, we will try and make sure you get at least one race as a crew in a cadet! Just come down to the Cadet park and ask any member of the fleet.

 

We hope that Dominic is better now and has recovered from the illness that kept him off the water over the summer. We were really looking forward to seeing his new boat and him start to compete and hope that he will be able to sail soon.

 

Each year the standard of our Cadet class has been improving

and it is fantastic that our fleets star sailors Emma and Lucy Best have made the National squad. Well done! It is the first time for many years that a Barnt Green Cadet has reached such exalted heights. We look forward to seeing you go from strength to strength.

 

I am also very pleased to report that Joe and Becky made the Zone Squad after coming fourth at the Zone Championship in Ullswater. The Nationals and World Championships were great experiences for the Barnt Green sailors who attended. There was a fantastic atmosphere throughout the fortnight with plenty of friendships made from around the world. Even the Argentinian World Champion had time for our sailors!

 

Next year the World Championship is in Holland and the Nationals are in Torquay, I have included the major events in the Cadet Calendar. I would encourage all sailors of whatever ability to attend any of these events. You will be sure of a friendly welcome, there will be other Barnt Green Boats to support you in your first steps at the event and there is a fleet for all abilities from starters to National squad members. We have a double trailer and if you have trailing problems, please grab me for a chat and we will try and work out a way of getting all the Cadets that want to attend to the event.

 

On Feb 23 and 24th we will be hosting a West Zone Squad training session. We hope on the Saturday to run a training session for Barnt Green Cadets and that you will take the chance to come along and take the opportunity to improve your sailing and meet some Cadet Sailors from our Zone.

Cadet News - Spring into Summer 2007

Cadet Class News - a report by Carl Taylor

 

This is a birthday year for the Cadets. The first Cadet was launched 60 years ago and the fleet is enjoying a 60th Birthday with increased numbers at Barnt Green and Nationally.

 

It was a good Snowflake series for the Cadets with up to 4 boats racing at any one time. As handicapper, I’m pleased to report that Alice’s and Sam’s improvement is reflected in them sailing much improved times.

 

This year we could potentially have 12 Cadets on the Water at the same time. If we achieve this it will be the most for a good many years. So, I would like to encourage all those Cadets who sail occasionally but are not regular Sunday racers to try sailing on a Sunday afternoon. Remember with the Handicap system there is a prize for the most improved boat so you do not have to be the leading boat to win. You can have your own personal goals. Also if you want to just sail the course at first. and not race that is also really good, I am sure that after a few Sundays of sailing the Course you will be challenging some of the Cadets out there.

 

I would like to encourage all members of the club to think how they might play a role in helping young sailors take the step from the Easter and August training and Katie’s Crew to club racing. It can be a very daunting step for the young sailor. Every member on the water can help by being aware of this, by being aware the young sailor is there, and by being encouraging to them!

 

Please also feel free to take out a club Cadet, we have three Club boats that you can sail. 9402 and the two Nat West Boats, if you are unsure how to rig them just ask. We will be delighted to show you. The Cadet is a great Boat to Sail and with practice you will be amazed how quickly you can become one of the many Champion Cadet Sailors the Club has seen!

 

Please come along any Sunday and enjoy sailing a Cadet at Barnt Green. You will be most welcome!

Cadet News - Spring 2007

Barnt Green sailors lead the way at the Inland Championships.  a report by Carl Taylor

  

Three Barnt Green boats competed in the in the Inland Championships at Rutland Water. The event consisted of two days training followed by two days of scheduled racing.     The Barnt Green Team consisted of 9401 Little Demons 2 (Emma and Lucy Best), 7688 Widow Maker (Joe Taylor and Jake Baker) and the first return to National Cadet events since 1984 for 6913 Rapscallion. They were greeted at Rutland by a 130 boat entry, the largest for a long time!

 

Monday was the first day of training and after being separated into their groups the Barnt Green teams found the day was one for injuries. Emma Best sported a black eye for the rest of event after an unfortunate incident with the spinaker pole and Sam Evans was rushed ashore with a head injury after an unfortunate unplanned gybe. Fortunately his crew saw the funny side of the incident.

 

Tuesday was another day of hard training followed by a practice race. Spirits were high after the practice race for the Little Demons (Emma and Lucy) as they finished in the top ten and the Rapscallions (Sam and Kate) as they did not finish last. Unfortunately the Widow Maker (Joe and Jake) limped out of the race with a broken a tiller extension.

 

Wednesday was the eagerly awaited day, had all the winter sailing been worth it. Were the Barnt Green Sailors going to achieve their aims? As the anxious sailors arrived at the Club it was clear that conditions were not going to be easy for sailing as they gazed into the mirror like lake. A confident Race Officer dispatched the fleet on time for an hour and a half float, before announcing a four hour postponement due to the lack of wind. The kids then spent a frustrating day ashore, chatting, playing making friends and messing around until at 4.30 racing for the day was abandoned.

 

So Thursday started with no races yet completed. But from Barnt Greens point of view it was worth it. Race one got underway and the first boat round the windward mark was Little Demons. Barnt Green was leading the whole fleet. This was the high point for Little Demons in the competition though, as they did not quite have the boat speed downwind to match their superb first beat. Emma and Lucy finished the race in 31st place. They were unlucky to be black flagged in the second race and with no prospect of a discard their hopes of a really high finish in the competition were wiped away. But well done Emma and Lucy for leading the fleet round that windward mark!!!!     Joe and Jake sailed well in all their races to finish in their highest ever position at an Indicator event and in a much bigger fleet than usual. As anxious parents it was pleasant to see Joe in mid fleet rather than with the backmarkers.   Meanwhile Sam in his first Indicator event put a hard fought campaign in to finish a very creditable, 102 out of a 130 boat entry. The next event for the Barnt Green Cadets is an indicator at Weymouth on the 5th and 6th May.

 

A very tired Kate Rowe, reflected on the event as follows “if you want to improve your sailing and racing in a competitive environment with enjoyable racing and make new friends from around the Country, then you should go.”           Link to full results  here............    (Opens a new page)                              Go Back

 

Cadet Class News, Autumn / Winter 2006/07

Wow what a wonderful new slipway we have at Barnt Green.  No more steep slope means that the parents will be able to slope off from having to pull the boats back up from the water. With the Autumn Working Party complete, we are in a great position as a Cadet Fleet at Barnt Green. With a fancy new slipway and three operational club boats for people to take out.  The ever-growing Cadet fleet can only benefit from this work in the next year and continue to grow. I am sure all the Cadet fleet, wish to thank the Club for this great new facility.

 

 

Photographed on 24th October 2006

 

We have also benefited this year from some fantastic Junior training and we should say a big thank you to ex-cadet Kate Hall and Tom Bewley for introducing people not just to sailing at Barnt Green but to Cadets! It was also great to see the Commodores Trophy go to Tom for all his hard work. Mike Powell has also done a fantastic job co-ordinating training and running the Easter and Summer Training.

 

Once again, we have seen the Cadet Class grow this year and we would like to extend a warm welcome to Libby, Frensham Pond’s loss is our gain. We can also promise you that it is not always as windy as your first outing at Barnt Green, but always good fun. With Freddie as her crew they will definitely be a boat to watch next year.

 

We are also delighted to see Angus and Harriet sailing their new Cadet 7235.  I am sure it will not be long before they give the Bests a run for their money. Dominic is also showing great promise competing in his first Sunday races and staying with the pack. A little rumour tells us that he will shortly be sailing in a revamped boat. I am sure Mike Pickworth will enjoy seeing his old boat back on the water.

 

Josh also had a successful first season at Barnt Green Crewing with Alice and we are hoping that the time is right for Josh to now take the Helm. Remember we have Club boats you can sail. Sam has demonstrated that it is possible to make the transition from Crew to Helm going from Crewing at the Nationals to helming almost overnight. His new team looks as if Rapscallion will really set the Lake alight next year.

 

Following a very competitive Summer Series we are all pleased to be able to congratulate Tom, Jack, Joe, Jake, Alice, Donald, Emma, Lucy, Sam and Kate on their Trophies. The gauntlet has already been thrown down for next year and I am sure they will have to sail hard, and fast to keep their titles.

 

Away from Barnt Green, we have also had another successful Autumn, a staggering 10 children took part in Cadets in the Zone Championships at Blithfield. The biggest contingent of Cadets travelling away from Barnt Green for an event for many, many years. I am also delighted to report that Emma and Lucy Best made sure it was not a forlorn Journey returning with a perfect result of unblemished first places to bring the trophy back to Barnt Green. Whilst Joe and Jake also managed to achieve their objective by doing sufficient to qualify for the Zone Squad.

 

The Bests, Joe, Sam and Tom Bewley all made an appearance at the Nationals in Weymouth, the venue for the 2012 Olympics. Although the two Barnt Green Boats did not achieve the results they were hoping for, I am sure they had a fantastic time, despite Sam taking a trip in an ambulance to Casualty for a head injury sustained during the briefing!  Next year, we have the World Championships at Pwllheli. There is even a snazzy promotional video for the event that can be found at:

 www.cadetclass.org.uk/2007worlds/media.asp.

 

We want the Barnt Green Cadets to be able to compete against the best in the world and have therefore introduced this year a winter training series. We have organised to have an ex-cadet sailor to provide two Saturdays of Training, which will be open to all Club members. This training will take place on Saturday 25th November and Saturday 17th February. We are also hoping to supplement this with some coaching from the Cadet Class Association, details of this will be confirmed as soon as possible. So dust of your winter sailing gear and come along to get ready for the Summer.

 

Remember we have three club boats that you are welcome to take out. We have checked the boats out to make sure they have spinnaker poles, and sheets etc, so we can promise that they are in good condition and ready to sail. Please use them.

 

 

Carl Taylor, Cadet Squadron Captain.

 

And finally, it doesn't always go well ! Capsize training is an important feature of our training sessions

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