This Is Guernsey

ZOE PARKINSON was the star of the Sarnian show at the Volvo Musto Optimist Open National Champion-ships as the island’s biggest ever representation - 11 Optimist sailors - showed that Guernsey sailing is thriving. Held at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy which will be the host site for the 2012 London Olympics sailing competitions, the Sarnians were among a huge entry of 379 young sailors from around the world.

The entry was divided into a junior fleet of 145 (9 to 11 years) and senior one of 129 (13 to 15), sailing inside the Portland Harbour breakwater.

Sailing against the top sailors from the UK, USA, United Arab Emirates, Ireland, the Netherlands and Hong Kong, Sarnians new to the event found out what true international competition was like.

Light winds blighted the whole event when on the whole the Sarnian contingent were looking for stronger conditions.

The Guernsey coach for the event was Clare Chapple and the junior and senior fleets sailed 12 races each.

Zoe Parkinson showed her experience on the water by producing an excellent fifth place and two eights in her flight of 64 to end the event in 25th overall and third British girl.

This was a fantastic result for this local sailor which is likely to retain her a place in the British national Optimist squad.

George Thompson was hoping for high placings and achieved a best of 21st in finishing 77th overall, while Abigail Tanguy, in her first senior nationals, had a best of 27th on the final day, ending the event in 84th.

‘But she nevertheless loved the experience.

‘The nationals were great this year, with so many Guernsey sailors competing,’ she said.

‘The weather was perfect especially at the start of the week. It was a great experience and the Guernsey sailors did really well.’

Hannah Rickards, who only started sailing competitively last year, showed she was capable of sticking it out at the end of the fleet and achieved a best of 51st, finishing 128th.

In the junior fleet Johanna Asplund performed consistently well to finish in the top 30 in seven of the races for overall 61st.

Sam van de Velde was somewhat disappointed with his finishes early in the week but picked up later and with a 25th on the last day, was 95th overall.

David Sidebottom, who like Asplund has another year as a junior, was finishing in the mid 40s early on, slipped to the back of his fleet midweek but picked up some better positions later on and was 119th at the end of the competition.

The regatta fleet was also split into two flights and starred Poppy Rickards who achieved a first place on the first day and another first later in the week.

With a fifth on the final day, she finished 22nd overall having recorded five top-10 positions over the 14-race series.

Consistency helped Clementine Thompson achieve 23rd place overall, which included a third, two eighths and two ninths, while Sam Crosby, too, had some good races.

His best finishes were a ninth and a 10th, ending the series in 45th.

Jacob Sidebottom, 8, had a best 15th place on the penultimate day and finished 71st overall, while Malin Asplund, sailing under the Swedish flag had a best of 46th in her fleet and came 82nd overall.

Most of the Guernsey contingent will be back at the Weymouth and Portland centre next month for the final big GB Optimist event of the season.