Yachts & Yachting — March 2018

CLUBS & CLASSES

CLUBS

British sailors have been making the most of winter pursuit and

handicap events over the colder months.Paula Irishreports

After three light-air events in the GJW

Direct SailJuice Winter Series, the

Grafham Grand Prix delivered some big

breeze action with gusts up to 30 knots.

Of the 169 entries, only 73 took to the

water for the three-race contest.

The fast fleet was won for the second

year running by local competitors

David White and Jon Sweet in a Nacra

F18, with scores of 2,1,1. The first race

went to Michael Sims and Rich Nurse

(Carsington) who raced to second

overall in a 505 ahead of two other 505

teams, Tom Gillard/Harry Briddon

(Sheffield Viking) and Neil Rabbitts/

Mike Priddle (Burton).

Stuart Jones (Datchet) dominated

the medium handicap fleet with three

bullets in his Contender.

Atieforsecondplacewenton

countback to Fireballers Dave Hall/

Paul Constable ahead of the Flying

Fifteen sailed by two Simons, Kneller

and Dabson.

Fergus Barnham and Andy Hunter

(Snettisham) didn’t compete in the first

heat of the slow handicap but then

claimed a 2,1 in their GP14 for victory.

TiedforsecondweretheLaser

Standard and Laser Radial of Alistair

GoodwinandJoeScurrahrespectively,

with Goodwin’s win in race two giving

him second overall.

Nacra wins Grafham Grand Prix

TIM OLIN

TIM OLIN

BenSchoolingsailedhisMustoSkifftovictoryinthefirsteverKing

George Gallop, the fifth event in this season’s GJW Direct SailJuice

Winter Series. A moderate northerly breeze of 10 knots threw the

possibilities wide open as to who could win the 2.5 hour pursuit race

trek around a 2.5 mile-lap course on King George Reservoir.

The event was an 11th-hour replacement for the Bloody Mary – due

tolowwaterlevelsatQueenMarySC–andformorethantwohours

15-year-old Topper sailor Yana Skvortsova from Island Barn Reservoir

heldthelead,untilovertakenbyAndrewandTomWilson’sWayfarer

from Datchet Water. The breeze built half way through and the

SailRacer trackers were predicting the fastest boats might pull through,

butSchoolingisamasteroflightandvariableconditions,andthe

Stokes Bay sailor worked his way through the slower boats to take the

winfromtheWilsons’Wayfarer,whoheldoffAndyCouchinhis

Phantom. First youth and lady was Skvortsova in 13th.

Rollesby Broad Open

Rollesby Broad’s annual

New Year’s Day Open saw

conditions for the three

races ranging from planing

to marginal hiking, albeit

the sun stayed constant all

day to keep the 24

competitors warm. Six

tie-breaks were needed to

separate the fleet in the

closest set of results seen in

many years of the event.

Overall victory went to Ian

Ayres (Solo), two points

ahead of Mike McNamara

(Harrier), also two points

from John Saddington and

Dennis Manning (Albacore).

Penguin & Peter

Andreae trophies

The Royal Lymington YC’s

Penguin Trophy was sailed

in light breezes with a

strong ebb tide. The

Lymington River Scows

experienced hotly contested

mark roundings and

benefited from a quality

fleet spanning ages seven

to 70-something. Some

selected small light wind

crews but expert jib

trimming and tactical input

from the more experienced

crews was telling, as the

youngest focused more on

their provisions! After seven

races victory went to Luke

and Emma McEwen.

The Peter Andreae Trophy

for under-21s meanwhile,

again in Lymington River

Scows, saw Cameron

Bignold-Kyles and Lola

Mordaunt emerge victorious.

Ripon New Year

More than 20 Ripon SC

boats enjoyed two

back-to-back races on New

Year’s Day in the club

Whiskey Stakes; Mike

Eggleston triumphed in his

Streaker in the light and

shifty conditions over James

Submit your event reports to [email protected]

Drama at King George Gallop

90 Yachts & Yachting Mar ch 2018 yachtsandyachting.co.uk