News - 2017

11:33 Thursday 3 Aug 2017 Sue Pelling/LCWNew kids on form

Freddie Peters and team, leaders of the Young Skipper Trophy and RS Elite Class

After another testing day for the youth contingent on Lendy Cowes Week Youth Day yesterday, the young sailors are enjoying a well-deserved rest following the announcement that racing has been called off today due to too much wind.

Lendy Cowes Week Under 25 Youth initiative is one of the popular sectors of the regatta and this year there are 28 teams contesting the two awards – the Musto-supported Under 25 Trophy, and the Young Skippers Trophy.

Currently leading the Musto Under 25 Trophy with a fairly healthy lead is Hugo Mills and team on the Seaview Mermaid, Sheen, while in the Young Skippers Trophy series the leading youngster is Freddie Peter (14) sailing with his sister Emily (21) and friend Ellie (21), and father Russell Peters on an RS Elite.

Having notched up an impressive string of results this week so far, including four first places and a third, team Riff Raff are looking good for a top result this week.

The Peters family, who are no strangers to the world of competitive racing, with father Russell – former multiple dinghy champion sailor – have been enjoying some top class racing not only within the Young Skippers category but also in the RS Elite class, which they are also leading overall from Ossie Stewart in More T Vicar.

Their top overall position is even more creditable given the fact that young Freddie on the helm is still recovering from a broken arm from just six weeks ago. Completely unphased about the situation, Freddie, who usually sails a 29er at Hayling Island SC, commented: “Thankfully my arm is out of plaster now but I probably shouldn’t be sailing let alone racing but it seems fine. Thankfully dad does the mainsheet so I just have to concentrate on steering the boat, and speed.”

Commenting on racing at Lendy Cowes Week for the first time, Freddie added: “It is very exciting because it is also the first time sailing a keelboat, so it has been a big learning curve.

“I think the young sailors’ incentive here at Cowes Week is a great thing and I would say that other youngsters should definitely give it a go next time. I really hope I can sail here again next year because it is good fun. Cowes Week is non stop in a good way because as well as the racing, the onshore social scene is great.”

Freddie was keen to point out that their success this week is down to good crew work: “Naturally it is great having dad onboard although I do tell him what to do, but Emily my sister and our friend Ellie are in charge of navigation and they are dong a great job. Basically we have known where we have been going on the course all the time, which is a big thing here racing at Cowes Week.”

Another couple of young team enjoying Lendy Cowes Week for the first time are the Oxford and Cambridge teams sailing the Swallow class bursary boats. The Cambridge team of Jemima Lawson, James Pinder and Jamie Webb on Svala were delighted to talk about the wonders of Lendy Cowes Week, an event they have always dreamed of taking part in. The team is also fresh from the Varsity Match win in Swallows at Itchenor Sailing Club two weeks ago.

Commenting on the Swallow’s fantastic youth incentive in the class’s 70^th anniversary year, James Pinder said: “The Swallow class generously offers bursary boats to a couple of young teams every year. A few of my friends have taken part in the bursary boats before and I have never done Cowes Week and was desperate to do it this year, so here we are. Anthony Lunch from the class association organises the entire package for us and I don’t think there is a deal like it in Cowes Week. We just turn up and have fun both on and off the water.”