Childs wins Inlands

Cold weather at the Crewsaver Phantom Inlands 2005 at Draycote Water SC

The weekend of 1-2 October saw Draycote Water host the 2005 Crewsaver Phantom Inlands, a slightly disappointing 30 boats turned out, but some welcome new faces appeared at the front of the fleet.

Race one was a gusty force two to four, Simon Childs and Clive Cokayne, in his first Phantom event, lead the way, just ahead of the pack. The wind shifted right and Brett Cokayne slipped through to lead. Childs got back past down wind, it all got close on the final run as Ian Jay put in a burst but he fell in just when challenging for the lead. Childs held off Clive and Brett Cokayne to win.

Race two, saw black flags came out and on a one sided course Childs and Simon Heusen (another first-timer) rounded first. Childs stretched away to lead by a leg and won by two minutes from Clive and Brett again.

Following a chilly nights camping, only made bearable by the whisky, Sunday dawned lighter, mostly force two.

Race three and Heusen got away and was first round, followed by Pete Evans and Childs. Childs pulled through and gained the lead on the second beat, while Evans was binned for OCS, Andy Couch enjoyed the lighter winds to claim second, in his first Phantom event, followed by Heusen.

Race four saw Couch away in the lead from Cokayne (C) and Childs. This race was a good battle between the three all the way round. Couch just held off Childs and Cokayne (C) to win.

Race five was a shifty race, Childs left for an early shower. Brett Cokayne led early on only to be caught out on the shifts by Evans who led the majority of the race, Couch had the speed downwind to reel in Evans, catching him on the last run to win and get second overall, followed by Brett.

This left Childs, Couch, Cockayne (C) as the podium places, in the final major of the year.

Results:

1-Simon Childs, Grafham - 5
2-Andy Couch, RYA - 8
3-Clive Cokayne, Staunton Harold - 11
4-Brett Cokayne, Staunton Harold - 13
5-Simon Heusen, Lyme Regis - 21
6-John Wayling, Northampton - 21
7-Ian Jay, Sutton Bingham - 26