Nearly too close to call

Radii wins 18ft Skiff UK Nationals

The last round of the European 18ft Skiff Grand Prix, incorporating the UK Nationals, came to a dramatic conclusion at Weymouth this weekend. With this leg, the European Grand Prix and UK titles all coming down to the last race, it was thrilling finale to an outstanding three days of racing.

The event started very much with the storm before the calm! Friday dawned cloudy with a stiff 30knots blowing from the unseasonal North Easterly direction. While the J24s finished the last race of their World Championship in the Bay, the skiffs waited patiently for the wind to abate slightly in order to launch safely from a difficult lee shore. Late afternoon eventually provided the right window, the 14 strong fleet carefully set-off in front a big crowd of J sailors pondering the crazyness of these skiff sailors! Once on the course set inside the flat waters of the harbour all the teams were in their element sailing in ideal No2 rig conditions averaging 25 knots, with gusts recorded at 32knots!

GP Covers from Denmark were the early leaders, and apart from a fluffed kite hoist on the third race of the day would have ended up with a perfect scoreline. A major port / starboard collision between Hermes and Base1 put pay to a great performance to those two teams, and indeed Base1 was so badly damaged from the ensuing carnage that it had to pull out of the event altogether. Hermes recovered and posted a 3rd and 1st to place them in second. Radii, out to avenge their defeat on home waters last year in Scotland at the UK Nationals, put in a steady 3,2,2 to ensure they kept in the hunt.

Barron and Smithers, battling all season with GP Covers for the overall Grand Prix title started disastrously when their No2 rig collapsed on the first downwind. A quick change to their No1 rig saw them out for the third race and a gutsy performance struggling in conditions saw them hang onto a fourth place, and with potential for two discards in the series with a slim chance of challenging GP Covers. Newly assembled team of HurleyPalmerFlatt saw the surprise of the day posting a 2,4,5 looking to upset the usual suspects. Further down the fleet capsizes, carnage and tales of massive wipe outs ensured that only half the fleet actually scored any results.

Saturday brought a welcome reduction in the wind strength with a steady 8-10knots from the North East again. Two short races followed by a long distance round the Bay confirmed GP Covers at the top of the rankings, with another 1,2 only spoilt by a 6th in the longer race. Barron and Smithers made amends for Friday by picking up the other two race wins while Radii and Hermes posted some consistent results to keep them in the hunt for overall honours. Fat Face at last showed some of it's eratic form this season by clinching a 2nd spot in the last race of the day after not finishing any of the previous day's races.

So the last day was delicately poised. GP Covers started the day with a clear 6 point lead on Hermes and Radii. Barron and Smithers needed to finish third or better to clinch the overall Grand Prix title if, as it seemed likely, GP Covers would keep it's lead. But a the surprise package of Fat Face mixed things up from the start by winning the first two races of the day, with guest helm Richard Lovering showing a clean pair of heels to the established teams in the tricky light wind conditions. Radii ever consistent posted a 2,2 to start with, while Hermes had a shocker of 7th in the first race. GP Covers meanwhile struggled in the lighted conditions posting a 4,5. Sefico from France at last showed some of their speed from previous rounds to post a third.

Going into the last race anyone of 3 boats could win the this Grand Prix leg, with the overall title very much up for grabs and the UK Nationals only divided by one point between Hermes, the current holders, and Radii. Hermes from the start stamped their authority on proceedings and got away from everyone to post their second win of the event. Radii however kept right on their heels with a second place, but without being able to calculate the average points given to Hermes in their first race tangle with Base1, it was not clear who had won. The tension was compounded with a calculation error in the results which initially showed Hermes and Radii on equal points, with Hermes winning on countback. However the results had failed to take account of the average points accorded to Hermes, and in the end Radii came through as UK Nationals winners by a single point.

Meanwhile GP Covers then just had to finish third in the race to win the European event, and the overall title. But Barron and Smithers managed to keep a tight cover on the Danish team to push them to 5th in that race dropping them to third overall and handing the European Grand Prix Series to a well deserved B&S Team.

A big thanks must go the the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy team who put on great race management to get the full quota of nine races in, in challenging wind conditions. Next stop after some class training will be the JJ Giltinan in Sydney for the top teams.

Results (14 starters):

1st Radii (GBR) 15pts
2nd Hermes (GBR) 16pts
3rd GP Covers (DEN) 17pts
4th Barron & Smithers (GBR) 23pts
5th Fat Face (GBR) 35pts
6th HurleyPalmerFlatt (GBR) 37pts
7th Groupe Sefico (FRA) 40pts
8th Pure Atmosphere (GER) 42pts
9th Total Recall (GRB) 70pts
10th SP Systems (GBR) 79 pts
11th Scalextrix (GBR) 90pts
12th Grapefruit Graphics (GBR) 95pts
13th Magic Marine (GER) 99pts
14th Base1 (gbr) 105pts