Vose wraps up RYA Youth Match Racing crown 

Annabel Vose and team take event honours at WPNSA

The 2014 RYA Youth National Match Racing Championship title was decided this weekend (30-31 August) as Annabel Vose and her crew of Tim Gratton and Matt Wallis came out on top at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy.  

Competing in the RYA’s fleet of former Olympic class Elliot 6m boats, the eight teams enjoyed perfect conditions across the two days of racing in which the full schedule of the round robin, semi-finals and final was completed.  

20-year-old Vose, who was crowned FISU (International University Sports Federation) Women’s Match Racing World champion in July, continued her impressive display of match racing skills to seal event honours with a 3-1 victory over Connor Miller in Sunday’s final.  

“I had never sailed with the either of my crew members before, with one of them having never done a proper match racing event so it was kind of a put together team, but we knew each other really well from sailing Optimists and 420’s and were really pleased with our performance and win at WPNSA,” explained Vose.  

“We entered the event second ranked and were hoping to finish either first or second so to walk away with the title is really pleasing and a great achievement for what was our first experience of match racing together.”  

Lymington’s Vose was in fine form from the outset taking the round robin without losing a race and then winning her semi-final against Robert Bunce three nil. The higher ranked Connor Miller had more of a struggle as his semi-final against Tom Harrison went to four races before he booked his berth in the final against Vose.  

Sunday’s final saw plenty of action, Vose took the first race but Miller and his team of Mike Matthews and Jay Stacey came back to win the second. The third race was more evenly matched, until Vose went left on the run into more wind and was able to beat Miller to the line. The final race was over at the start, with Vose judging her break for the line better, starting ahead and leading around the course to take the title.  

Vose continued: “Entering the final we were quietly confident with our match racing skills but because we were quite a small and light team we felt that was a bit of a disadvantage, especially as it was blowing more than 15 knots.  

“We ended up winning the first race and then Connor came back and took the second, and then we managed to win the next two as the wind slightly dropped off which gave us a big advantage.   

“The key to our success was definitely our pre starts and our communication. We were just really calm, relaxed and never got a penalty pre-start which was really nice. Matt and Tim were really good on the tactical side of the racing which is where I think we managed to get the edge on other teams by choosing the right side of the beat to go with the gusts and shifts.”

Vose, a second year student at Southampton University, is now looking forward to competing at the RYA National Match Racing Series Grand Final at Queen Mary Sailing Club (14-16 November). 

“I’m not sure we are in contention for the winning the final as there are a lot of past winners and a lot of great sailors who will be racing so we will see what happens there, but I will be doing a lot of training in the build up with both the boys and girls to try and best prepare ourselves for what is always a great event.”  

Sailors are reminded that entry is still open for the RYA NMR Qualifier 2 which will take place in J80s at Queen Mary Sailing Club on 27-28 September 2014.    

The RYA National Match Racing Championship Grand Finals in conjunction with Royal Thames YC will take place in J80s at Queen Mary Sailing Club on 14-16 November 2014.  

2014 RYA Youth National Match Racing Championship results:   

1 Annabel Vose, Tim Gratton, Matt Wallis.
2 Connor Miller, Mike Matthews, Jay Stacey.
3 Tom Harrison, Emily Nagel. Sophie Heritage.
4 Robert Bunce, Tom Hemmingway, Emily Kinver.
5 Arthur Bruce, Hannah Brant, Harry Bruce, Giles Oldershaw.
6 Sam Maycock, Alex Truman, Tom Callan.
7 Michael Dennis, Keir Williams, Jude McFarlane-Bond.
8 Sammy Isaacs-Johnson, Zac Saunders, Matt Hill.

For more information on the RYA Racing Programme please visit  www.rya.org.uk/racing.