It’s been a fantastic term for EUSC with our best ever result at fleets, wins in various events for our team racers, and more casuals out on the water than ever.
But let’s start with Yachting and Keelboating. After their excellent results in the Sunsail Race Series in the run-up to BUCS earlier in 2018, EUSC were invited to attend the Series Final at the start of November. A cold but bright morning greeted the mixed team of BUCS veterans and freshers alike. The team managed to come away with some good results on the Saturday, finishing 6th overall, before spending the Sunday training. Exeter also sent some teams to the Royal Southern Yacht Club Academy winter series. The sailing was in J70s with racing on the Saturdays and training with other J70s on Sundays. Cosmic, helmed by yachting captain Freddie Liardet placed 3rd overall in the series.
It’s not just in the big boats that EUSC have found success, it’s been a really successful term for our team racers. With lots of returners and plenty of new faces, team racing captain Murray Hampshire had his work cut out narrowing down his selection to only four teams. Exeter Blue (Murray Hampshire (C) & Emma Baker, Jack Hanslope & Phoebe Warren, Dom Lewis & Carys Randeria) first got out on the water at the Oxford Magnum, where they managed to get the better of a few alumni teams to make it to the semi-final where they were knocked out to finish joint third. Blue also performed well at the Bristol Brew, managing to win the event after coming second in the previous two years. Exeter Red, composed of 2nd year Ed Harris (C) along with first-years Robert Giardelli and Tom Joice with crews Emily Gent, Becky Mitchell and Elina Douma have had a fantastic term, managing to make the podium at all three events they’ve attended. They kicked things off with a win at the Plymouth Pasty, before picking up third places at the Swansea Spartan and the Welsh Dragon.
In the casual side of the club, captain Greg Young has had more demand than ever for casual trips. It’s no surprise then that over 100 members have managed to get out on the water on casual trips, and attendance at theory sessions has been excellent too. Greg has also strengthened EUSC’s links with Starcross Yacht club with our members getting out in Merlin Rockets and Hurricanes for some racing on the Exe Estuary.
EUSC attended the first sailing BUCS event of the year, the Fleet Racing Championships, at Draycote Water Sailing Club in November. Exeter’s performance was their best ever, winning three of the four fleets (Firefly, Fast Handicap and Slow Handicap) and the women’s team prize, coming second in the Laser and third in the men’s team prize. In the Firefly fleet, Murray Hampshire was able to win his first BUCS gold medal with help of medal machine Lewis Lane, whilst Jessie Main and Emma Hattersley, sailing a 29er, were able to improve on their fourth place of last year by winning the fast handicap fleet. First-year Lainey Terkelsen and second-year Emily Gent had a hard fought battle in the slow handicap fleet but came out on top in their 420, whilst in the Laser fleet, Monika Mikkola was only a point shy of the gold medal, finishing second. The women’s team was made up of the three boats mentioned above whilst the men’s team was Murray and Lewis rounded out by Ed Harris and Jonny Musgrove placing 9th in the fast handicap and Dom Lewis and William Husband 13th in the Firefly.
It’s been a fantastic term for EUSC but we’ve got even more planned for the coming months. We’ll be attending lots of team racing, match racing, keelboat and yachting events, in addition to the three remaining BUSA championships. We’ll also, of course, be hosting our annual team racing event Exeter Excalibur, which is filling up fast so check out our Facebook event to enter. We’re building up our connections with Alumni, hosting a new year drinks evening in London on the 3rd and our annual alumni race weekend, The Rory Cheetham Cup, on the 30th and 31st March. We have a new alumni group on Facebook; any alumni not currently in the group should get in touch to be added to stay in the loop.
We wish a happy new year to all of our members, alumni and friends!
