JAMES CHAPPLE’S outstanding consistency in never finishing outside the top four secured him first place in the Laser class of the Heritage Group Guernsey Open Youth Regatta. But the current British squad member was just one of the stars as the Guernsey Yacht Club hosted 43 boats at the annual event.

The regatta was first organised in 2000 to bring competition from outside the island to challenge the best local talent. This year saw competitors from France, Jersey and the UK in four classes, with competition held over two days comprising six scheduled races.

Saturday provided challenging conditions for the three main fleets, with winds at times gusting to 30 knots in Belle Greve Bay.

No boats within the Topper fleet managed to complete a race, keeping the well-organised rescue fleet occupied with spectacular capsizes. The younger Optimist fleet suffered a similar fate, with only six of the 14 boats registering a finish in just one race before being escorted ashore in deteriorating sea conditions. French boy sailor Jean Le Bot won by a large margin.

Only the more experienced Laser class sailors mastered the conditions, with 11 of the 17 registered boats completing two races. Chapple won both races convincingly, followed home in the first race by his sister, Clare, the English national girls’ champion and British squad member. Both were sailing Laser Radial rigs.

However, Clare was beaten into fourth in the second race by former Optimist national squad member Daniel Wray in a Laser 4.7 and Chris Dorey, also sailing a Laser Radial, secured his second third place.

This was Wray’s first major test after stepping up to this larger boat and he showed a good degree of maturity in the difficult sailing conditions.

The smaller Optimist Regatta fleet, comprising beginners, was confined to sailing on the Model Yacht Pond in front of the Yacht Club. Three races were held, with the pattern of wins being established by Harry Moisan from Jersey. Local future talent Hannah Rickards secured two second places, closely followed by Jacob Sidebottom and Oliver Bougourd.

The Sunday races were again held in Belle Greve Bay but in near-perfect conditions.

The six-strong Topper fleet completed four races, with UK visitor Bethany Wellerd winning twice and finishing second in the third to take the overall title. Second place overall went to Jersey’s Peter Faudemer, with local sailor Richard Parkin finishing third with three third-place finishes.

The Optimists provided some close races in the four second-day contests.

Local sailor George Thompson opened his account with a win in the first race, showing excellent starting technique. He finished with a victory also but a fifth and a fourth in races two and three respectively dropped him down to fourth overall.

Another talented Sarnian, Zoe Parkinson, took first in the second race of the day on her way to third place overall.

She demonstrated very good boat speed throughout the day but ultimately could not match the eventual winner, Laurence Carter from Jersey, and

second-placed Le Bot from St Malo.

Other local sailors Abigail Tanguy, Johanna Asplund and Sam van de Velde showed flashes of boat speed, all producing top-five finishes in at least one race, but they could not match the starting expertise of the top four.

The Laser fleet again fielded 17 boats.

Wray won the first race but could not repeat the performance – each of the three remaining was won by a different competitor.

James and Clare Chapple took a win each, with the final race won by UK entrant Simon Bower.

In the overall standings, James Chapple’s consistency won through as he secured top spot, closely followed by his sister. Wray finished in third overall, Dorey fourth and Ben Creasey fifth.

The beginners of the Optimist Regatta fleet enjoyed six races in Havelet Bay and Moisan dominated once again, winning all of them.

Hannah Rickards secured four seconds and two thirds to receive the overall runner-up place.

In third overall, Oliver Bougourd narrowly beat Lily Carter (Jersey), Jacob Sidebottom, Poppy Rickards and Sophie Meader (Guernsey). Although the winner clearly showed good boat speed and experience, the Guernsey Yacht Club coaches took great heart from the performances of local newcomers.

‘This competition has, over the years, enabled the club to import talent to test our local sailors,’ said GYC coach Mike Chapple.

‘Sailing is a logistically-expensive sport and the Heritage Group sponsorship has been instrumental in allowing the club to put on the event and assist in some of the travelling costs of the overseas competitors.

‘This has certainly helped us to produce national squad members in the Optimist, Topper and Laser Classes and put Guernsey on the sailing map in terms of a venue and expertise.’