Sleeping on the M5

The Lark National Championship has come to a close in Looe

Just getting to a national championship is always hard work, what with arranging childcare, organising your neighbour to feed the cats, some people even have trouble remembering to bring the boat, but the 2007 Rooster Lark Nationals at Looe Sailing Club takes the biscuit. The journey through the floods to Looe was particularly difficult with some people resorting to sleeping in the middle lane of the M5 on the way down.

With scrutineering complete and a pleasant force three to four offshore breeze Harry Pynn and Clare Gosling won the practice race. The sun was spotted by a few crews on the second beat, a rarity this year!

Race one took place on the Sunday with a southwesterly force three, bringing with it a large swell that would characterize the rest of the week. Simon Cox and Adam Owens got racing underway as pathfinders. Unfortunately for them the left paid up the first beat. Steve Dunn and Toby Lewis had a clear lead at the first windward mark that they held to the finish. After a close race Nigel Hufton and Ellie Bremer overtook Emma Harris and Becky Priest on the final reach to claim second place.

Race two took place in similar conditions. Again left paid up the first beat with Chris Fish and Beth Condie leading from start to finish. Hufton and Bremer showed consistency to claim another second. Steve Cumley and Eluned Jones claimed third.

An overnight gale caused a confused and awkward sea for Monday’s races. There was much amusement as the fleet assembled on the beach to watch a few boats attempt to launch in the surf. Although not as funny as the way back in later!

Race three was sailed under an overcast sky and force three. Fish and Condie continued their winning ways with a second bullet in the testing conditions. Dunn and Lewis continued to put together a very credible campaign by finishing second. With the conditions moderating slightly, Pynn and Gosling won race four from Cumley and Jones having taken advantage of more pressure on the right of the second beat.

A night of preparing new masts for some was rewarded with perfect conditions for the Tuesday. Race five took place in bright sunny conditions with a steady south-westerly force three to four. The race track was slightly shorter than some expected causing many to over stand the laylines. Cumley and Jones were first to the windward mark and held their lead to the finish. Dunn and Lewis took second on the water to take the overall championship lead. Fish and Condie scored an eighth to drop to third overall.

Then on to the main event, the one they all come along for! The Crew’s race was held after the main race on the championship course. Becky Priest and Emma Harris won from the weeks’ on-fire pairing of Jeremy Stephens and Chris Whitehouse.

A very solid force four to five on Wednesday provided the most challenging conditions of the week. Race six was recalled, quite probably due to the fact that no one could see the pin end in the monster swell. Cumley and Jones led around the windward mark enabling them to keep clear of the carnage at the first gybe mark where championship leaders Dunn and Lewis took a swim. Steve Hall and Simon Haighton eventually won from Alan Krailing and Ed McArdle with Cumley and Jones in third.

Cumley and Jones once again rounded the first mark of race seven in the lead closely followed by Dunn and Lewis and Harris and Priest. With spinnakers finally in evidence on the reaches there was great opportunity for place changes. Dunn and Lewis pulled through to a lead that they held to the finish followed by Hall and Haighton in second.

The breeze increased further on Thursday meaning that racing was postponed, allowing the fleet to concentrate on getting fancy dress costumes ready for the evening.

Going in to the final day Dunn and Lewis maintained their overall lead closely followed by Cumley and Jones in second. Silver fleet sailors, Chris Whitehouse and Jeremy Stephens continued their consistent series and were in third overall. Conditions were significantly lighter than the previous two days. The residual swell had turned into a difficult chop causing some of the hardest sailing conditions experienced at a Lark Nationals.

The race for the championship was on. Cumley and Jones signaled their intentions early with some aggressive pre-start maneuvering. Both boats were mid fleet at the first mark and were seen in a titanic luffing match on the first reach.

Meanwhile, at the front of the fleet, Krailing and McArdle finally rekindled their 2006 Nationals winning form to take a well deserved race win. Matt White and Harriet Steer took second place to enhance their top ten position. The two championship contenders posted discards.

With conditions conspiring against them Dunn and Lewis had a huge challenge on their hands to steal back the lead. Once again a pre-start dual commenced and both boats were mid fleet at the first mark.

Surprise leaders at the first mark were Justin Jones and Lucy Evans followed by Jon Lewis and Tessa Nicholls. Lewis and Nicholls eventually took the lead to take the race win with an ecstatic Jones and Evans in second at their first Lark Nationals. In fact GP14 sailor Justin loves the class so much he's now going to buy his own boat!

Every year the depth of talent in the Lark Fleet increases and this was no more evident than 2007 where a number of pre-championship favorites struggled to hit their form. At the end Steve Cumley and Eluned Jones had done enough to win the 2007 Rooster Lark National Championships by a winning margin of 4.75 points from Steve Dunn and Toby Lewis.

Silver Fleet sailors Chris Whitehouse and Jeremy Stephens maintained their consistency throughout the week to take third overall from last years champions Alan Krailing and Ed McArdle in fourth and Emma Harris and Becky Priest in fifth.

The Bronze fleet was won by Will Branton & Helen Hunt who put together a very consistent series to finish in 25th place ahead of many Gold and Silver fleet sailors.

In time honored tradition the Lark Class maintained its reputation for the best socials! Not least with the Duckham’s that had some great nominations as well as the nightly victors of Toby Lewis, Steve Cumley, Simon Haighton, Alex Cruttenden, Rachel Rhodes and Dan Watson

Finally, the Lark Class would like to thank Looe Sailing Club and its members for hosting this memorable championship and to our event sponsor Rooster who along with Pedrollo, Speed Sails and Pinnell & Bax who provided the excellent prizes.

Results:

1-Steve Cumley and Eluned Jones, 23.75pts
2-Steve Dunn and Toby Lewis, 28.50pts
3-Chris Whitehouse and Jeremy Stephens, 37.00pts
4-Alan Krailing and Ed McArdle, 38.75pts
5-Emma Harris and Becky Priest, 42.00pts
6-Matthew White and Harriet Steer, 46.00pts
7-Stephen and Chris Videlo, 49.00pts
8-Christopher Fish and Beth Condie, 50.50pts
9-Jonathan Lewis and Tessa Nicholls, 56.75pts
10-Harry Pynn and Clare Gosling, 58.75pts