STEVEN Tapper and his crew from Parkstone Yacht Club clinched the J 109 UK National Championships and the coveted J-Cup.
Team ‘Stalker’ have progressed up through the J 109 rankings over the past five years and now have a national title win in a 24-boat fleet to add to the CV.
The J-Cup is the most welcomed prize of the whole regatta, a relatively modest piece of silverware by comparison with some of the other beautiful trophies which are contested at the event, and is an annual event, which includes the J 109 championships.
It was hosted by the Royal Southern Yacht Club – home to a large percentage of the fleet.
While Tapper’s ‘Stalker’ had held the top spot for the duration of the regatta, they didn’t have it all their own way on the last day.
The top five boats in the fleet all had a monumental tussle on Saturday with three of them posting (and discarding) their worst results of the whole regatta.
Never having to count a score outside the top-seven across the eight races sailed, ultimately it was the team on ‘Stalker’ who finished at the top of the podium and who were pronounced the new J 109 UK champions.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here