Big Monday

30 knot winds tear through the fleet at the International 14 PoW week

With northerly winds gusting to 30 knots, Martin Jones and Andy Rice sailed their International 14 Gill Marine to victory in race three of Prince of Wales Cup week.

It was a war of attrition, with only a handful of boats completing the four-lap course in punishing conditions. Three teams rounded the first windward mark in close proximity, with last year's winners of the week, Andy Fitzgerald and Simon Marks, leading European Champions Alister Richardson and Dan Johnson in RMW, with Gill Marine rounding close astern. So close in fact, that Jones and Rice almost ploughed into the back of RMW during a frenetic kite hoist.

Down the first run these two teams caught up with Andy Fitzgerald who was electing to single trapeze - a slower but safer route through the chop of Mounts Bay. Suddenly all three boats were lined up abreast with just feet between each boat. RMW, the most leeward, lost the breeze, slowed down and capsized. Gill Marine gybed first and led
Fitzgerald down to the first leeward mark. These two boats stretched out to a long lead around the course with Jones always being pushed hard by Fitzgerald.

Gradually, Gill Marine stretched away on the downwind legs, but as the boat bounced off waves at speeds in excess of 25 knots, the top spreader ripped away from the mast and the top section of the carbon tube pulled alarmingly off to leeward. Rice ran in to drop the gennaker before the mast tip ripped off. The broken spreader did nothing to impede performance up the next beat, but Jones and Rice were not relishing the
prospect of sailing the final run without a gennaker. They were relieved to see the race committee shorten course at the top of the beat, and they won the race by a minute and a half from Fitzgerald.

RMW recovered from their first-run capsize to finish third, followed by Geoff Carveth and Adrian Murphy. There were a number of notable casualties who failed to finish today, not least the runaway winner of both of yesterday's heats, Hyde Sails crewed by Mike Lennon and John McKenna. A broken lower spreader on their mast forced them out of the race. They, like others, will be hoping the discard comes into play later in the week.

Meanwhile, Jones and Rice, who lead the event scoring a third, a second and a first so far face the strange prospect of being unable to defend their lead as work commitments prevent them from completing the week. Then again, the big race in the International 14 class is the Prince of Wales Cup, a six-lap winner-takes-all National Championship which is to be held tomorrow. Some crews decided to stay ashore today, keeping their powder dry for a race that has often thrown up many surprise winners over the years. A more moderate forecast for Tuesday means the championship could be won by any number of teams in this competitive fleet.

Results so far:

1-Martin Jones and Andy Rice
2-Andy Fitzgerald and Simon Marks
3-Alister Richardson and Dan Johnson
4-Geoff Carveth and Adrian Murphy
5-Andy Partington and Tom Partington
6-Julian Pearson and Louise Hickey

More Photos on the following pages