TWENTY-SIX Juniors were out in force at the annual Youth Regatta last Sunday at Beccles Amateur Sailing Club.The light breeze off the Norfolk bank provided a safe reach for beginners along the clubhouse stretch and more challenging beats up to the windward mark near the new bridge for the intermediate and advanced helms.

TWENTY-SIX Juniors were out in force at the annual Youth Regatta last Sunday at Beccles Amateur Sailing Club.

The light breeze off the Norfolk bank provided a safe reach for beginners along the clubhouse stretch and more challenging beats up to the windward mark near the new bridge for the intermediate and advanced helms.

Two races for each fleet before lunch had Charlie Folkard and Eddie Blankley in an RS Feva heading the gold group after they charged round the four marks just behind the two Enterprises helmed by Jake Shipley and Matt Deller beating them on corrected time in race one.

In the intermediate fleet, Poppy Roll pulled out a first and second place before the break in an incredibly tough Optimist group with easily her best sailing this year.

The beginners had plenty of position changing from the start but eventually Sophie Jermy and Billy Folkard carved out enough of a lead for a win each in their two races before the lunchtime recess.

After refreshments in the clubhouse provided by the BASC galley team, the busy racing schedule got under way again.

Jake Shipley and Ollie Baylis started to dominate in the gold group with their Enterprise Sharkie keeping well ahead of Matt Deller and Ryan Langston in their Ent Cuddles, securing them the Mascall Tankard this year.

With Elena Edwards winning the first afternoon race in the silver fleet, it was going to be a fourth- race nail-biter to decide the winner overall of the Asti Tankard and with George Curtis, who was always a threat, pressing Poppy Roll to the finish line. She skilfully managed to hold him off for her second win, earning her top spot overall.

The beginner bronze group was certainly not overshadowed and all sailed extremely well considering that many had only learnt to sail at Beccles over the previous 10-week sailing school programme.

An excellent performance by Pippa Edwards in her Oppie “Razzle Dazzle” received much applause as she crossed the line first in race three but with Billy Folkard's steady earlier performances throughout the day and a confident win in the last race it earned him the Scrumpy Tankard 2010.

The prize-giving ceremony took place afterwards by the clubhouse with the trophies handed over by BASC veteran member Audrey Mascall.

The Commodore Richard Deller congratulated all the winners and all the juniors who took part.

He then thanked all of the volunteers including race officials Chris Abbott and Rory Kelsey, Safety Boat crews Doug Smalls and Richard Baylis and, of course, all of the galley team who were always busy and without whom these events would be impossible.

BASC now look forward to their four-day regatta which starts on Sunday with the Monosail Open.

Results - Mascall Tankard: 1 Jake Shipley/Ollie Baylis, 2 Matt Deller/Ryan Langston, 3 Charlie Folkard/Ali Blankley.

Asti Tankard: 1 Poppy Roll, 2 George Curtis, 3 Elena Edwards.

Scrumpy Tankard: 1 Billy Folkard, 2 Sophie Jermy, 3 Jacob Woolnough.