2021 Awards Presentation

With the season ending on Thursday 28th October, the Trustees arranged an event on Tuesday 2nd November to thank the Volunteers for their contribution to the 2021 season and to present the WS Racing Awards.

Peter Ashwell said that 2021 had been a very successful season for WS Racing despite the continuing restrictions on mixing in April and May caused by the Covid pandemic. There had been one Thursday in June with such bad weather that racing had to be cancelled and another Thursday in September when the strength of wind gusts caused a race to be abandoned soon after it had started. Peter reported that the racing had been very close in both series and the podium places for the summer series were only decided in the final race of the series and even then the racers in 2nd and 3rd place had equal points and a countback of how many First place finishes each had obtained, had to be used to separate them. Peter thanked all the volunteers who had participated as crews and thus enabled the racing to take place.

Peter announced the following statistics for each race series:

Spring Series (from May to July)

12 Races scheduled less Race #6 Abandoned = 11 Races completed

15 participants made 83 entries and there were 9 Qualifiers (= min. 5 races)

Summer Series (from August to October)

13 Races scheduled less Race #9 Cancelled = 12 Races completed

22 participants made 125 entries and there were 15 Qualifiers (= min. 5 races)

Then Peter announced the results and Eileen McCormick presented each successful sailor with their Certificate or Trophy as can be seen in the gallery below…

Spring Series Result

Podium

1^st Kim Sparkes           6 points from best 5 finishing places

2^nd Peter Wagner       9

3^rd Martin Norman     10

Qualifiers                        Points from best 5 finishing places   

Imogen Fletcher                18

Ann Frewer                        18

Derek Preston                    18

Steve Farmer                      22

Mark Cayzer                       25

Tom Phillips                        33

Summer Series Results

Podium (Best 5 finishing places)

1^st Derek Preston 7 points from best 5 finishing places

2^nd Kim Sparkes   8 points (Placings: 1,1,1,2,3)

3^rd Peter Wagner 8 points (Placings: 1,1,2,2,2)

Qualifiers                          Points      

Kelly Tripp                          11

Martin Norman                 14

Mike Blatchford                 16

Steve Farmer                      26

Bob Fisher                          27

Imogen Fletcher                30

Danny Wilson                    32

Geoff Taylor                       34

Ann Frewer                        35

Mark Cayzer                      40

Tom Phillips                        44

Trevor Monk                      46

Total season awards

Peter Hazlewood Trophy – Best Sailor (from 12 races over both series)

• Kim Sparkes

Brian McCormick Trophy – Best double-handed Sailor

• Kelly Tripp

Bob Marsh Trophy – The epitome of Wealden Sailability’s values

In announcing this award, David Mckee said that Bob Fisher has for many years demonstrated the personal values which the founders had and the trustees still have in mind for Wealden Sailability’s activities and community. Despite his own health challenges last and this year, Bob has continued to get to the WS sessions and sail again competitively, to encourage and engage with the other Racers and make them and volunteers laugh and to support Steve Farmer’s enjoyment of sailing by giving him a lift to/from Chipstead.

Below is photo of Bob Fisher receiving the Bob Marsh Trophy and Certificate from Bruce Hebbert at The Bo Peep pub on 18 November 2021. Bob said that he was touched by the award and David’s words and it was especially meaningful since he had held Bob Marsh in high esteem himself.

Congratulations to all WS Racers who participated during the season and we wish you a very safe and comfortable winter and look forward to seeing you all again back on the water in April 2022 and many thanks to MIke Mackenzie and his team for a very tasty lunch and to David Barker for taking the photos.