CLUBS & CLASSES
Young guns Heathcote and Boyle crowned 420 world champions
Lymington teenagers Vita Heathcote and Milly Boyle clinched the 420 world championship crown after a close finish in Vilamoura, Portugal.
The pair dominated the regatta with eight top 10 finishes but came under pressure from Italian duo Irene Calici and Petra Gregori. Victory was sealed when the last race of the event was abandoned due to lack of wind.
Heathcote and Boyle have risen through the ranks of the British Youth Sailing programme. Heathcote, 17, said: “The last race was so nerve-racking. We’ve finally won the world championships and it’s such a good feeling.”
Boyle, 18, added: “The Italian girls did so well. We got a little lucky at the end but we will take that. World champions, we’ll tick that box off, thank you very much!”
Heathcote and Boyle finished the 10-race series four points ahead of Calici and Gregori, with Melina Pappa and Maria Tsamopoulou of Greece taking bronze. Britain’s Jess Lavery and Rebecca Coles were eighth.
D-Zero celebrates birthday with record nationals
The fifth anniversary D-Zero Nationals at Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy had the largest fleet in the history of the class, with 46 entries – tantalisingly close to the coveted ‘50 club’, although three withdrew due to injury meaning 43 boats took to the water.
Eight races over three days had perfect conditions for two of them. Niel Ritchie's epic journey from Aberdeen & Stonehaven proved worthwhile with a 1,2,3 scoreline. Pre-tournament favourite Dan Holman (Netley) started his regatta with a UFD but made up for it with two bullets. From then on Holman dominated, adding three more wins on day two, and two race wins on day three to wrap up the regatta. Holman was crowned D-Zero national champion for the second time, (having won the inaugural championship in 2015), with Steve Bolland second, Iain Horlock (Exe) third and Liz Potter (West Kirby) first lady.
Itchenor teams dominate International 14 Europeans
Forty-three boats from six nations gathered for the International 14 Europeans in Flensburg, Germany, where teams from Itchenor claimed the top five spots overall.
Boat-breaking weather saw sailing postponed so the planned lay-day became instead a four-race gut-buster to get the fleet back on track. Race wins went to local favourites Georg Borkenstein/Eike Dietrich, Julian Pearson/Richard Sheridan and Archie Massey/Harvey Hillary in their new Bieker-6 design. Pre-regatta favourites Neale Jones and Ed Fitzgerald led in all four races but could only convert one into a bullet.
A steadier breeze the next day, however, saw Jones/ Fitzgerald claim a 2,1; Dan Holman/Alex Knight won race five but were out of contention after a disastrous first day.
