With Anna Prescott at the helm, a Cambridge team took 3rd place at the International 2019 Top Universities Regatta held at Qingdao, China 10-13 August 2019. Across the 4 days in China’s Olympic sailing capital, 5 races in J80s were fought out between 12 Universities in a wide mix of sailing conditions.

The visit of Typhoon Lekima curtailed the first day’s sailing and prevented sailing on the next two days. The race committee then ran as many races as possible on the final day. Home university Xiamen came out winners, with Monash filling 2nd position.

An inland Dragon Boat Regatta trip and a final grand team dinner on 14 August rounded off the the 2019 Top Universities Regatta. A big thank you to the organisers for another excellent event and to the Chinese authorities for their generous sponsorship.

Congratulations to the team on maintaining the Cambridge record in this event – two Golds and one Bronze in the three years it has been running.   Some additional sailing photographs of the Regatta appear on Instagram.

Congratulations to the Cambridge Open and Ladies for spectacular wins at the 2019 varsity match. The event was sailed at Aldeburgh Yacht Club in Loch Long One Designs, 3-5 July 2019.

Match Racing: Cambridge defeated Oxford 7-1 (Firsts Match 4-0; Seconds Match 3-1)

Team Racing Open: Cambridge defeated Oxford 4-0

Team Racing Ladies: Cambridge defeated Oxford 4-0

Some photos and video footage on the CUCrC Facebook page

For a full report, please check the OCSS website

There’s also footage on Instagram, and Facebook

Something resembling summer returned for Sailing Cuppers 2019, held a Grafham on Tuesday 18th June. A distinct lack of wind throughout the day meant that no official outcome could be achieved, though a good many races were sailed. A ‘fun’ result was arrived at by holding drinking races after sufficient round robin races had been held to decide knockout stage participants. Here Robinson had the edge and finished ahead in a 4-way final against Christs, Jesus, and a mixed team of unknown composition.

The weather stayed dry for most of the day and the BBQ was as successful as ever. Many thanks to Sammi for her dedication to this aspect of proceedings. No windsurfing took place because of a lack of entries – something to be reversed for next year. Oxford was represented at Cuppers for the first time, with Exeter College participating. A big thank-you to Organiser Bethan Matthew and her team for putting on such an excellent event.

Photographs of Sailing Cuppers 2019

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Cambridge Blue finished 10th overall in the 18-round Swiss League at the Wilson 70 Trophy 2019 held at West Kirby, Wirral 10-12th May 2019. They were just two places short of the quarter finals and well ahead of BUSA Champions Exeter Blue (17th). Cambridge Black finished 25th – clear of Manchester (30th) and Exeter Black (36th). Congratulations to Blue and Black on a great performance in a top-flight event!

The Society (almost entirely Cambridge alumni) finished 3rd overall in the Swiss League, but went out   2-0 in the quarter finals to a strong Days of Thunder (USA) team. Overall winner was East Coast Drifters (USA), with Birdham Bandits runners-up.

Wilson 70 Trophy 2019 Details

No wind followed by thunderstorms curtailed racing on the first day. Conditions were excellent for Saturday and Sunday, and racing was fast and furious. All the best teams were competing (1 from Australia, 5 from the US, 1 from Austria, and 2 from Ireland) – 36 teams in all. Full results are on the Wilson Trophy website.

Some action photographs follow. First three are Cambridge Black, second three are Cambridge Blue,

Cambridge sailed a great final day to take Silver in the Trophy Fleet at the BUSA Yachting 2019 Championships held 15-18 April 2019 at Port Solent, Portsmouth. A full report and some photographs are on the O&CSS website. Congratulations to all the team on a great performance!

Cambridge defeated Oxford by a single point in the Yachting Varsity Match sailed at Port Solent 13/14 April 2019. A full report and some photographs are on the O&CSS website. Congratulations to all the team on a great performance!

Cambridge Blue finished runners-up in BUSA 2019 held at Spinnaker SC 9-11 April 2019. Exeter Blue took the title 3-1, with Southampton Green 3rd and Oxford 4th. Cambridge Black sailed very steadily in the latter stages of the competition to qualify for the knock-out quarter finals and finished 7th overall. There they made their exit to the best of the three Southampton teams at the event.

But Cambridge took revenge on Southampton (Green) in the semi finals, as described later. Cambridge have now appeared in the final at BUSA for the last 6 years, winning three times and finishing runners-up three times. Congratulations to both Cambridge teams on their performance this year! Cambridge team membership follows the photographs below. Detailed results will be available for a time on kSail.

BUSA 2019 Day 1

Slick organisation and moderate winds, though they declined during the day, made for an excellent opening of the BUSA 2019 Championships on 9 April. Eight rounds were sailed, with Edinburgh Blue leading the pack at the end of the day having dropped only 1 race out of 8. They were closely followed by Southampton Green and Cambridge Blue.

BUSA 2019 Day 2

Similar and sunny conditions on the second day enabled a further 9 rounds to be sailed – 17 races for each team over the two days. There were a good many place changes, with Edinburgh Blue slipping out of the top 8 and Exeter Blue taking the lead – closely followed by the consistent Southampton Green and Cambridge Blue. Cambridge Black had a better day, finishing 9th equal with six others on 9 wins. This left them in a good position the make their final push into the knock-out quarter finals on the last day.

BUSA 2019 Day 3

Good conditions on the last day encouraged the PRO to go for a further 4 rounds. As a result all the 28 teams attending had 21 Swiss League races over the three days. However, the wind went light and variable for the quarter finals, proving a challenge for course setting and competitors, and then died completely. Fortunately, when abandonment seemed inevitable at 4pm, the sea breeze arrived and the semi finals and final took place in perfect team racing conditions.

In the semi finals Oxford sailed very well to take one race off the dominant Exeter Blue team, but made their exit 1-2. The Cambridge Blue vs Southampton Green semi was a rematch of last year’s final – but with a different result. Cambridge forced a Southampton spin at the end of the run and went on to take the first race. Southampton fought hard in the second race, but could not dislodge Cambridge from their 1, 3, 6 winning combination. So Cambridge went through to the final 2-0.

The final provided a feast of close and exciting team racing, much enjoyed by spectators from the natural grandstand that Spinnaker affords. Exeter took the first race, but Cambridge struck back to take the second. However, Exeter mustered all their undoubted abilities to take the next two races and the match, so proving worthy winners of the BUSA 2019 title.

Congratulations to BUSA, Spinnaker, Race Officers, Umpires, and helpers (both student and non-student) for organising and contributing to an exceptional BUSA championships.

BUSA 2019 Photos and Teams

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Cambridge narrowly lost to rivals Oxford to come 2nd in the 2019 Ladies Team Racing Nationals, held at Spinnaker SC on 23-24 March 2019.

Cambridge dominated the first day’s racing with a clean sweep of eleven wins despite light and variable conditions. On Sunday they were narrowly beaten into second place by Oxford in a tightly fought final, with the result in doubt until the very end of the last race. Congratulations to captain Cat Wallace and her team.

More details on the Oxford and Cambridge Sailing Society Website. The team was:

Jemima Lawson and Laragh Harvey-Kelly
Holly MacAskill and Cat Wallace (Capt)
Penny Wieser and Jules Welham