These last few weeks have been chaotic mix of highs and lows for the Oxford University Yacht Club. The Sunsail Weekend event in Portsmouth became the scene of a tense and stormy annual Yacht Varsity, with Cambridge defeating Oxford for the third year running to reclaim their crown.
Buoyed by the earlier success of the men’s dinghy team against Cambridge under Edward Scallan in the Cam Cup, yachting skipper Tim Joy led his crew in a race as much against the tempestuous weather as the experienced Cambridge team. As gusts of up to 83 knots tore down the race course, Cambridge made a stunning start and built a firm early lead, the Cambridge decision to play it safe with two reefs and no kite paying huge dividend. Joy’s team raced excellently to eat away at this lead and solidify their position at the head of the chasing pack, threatening Cambridge consistently for pole position particularly in the last third of the course. It was, however, not to be; calm seamanship and excellent race management by the Light Blues allowed them to cross the line, battered and drenched, but ultimately in first-place.
Despite brilliant performances by the entire team during the race, the foundations laid by early tactical decisions proved too much for the young Oxford crew. With the racingcommittee deciding that it was too dangerous to hold any further races, an energised Oxford crew lost the chance to make up for the loss and Cambridge claimed victory by default.
Luckily the BUCS Student Yachting Championships, also in Portsmouth, allowed a chance for redemption days later. Consisting of the best yachting teams in the country, Oxford and Cambridge competed consistently for second place behind world-champions Southampton.
Though a full set of races was lost to awful weather, Oxford raced brilliantly on the final day to overtake Cambridge and secure second place overall. The Dark Blue crew adapted cannily to the much reduced wind of the final day of racing, managing a fantastic closing stretch and not only winning the chance to represent England at this year’s Student Yachting World Cup in France, but also inflicting revenge for the previous week’s close defeat.
If this season proves anything, it is that often yachting can be as temperamental and difficult to predict as the waters they race on.
A relatively young club with a rapidly expanding membership, OUYC should not be disheartened by the loss of their varsity. The talent shown in their successful outing at the national championships demonstrates the rapid development of both the skill and steel which defines great sailing crews. Looking forward to next year’s yacht varsity, and this term’s dinghy varsity, the entire OUYC is very much in the ascendency; Scallan looks back on a “successful season for both sides of the yacht club”, one not only of honours but also of consistent development.
