The Arrow Trophy Regatta

On a surprisingly hot weekend in October 2002, a Worth Old Boys racing team took to the Solent to compete in the Arrow Trophy Regatta. After a successful ‘first appearance’ in this two-day sailing event last year and with three new recruits adding value to an impressive gathering of nautical experience, we attempted to put Worth’s name on the silverware.

On board the crew of seven, spanning 20 years of Worth history, consisted of Peter O’Hea (G ’82), Tom (C ’91) and Nat (C ’94) Holloway, Alex Kenney (B ’97), Vincent Slevin (B ’97), Kieran Hunter (S ’98), and Giles Turton (F ’02).

Fifteen boats, all identical Jeanneau Sun Fast 37-footers chartered from Sunsail, were crewed by Old Boys (and some Old Girls) from schools such as Bradfield, Charterhouse, Winchester, Harrow and Sherbourne. All were to race as a fleet on the first day, with the top four teams going on to compete in a head-to-head match racing contest on day two.

Arrow Trophy Team, October 5th and 6th 2002

Our results from Saturday’s racing were varied as we hastily familiarised ourselves with the new boat and got used to sailing together as a team for the first time. Sunday proved to be a more successful racing day with Worth leading the fleet at one point and constantly battling for the top spot against Sherbourne and the overall fleet racing winners, Uppingham. We finished in 3rd place in the ‘non-match racing’ series with only a few points separating each of the top four boats.

Off the water, the weekend included a superb dinner and prize-giving event hosted by the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club at their waterfront headquarters in Cowes.

If you are interested in taking part in this year’s Arrow Regatta to be staged in early October 2003, please contact Giles Turton, email: giles_turton@hotmail.com or 07949 031460.

Giles Turton (Farwell 1996-02) and Peter O’Hea (1977-82)

This is an abrieviated version of the full article which will appear in the The Blue Paper 2003 (the annual newsletter of WOBS, which is sent to all members of WOBS). For membership of WOBS please contact the Secretary, Marie-Clare McMenemy, email: wobs@wobsnet.org.uk.