Point Loma and Sevenoaks take British Schools Team Racing Titles

In one of the most spectacular schools international championships Point Loma ended two days of intense and often dramatic racing by facing Hotchkiss School in the final of the BSDRA International while Sevenoaks A met Sevenoaks B in the British Finals for the Whitstable Cup.

West Kirby the home of the Wilson Trophy, the top international open championship hosted the British Schools championships for the first time. West Kirby Sailing Club, which never does anything by halves, supplied 18 matched Fireflies, and its race management and Umpire Team providing the very best facilities the school championships have known.

This year fourteen teams from the USA, UK and Ireland attended the event. The two USA teams Point Loma from San Diego and Hotchkiss from Connecticut had finished first and second respectively in the US Championships and quickly proved the teams to beat. In their first races both the top ranked British teams fell to the finely tuned American teams. but these early defeats rather than daunting the British simply provided the agenda for the event. To beat the Americans in the final rounds would be essential to take the International Title.

At the end of the first round both Hotchkiss and Point Loma headed their divisions to move into the Gold League..

The next stage of the event was a double round robin of 12 races for each team. Sevenoaks “A” now showed their metal beating both US teams to finish 2nd overall, with Sevenoaks “B” in fourth. Tonbridge who had won the Silver league now had their last chance to qualify, but that would mean beating Sevenoaks “B” in a best of three sail off. Sevenoaks B gained a 2-0 victory against their local rivals securing their place in the semi finals.

The Semi Finals of the international event saw the two Sevenoaks Teams drawn against their US rivals. The “B” Team facing the US Champions and the “A”’s Hotchkiss. In two very tightly fought series the US teams emerged victorious to face each other in the International Finals, which proved a re run of the US Championships with Point Loma gaining a well deserved victory.

In the British Finals Sevenoaks “A”’s greater experience gained the day against their hugely impressive junior side to win the Whitstable Cup.

Overall result

1st overall Point Loma
2nd Hotchkiss
3rd and First British Team Sevenoaks “A”
4th Sevenoaks “B”