2024 UK Cherub Nationals Dale Sailing Club Dale Yacht Club welcomed the Cherubs and International Canoes to their beautiful corner of Wales. The race officer Bob ‘Archie’ Wainwright did a great job in setting up the courses to get the planned 12 races completed across the four days and listening to both fleets to improve the racing for all involved. Day 1 The first day was, generally bright sunshine and light winds, just enough to get twinning in a couple of races but generally searching for wind and searching for power. It was quite shifty and patchy so there were opportunities to gain and lose both upwind and downwind which resulted in quite a few place changes in all three of the races. Jill and Andy Peters in Usagi Yojimbo showed that they hadn't lost their good light wind performance to finish with a couple of first places despite one swim on the start line. Antidote to Panel Games the class demonstrator boat had been loaned to a couple of Aussie Cherub sailors Virginia Horn, and Jacques Audet. They showed some bursts of speed at times on the first day but were still getting used to the extra trapeze and T-foil rudder so their results didn’t reflect their potential.

The starts were all competitive and small slips cost many places today. None of the back markers started last but mistakes here and there meant that it took about a lap to get the normal crowd together. Little mistakes took one rapidly from crossing Marmite at the first tacks to last after forgetting how to hoist a kite if there is a boat near you. Snakes and Ladders is one thing, but the club also added mystery zero wind holes and snarly weed into the game as well. Probably one of the most tiring Cherub days ever. Dale yacht club/coco’s pizza was seriously good and made it worth going to the AGM.

At the end of the first day Usagi were ahead on four points with Marmite and Zero Gravitas chasing but level on 8 points each Day 2 The forecast for the second day was Windy with a Capital W, forecast for it to drop later in the day so the decision was made to postpone, however the tide was also forecast to drop later. Launching a Cherub in a gusty offshore wind and not enough depth to get the rudder or centerboard properly is quite a challenge. With the challenge of launching on a lowering tide and maybe no option to return if the conditions weren’t sailable, part of the fleet decided to forfeit sailing for the day. Even if it was the wise decision, and after all definitely the right one, it always feels a bit of shame not to get to enjoy the wind. Jamie Pearson spent his birthday first helping to launch Zero Gravitas, then Eleanor who promptly ran into a sand bank after broaching, then he went on to aid Usagi. It's a shame he didn't start his sports watch as we think he clocked up 2 or 3 miles, wading out halfway to the racecourse, but staying about waist deep in water. Those who didn't get out enjoyed a lovely view of the racing from the spit. After a little wait for the start in some non Cherub friendly waiting conditions we got race 4 off in a fruity 20kts A&E got off with a great start being chased off closely by Phil and Carol in its sister ship Zero Gravitas after a poor first tack from A&E giving the leed to Z.G. both very similar on pace and angle, after Marmite kindly decided to remove all seaweed off the foils by hand at the start, taking chase with the bit firmly between their teeth. A&E were kept honest from start to finish not being given any breathing space. Marmite came in next followed by Eleanor, and the 97 rules Slippery when wet sailed by Nick Hankins and Gavin Sims. Race 5 kicked off with marmite on the line upright and shifting just behind Z.G. and A&E chasing both closely at the windward mark Z.G got round the windward mark cleanly first with a great smooth kite hoist, marmite decided to take a slightly different approach, fully committing to the bare away bow down and crew Si getting too keen and jumping from the rack to the play pen ending up in another swim/ manual seeweed check. Letting A@E past to chase down Z.G. At the bottom mark Z.G. struggling with the kite drop and overshooting left enough room for A@E and Eleanor to slip through. Unfortunately, while going upwind in 2nd Eleanor’s rudder locked itself, dumping them in the water letting through the chasing marmite and Z.G.

With a heavy committee boat bias line, A&E got a belter of a start and got the jump on all the boats ending up at the pin end, marmite and Z.G. In a close duel all the way up to the windward mark. After a great downwind blast, and a close battle back upwind the windward mark was close to the cliffs and making the approach awkward with the large shifts and holes, caught Z.G. Out in a few flip flop swims and deciding that after 4 lap races enough was enough and headed back to dry land. With the green machine of marmite like a raging bull on the heels of A@E all the way to the finish, at the windward mark might I say to great relief. The local boys of Nick Hankins and Gavin Sims sailing Slippery when wet kept going through the conditions to finish fourth in their 97 rules boat.

At the end of two days racing the results were incredibly tight at the top with Usagi, A&E and Marmite level on points with Zero Gravitas trailing by one point.

Day 3 Back to lighter winds today, slightly more than the first day and with the same wind direction so flying the kite down to the start line was fun even if it was further away than expected. Again there were some big shifts during the day as the wind switched from one side of the headland to the other which kept the race team busy keeping a true beat for each of the races and the racers busy trying to decide which side of the course made sense for the wind and for the tide. In Race 7 Aunty had a good first beat and was first to the windward mark, but not around it, a real issue for the other 5 boats arriving at the same time.Usagi got through the traffic well and then disappeared in the lead to take the win. Marmite finally seemed to learn how to start, and found clean air and good pressure out to the left. It seemed to work well giving them a second place. Only a little further back Zero Gravitas, Poppy and A&E were swapping places regularly both up and down wind with the three of them finishing in a line.

Race 8 saw another good start from Paul Croote and Simon Jones in Marmite; this time we went even further left and benefited from a fantastic lift in good pressure, to sail around the whole fleet. Leading to their first win of the championship ahead of Andy and Jill Peters. There was a close race for the following three with Having comfortably won the previous race Marmite attempted the same tactic in Race 9. However the wind and tide had other ideas, allowing the whole fleet to sail off into the distance. The last race of the day ended with a shortened course flag at the top mark meaning the remainder of the fleet could sail straight home. Day 4 Day 4 saw a change of wind direction from Easterly to Westerly This meant it was up wind to the race course. And the things we had figured out about tide and shifts would all change. The strength was a bit more than the previous day with enough to twin wire up wind for most of the time, so just about perfect. Another close start for race 10 with all boats getting away clear Marmite and A&E had the best of the first beat and run. On the second lap at the windward mark Marmite and A&E rounded very close together but got in each other's way which allowed Zero Gravitas to sail around the outside. A good hoist allowed ZG to pull slightly ahead of the two others and stayed just ahead through a few tight gybes with all three finishing within a few boat lengths. Poppy was just behind in fourth, full of energy after not sailing on day 2. Aunti was in the tricky position of not quite twinning due to confidence but losing out on speed for not committing fully, they were still quick and getting quicker each race. Further back Pocket Rocket had a great twin wire kite reach along the cliffs towards the finish with spray going everywhere. Just off the start line of race 11 Phil went to adjust his trapeze line on Zero Gravitas, lost grip on the tail and dropped to the knots making a big splash, it was only Carol’s heroic efforts in running to the other side of the boat that kept the sails dry. Poppy tacked off early only to see the splashes made by Phil when checking the rest of the fleet behind. Pocket rocket had to crash tack to avoid Z.G. With marmite going all the way out left this let them get to the top mark in second chasing Usagi for the rest of the race with Poppy in third.

The wind had increased a little for the final race of the series out of the start most of the fleet tacked off to the right towards with Marmite and Zero Gravitas heading out left, this seemed to pay for ZG who got to the windward mark first followed by Usagi and Poppy. For the second lap ZG again went left with the rest of the fleet going right. The last downwind leg was ZG, closely followed by Poppy, Usagi had gone left downwind which let them call Starboard on Poppy leading to a swim and dropping them down to fourth letting Usagi into second and Marmite third. Andy and Jill Peters in Usagi consolidated their lead on the last day to take the championship win with five firsts, Paul Croote and Simon Jones in Marmite were consistently close to the front through the week but hadn’t got enough race wins to catch Usagi.

Results