Halloween ROTTERS and the End of Season Awards

Published 07:39 on 4 Nov 2026

With the main season drawing to a close, the ROTTERS met on Halloween for a day of racing and on the water games before the End of Season awards were handed out. Having invested in new Topper 4.2 and Oppy MiniRig sails for the training fleet it always seemed likely that this would turn out to be a light wind session, though we were crossing our fingers for some more of that famous ROTTERS sunshine.

The main aim of the day was to race for the Towers Cup (open to all sailors under 16) and the MiniHelm trophy (open to all sailors in Yr6 and below), with supported and sailing and joyrides available for our Pirates and Beginners. It was fantastic to see almost all our sailors step up to the challenge of getting their boats around the course, particularly given that the majority of those taking part only learned to sail this year. Adult sailors were also out racing for the final Saturday trophy of the year with several ROTTER parents taking part.

Race Officer Ian set a simple triangular course for the first race and decided to send the junior fleet first with a short gap before the adult fleet start. There were few surprises at the front of the junior fleet with Archie T taking an early lead, chased by the rest of The Oppy Gang though it was hard work trying to keep track of the various club boats in the middle of the fleet. Fortunately the light winds made life easy for the safety and coach boats, allowing them to focus on helping the least experienced sailors stay on track and get around the course.

Over lunch the sailors and parents were encouraged to have their say on a wide range of topics at the Sailing Forum before heading back on the water for the afternoon racing. The course was changed slightly for the second race leading to a bit of confusion from the leading Oppies but by the end of the first lap Archie T had again pulled out into the lead chased hard by Felix F and Katie P. By the end of the second race though the wind had died to almost nothing. Race Officer Ian tried for a third race but abandoned it when it was clear the wind wasn't going to behave and sent the kids in to switch boats and sort themselves into Quidditch teams instead. While the kids floated, paddled, yelled and pelted each other with footballs the adults got on with putting boats away, calculating race results and setting up the End of Season Awards table.

The prize giving began with the adults races results, with Ed L taking first place in a Streaker, followed by Greg R and Doug C, both in Supernovas. The MiniHelm trophy was won by Henry T, with Katie P second and Frankie N third, all sailing Optimists, while the Towers Cup was won by Archie T, with Felix F finishing second and Callum P third, again all sailing Optimists. Full results can be found on the club website. In addition to the race prizes there were over 30 ROTTERS awards T-shirts and certificates to give out, ranging from Pirate awards for the youngest sailors to Senior Race Squad and Junior Volunteer awards for the most experienced sailors and aspiring instructors. Oscar Y and Eliza L were recognised as Most Improved sailors in the U11 and U16 categories and Rowan S and Felix F received the ROTTER of the Year awards. There was just time to grab a few quick sunset photos of everyone in their award T-shirts before the rush to the Halloween sweets.

Last updated 07:39 on 4 November 2026