Phantoms at Thorpe Bay

Childs takes it easily with four first places

The 5th & 6th June saw a slightly disappointing 15 Phantoms head South East for the Thorpe Bay Open for 2004. The forecast was for a sunny weekend with 5mph winds – but a hope of some sea breeze!

Three races were held back to back on Saturday, with two more on Sunday, Saturday turned out light and shifty, as the sea breeze failed to materialise, while Sunday was slightly fresher but only peaking at an occasional F2-3.

Race one saw an early battle between Phil Argent, Neil Fulcher and Simon Childs, with Childs just squeezing round the windward mark in front. With Argent and Fulcher off to the wrong gybe mark, Childs battled with Andy Elliott for the lead before easing ahead to win, Alan Husk claiming third.

Race two saw Argent ahead to an early lead, with Fulcher, Elliot and Childs in pursuit. The second beat proved decisive as the breeze disappeared and let Childs drift from 4th to 1st, straight between the others. With the race shortened, Childs claimed a lucky win from Elliot and Argent, Elliott having caused the kiss of death by suggesting a possible “Red Eye Sails” 1-2-3.

Race three followed, and Argent again made the mistake of getting into an early lead, with all the other contenders having to restart after the tide pushed them over the line. Argent held on until the run when Elliot and Childs split gybes, both going past. As the wind dropped Childs sailed away to a comfortable win from Elliot and Fulcher.

Race four started on Sunday with slightly more wind, the fleet started with Childs quick out of the blocks, hotly pursued by new arrival Nick Beloe and Argent. Childs and Beloe had a close battle before Childs found a little more breeze to escape on the run, Beloe finished 2nd and Elliott 3rd.

Race five saw a one sided beat and again Childs and Beloe led at the first mark, the positions remained close with Paul Beasley having a good race in 3rd. After 4 laps Childs peeled off while leading for an early bath, having won the event, most of the rest of the fleet followed, possibly thinking they had finished. This left Beloe and Beasley ahead, and when Beloe headed straight for the shore at the gybe mark, Beasley took a comfortable win followed by Henry Ayres.

Childs therefore took the event with four firsts, and was pleased with the first competitive outing in his new boat, the Dorsal foils and Wavelength sail seeming to be on the pace straight out of the bag! With a few people experimenting with different sails and foils it looks like being an interesting build-up to the major events to come later in the year.

				Pts
1	Simon Childs	Magic Marine	Grafham Water SC	4
2	Andy Elliott	Red Eye Sails	Rotherham SC	9
3	Henry Ayres		West Oxfordshire SC	14.7
4	Phil Argent	Wee Willy Winkie	Stone SC	19
5	Neil Fulcher		Stone SC	19
6	Paul Beasley	Jellyatric	Thorpe Bay YC	22
7	Gavin Young		Cotswold SC	27
8	Rod Thorpe	Scabdog	Thorpe Bay YC	28
9	Alan Husk	Phoenix	Creeksea SC	41
10	Glenn Ratcliff	MadDog	Thorpe Bay YC	43
11	Chris Skedge		Buckenham SC	43
12	Kevin Clarke			46
13	Greg Tidd		Thorpe Bay YC	48
14	Nick Beloe	P&B / Musto	Northampton SC	50
15	Clive Mattson		Thorpe Bay YC	61