420 Spring Championship opens British racing season
Spring arrived just in time for its very own 420 Championships on the English Riviera hosted at Torbay Yacht Club, contested by thirty-six teams.
The British Spring 420 Championship is first of event of the British selection trials to decide the teams competing at the 420 World and 420 European Championships.
Five races over two days of racing started with a brief postponement waiting for the breeze to fill in, before battle commenced under a blue sky and sparkling waters. A light 6-8 knots of breeze on Saturday's first day of racing was just enough to give some exciting racing, with a much more purposeful 12-14 knot breeze filling in on Sunday.
Two races on Saturday gave the lead to Robbie King/Marcus Tressler fromtheir 1,7 scoreline, but come the three races on Sunday the new partnership of Vita Heathcote/Milly Boyle, recent 420 converts from the Optimist, soon took control of the race track. Heathcote/Boyle sailed an impeccable 5,2,1 to edge into the lead and take their first Championship title. Second to King/Tressler on tiebreak advantage over Ella Bennett/Emily Gent in third.
Up next for British 420 sailors is the 420 Inland Championship, 19-20 March 2016 at Draycote Water Sailing Club.
