Final day

DJ Edwards and Dan Newman win the Fireball National and European Championship

There was a ten knot gradient breeze blowing from the west. At the morning briefing the race officer was confident of getting two races on the final day. The fleet were advised to launch early as they would be starting on time.

Conditions out on the race course were challenging to say the least. With the wind shifting 30 degrees either side of the mean and varying in strength by about ten knots. It did seem that the fleet agreed with the race officer that a prompt start was important and managed to start first time with no general recall.

The current leaders DJ Edwards and Dan Newman made the best of the challenging conditions reinforcing their hold on the leader board by taking the race win from Chips Howarth and Vyv Townend in second and Tomas Musil and Jan Stantejsky in third place.

With an hour to spare before the time limit for the start of the final race it was a quick turn around that was required and the race officer did not disappoint, resetting the course in record time. Amazingly the fleet started first time once again, unheard of in recent times.

With the wind still shifting by up to 60 degrees it was founder members of day one’s “double black flag club” Sam Mettam and Richard Anderton that sailed an inspired first beat to lead by a comfortable margin from race four winners Simon Maskell and Jon Watkins. Simon and Jon managed to catch up with Sam and Richard down the second reach. However on the next beat Sam and Richard managed to build up a lead once more which they were able to hold to the finish from Simon and Jon.

Finishing in third place and fortifying their position on top of the overall leader board were DJ Edwards and Dan Newman.

Results:

1-GBR 14908 David Edwards Dan Newman
2-GBR 14830 Chips Howarth Vyv Townend
3-CZE 14879 Aloha Malina Tomas Musil Jan Stantejsky
4-GBR 14895 GUL Andy Smith Jonny Mildred
5-GBR 14880 PB/Musto David Wade Richard Wagstaff
6-GBR 14904 Richard Estaugh Rob Gardner
7-SUI 14897 Supi-Chischtli Kurt Venhoda Sonja Zaugg
8-GBR 14898 Soapy tit ank Paul Cullen Jonathon Ching
9-GBR 14820 LDC Andy Pearce Adam Broughton