Nice one Nick

Nick Craig dominates racing on day one of the Endeavour Trophy

Day one of the Endeavour Trophy saw south easterly winds of 10 – 15, perfect conditions for the competitors to get to grips with the new Topper Xenon after the disappointingly light winds seen in yesterdays training sail.

Typically you would imagine a cautious first start for the competitors but it was not to be. With a pushing tide - that would stay in the same direction all day – and a fair amount of pin end bias the fleet showed themselves to be over keen and were subsequently general recalled. The second attempt at a start got underway cleanly under the black flag.

Paul Goodison and Saskia Clarke (Laser) got off to a good start rounding the first windward mark in first place, closely followed by Andy Palmer-Felgate and Jon Modral (Laser 4000), Terry Scutcher and Christian Diebtsch (505) and defending champion Nick Craig, sailing with James Stewart (Finn). The fleet was quite tightly bunched down the first run with teams gybing as close to the shore as possible in an attempt to stay out of the strong tide.

The second windward mark Saw Craig and Stewart take the lead from Goodison and Clarke, with these two being chased hard by Steve Dunn and Tegwyn Roberts (OK). The lead changed hands numerous times on the run but when fleet rounded the leeward mark the laces were back to how there were at the windward.

The top three stayed the same all the way to the finish with Hector Cisneros and Graham Williamson (Mirror) fourth place and Craig Burlton and Fiona Clark (RS200) rounding off the top five.

The black flag was out again for the second race at five past twelve. Excitement on the first downwind leg was provided by Mike Lyons and Katie Keam George (Blaze) who were the first team to go for a swim - though it must be said only by a matter of minutes from another crew.
Also providing viewing pleasure were Scutcher and Diebtsch who decided that they would try and sail up the mud banks with the spinnaker up. Goodison and Clark were not having a good race either, after rounding the windward mark in the middle of the pack things quickly got a lot worse as they managed to snap their bow sprit and were forced to retire.

At the final leeward mark rounding it was Craig and Stewart leading from Burlton and Clark, Palmer-Felgate and Modral and Dunn and Roberts. Craig put in a cover tack and managed to drop his main sheet allowing the whole thing to unthread itself. Craig did the only thing that he could do, wrap the mainsheet once round the boom and play it from there. This slip up, however was just enough to cost Craig the race leaving Burton and Clark to steal victory.

Goodison, now with a new spinnaker pole, won the pin end on the third race – smartly tacking onto port and leading the fleet away. However it was to be spinnaker pole number two for Goodison as his replacement gave up too and resulted in an eleventh at the finish. When asked after racing what had happened, Goodison said the break had occurred just as the pole exits the hull. “Both times we broke the poles, it was coming out of the gybes when the boat loads up, they just folded. Admitably though we were pushing it coming out the gybes pretty hot,” he concluded.

Nick Craig and James Stewart were to take the gun again in this race and Goodison commented that he felt the Finn National Champion had a slight speed edge up wind compared to the fleet.

It was a bullet again for Craig and Stewart in the fourth race as the pair got off the line cleanly and were in a group of four that got away on the first beat. Fellow OK sailor Steve Dunn sailed nicely downwind and picked up a shift and past six boats – ultimately finishing in third place. Dunn and crew Tegwyn Roberts, were to finish the day with a second place and second overall.

The final race of the day was held in slightly stonger breeze, with a shift into the south as forecasted in the morning. Craig was to comment on coming ashore that they “are starting to get the hang of the boat, especially downwind.” He went on to win the race and drop the second in race two to lead overnight with a convincing set of straight firsts.

Craig Burlton was seen adjusting his rig after the first race of the day and commented later that he felt the boat was a little over powered and so drop the mast back on pin and eased the lowers a little too. Speaking about the Xenon Burton felt the change of boat was a good idea: “I like the fact the new boat has levelled the playing field…but Nick Craig will still win!”

Craig, happy with a good day on the water was up beat about the racing: “What is really great is the amount of boats we have out this year, it feels much more like the event it should be.”

Results
1. Nick Craig and James Stewart, 4
2. Steve Dunn and Tegwyn Roberts, 12
3. Craig Burton and Fiona Clark, 13
4. Andy Palmer Felgate and Jon Modral, 15
5. Sarah Richards and Nigel Wakefield, 21