Welland Paddle

Good sailing conditions saw an excellent 12 boats turn out for the Welland Paddle Regatta at the Welland Yacht Club on Sunday, in what was one of the most fiercely contested competitions of the year. The trophy was finally clinched by returning member Will Cook (Laser), closely followed by Robin Wilson (Europe) and Neil Tack (Solo).

The first race saw a crowded start line in strong conditions, and although Will Cook was able to take an early lead and take advantage of the clear air, the fleet remained closely grouped, with Neil Tack, Emma Flowers and Adam Wilson all jostling for position. Despite a bad start, Chris Prior (Laser) was able to fight his way through the pack to catch Will, and the two swapped positions several times before Chris was finally able to pull out a small lead on the water. However, Neil Tack (Solo) and Charlotte Prior and Paul Wilson (Graduate) kept their slower boats in contention on corrected time by keeping up a strong pace, and in the end seconds separated the top positions. Chris Prior kept the lead by a mere second, from Neil Tack in second and Will Cook in third. They were followed by Charlotte Prior and Paul Wilson, in an impressive display that earned them fourth, Adam Wilson (OK) in fifth, and Robin Wilson (Europe) in sixth, who fought back through the fleet after a bad start.

With the tone of the regatta set, the second race looked to be just as hotly contested. Again it was Will and Chris who took the early lead, this time joined by Emma Flowers (Lasers) and Michael Neaverson (Lasers) in conditions well suited to Lasers. They were again pursued strongly by the slower boats, with Neil Tack, Tim and Nicky Wilson (Enterprise), Adam Wilson and Robin Wilson all sailing well. Will pulled out a commanding lead that he was never likely to lose, with Chris sitting in second until a badly-timed boat malfunction cost him any chance, finally limping home in eighth. Robin Wilson sailed well to claim second, with Neil Tack in third, setting up a final showdown for the top three spots. Charlotte Prior and Paul Wilson tied with Tim and Nicky Wilson on corrected time, giving them joint four place, with Michael Neaverson hanging on to claim sixth. Emma Flowers was unlucky not to be well placed, but another boat malfunction left her Laser largely unraceable, and she was forced to retire from a strong position.

The pressure was on for the final race, with the top three positions still up for grabs. It was Richard Thacker and Andy Prior (Wayfarer), however, that spotted a starting line gap and established a strong lead, chased by Will Cook and Chris Prior, in changeable conditions. Despite having faster boats, Will and Chris were not able to find a way past the well-handled Wayfarer for most of the race, and soon had to worry about Robin Wilson, quickly catching them up and putting himself in the lead on corrected time. Chris and Will were eventually able to get past he Wayfarer and pull away, neck and neck until the final mark at which Chris managed to pull ahead and cross the line first, closely followed by Will, Richard and Andy, and Robin. On corrected time, the top four were all within 19 seconds of each other, with Robin taking the win by 6 seconds, followed by Chris Prior in second, Will Cook in third, and Richard and Andy in fourth by two seconds. They were followed by Neil Tack in fifth, Adam Wilson in sixth, and Charlotte Prior and Paul Wilson in seventh.
The final results saw Will claim first in his first regatta in over a year, closely followed by Robin Wilson in second and Neil Tack in third. An excellent performance from all of the top three, but on a day where there were impressive performances across the board. Adam Wilson was unlucky not to be placed higher after some strong performances, while Emma Flowers looked set for a great second race until let down by her boat. Similarly Chris Prior's trophy hopes were dashed by a malfunction, while Charlotte Prior and Paul Wilson competed excellently in a boat ill-suited to the conditions. Richard Thacker had a brilliant third race, and once again Tom Bell and Joe Hawkins astounded with how quickly they have become competitive.