A game of two halves

The 29er fleet experienced two completely different days at their Inland Championships

With nearly 40 29ers, the 2008 Ovington Inland Championships were keenly contested with the varied conditions producing clear and worthy winners.

The forecast for Saturday of 15 knots turned out to be ‘half’ right – almost literally as the gusts racked up to nearly 30 knots by the end of the second race.

Winner of race one (at least on the water) were Henry Lloyd Williams and Sam Batten with Nick Redding and Adam Hilton in hot pursuit. However, virtually all the fleet had misread the SIs and done a lap less than needed. Four boats had done the extra lap and the situation was settled reasonably amicably in the protest room by awarding two first places two seconds and so on – so at least no-one lost out. That promoted Tom Durham and Rupert Jones Warner to first - a position they didn’t let go of all day.

Race two and everyone did the right number of laps, with Durham winning, Chris Matthews and Ed Gibbons made a huge improvement from a first race 18th to come in second with Tristan Jaques and Tom Morris third and consistent Adam Larvin and John Welton fourth.

The wind cranked up a bit between races resulting in a few casualties but none more entertaining than Adam Larvins excellent full end over end pitchpole. (He claims he stayed dry – yeah sure Adam!)

The conditions obviously suited the top three as they repeated the same positions in the third race, with Walker and Mather cracking another good result in fourth.

A tough day on the water had been dominated by the lads with Durham leading from Larvin and Mather, the first girl in tenth was Siobhan Escritt crewing for her Dad, and four places further back were Lilly Carlisle and Becky Wallbank, who were under pressure from Anne Noble and Katy Stewardson.

Sunday was a different game! The light winds – barely trapezing except for the real lightweights - proved a real test of quite different skills.

Alex Horlock and Timothy Walton won the start, and sailed away to win the race despite strong pressure from Lilly Carlisle and Becky Wallbank with Keith and Siobhan Escritt third. Durham wasn’t to be shaken though and managed a good fourth but Mather and Larvin kept the pressure on with a fifth and sixth.

Keith and Siobhan Escritt worked the shifts best in race five and led from the first mark to the finish from Nick Redding and Adam Hilton who were adding to their string of mostly top six results. Durham and Jones Warner crossed third to virtually guarantee overall victory while Anne Noble and Katy Stewardson got fourth to put some pressure on Carlisle and Wallbank for first ladies spot.

Henry Lloyd Williams and Sam Batten had ‘gone missing a bit after their first race win, but they finished the weekend as they’d started – with a bullet. Tristan Jaques and Tom Morris just rolled Noble and Stewardson on the last hitch leg for second, with the Escritts fourth and Lilly Carlisle and Becky Wallbank ensuring they won the first Ladies overall title with a fighting fifth.

Results:

Pos	Helm	Crew	Club	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	Tot
1	Tom DURHAM	Rupert JONES-WARNER	Emsworth Slipper/Emsworth Slipper	RDG1	1	1	4	3	7	10
2	Adam LARVIN	John WHELTON	Beaver SC/Beaver SC	RDG2	4	5	6	5	14	22
3	Keith ESCRITT	Siobhan ESCRITT	Yorkshire Dales SC/Yorkshire Dales SC	RDG3	18	16	3	1	4	27
4	Nick REDDING	Adam HILTON	Oxford/Oxford	6	5	6	8	2	13	27
5	Phil WALKER	John MATHER	Draycote Water/Draycote Water	2	8	4	5	9	12	28
6	Henry LLOYD WILLIAMS	Sam BATTEN	Lymington/Lymington	1	7	13	15	8	1	30
7	Tristan JACQUES	Tom MORRIS	Nantwich/Nantwich	11	3	3	13	19	2	32
8	James BRIGGS	George HAND	Draycote Water/Draycote Water	4	9	7	12	7	10	37
9	Lilly CARLISLE	Becky WALLBANK	Draycote/Draycote	25	14	11	2	6	5	38
10	James BOLINGBROKE	Matt HEATHCOTE	Dabchicks S C/Dabchicks S C	5	6	10	22	21	9	51
11	Alex HORLOCK	Timothy WALTON	EXE/EXE	DNF40	17	9	1	17	11	55
12	Anne NOBLE	Katy STEWARDSON	Ullswater YC/Ullswater YC	14	OCS40	18	20	4	3	59
13	Chris MATTHEWS	Ed GIBBONS	Brightlingsea S CUB/Brightlingsea S CUB	18	2	2	19	22	RAF40	63
14	Sam WATSON	Henry COLLINSON	Nantwich SC/Nantwich SC	27	21	22	7	10	6	66
15	Adam KITCHEN	Jeremy WILLIAMSON	Chichester YC/Chichester YC	16	13	12	16	31	21	78
16	Hannah BRIGGS (ROB THOMAS)	Emma PEARSON	Draycote Water SC/Draycote Water SC	23	12	15	11	23	19	80
17	Arthur ROMANO	Ed ROMANO	Burghfield / Lymington/Burghfield / Lymington	12	10	BFD40	10	25	27	84
18	Giles LLOYD WILLIAMS	Fiona RAMUS	Lymington/Lymington	17	20	20	23	11	20	88
19	Alex MOTHERSELE	Hamish ELLIS	Emsworth/Emsworth	8	16	26	24	20	24	92
20	Aaron SMITH	Alec RODGERS	Wilsonian SC/Wilsonian SC	28	19	8	30	34	8	93
21	Emily JACKSON	Harriet MORRIS	Elton SC/Elton SC	21	24	27	17	12	23	97
22	Anna BROOKS	Julia BOWDEN	Elton SC/Elton SC	13	32	21	18	15	31	98
23	Neil PAYNE	Simon TAYLOR	Draycote/Draycote	9	11	DNF40	RAF40	14	25	99
24	Jean FURNESS	Jillian DARLING	Draycote Water SC/Draycote Water SC	15	26	24	29	18	16	99
25	Matthew GOACHER	Matthew THOMAS	Lancing SC/Lancing SC	RDG4	23	17	34	37	28	106
26	Grace FELL	Honor FELL	Beadnell/Beadnell	29	27	25	25	13	22	112
27	Austen SCULLY	Tom BRUTON	Whitstable YC/Whitstable YC	OCS40	15	23	21	26	34	119
28	Thomas LAMBERT	Nicola SMITH	Wilsonian SC/Wilsonian SC	19	22	19	33	33	26	119
29	Alex POYNER	Jess DERBYSHIRE	Emsworth/Emsworth	DNF40	DNF40	DNF40	9	16	15	120
30	Michael MATTHEWS	Tom STEAVENSON	Sunderland YC/Sunderland YC	26	25	14	28	32	29	122
31	Sarah BURGESS	Helen BURGESS	Draycote Water SC/Draycote Water SC	DNF40	30	DNF40	14	27	17	128
32	Tom FORRESTER-COLES	Hannah PETERS	Holyhead/Holyhead	20	OCS40	DNF40	27	29	18	134
33	Ed JONES	Matt CRUZ	Carsington/Carsington	22	31	DNF40	26	28	30	137
34	Alexander LEGASSICK	Edaward LE GASSICK	Wilsonians SC/Wilsonians SC	DNF40	29	DNF40	32	30	32	163
35	Jason SIVYER	Charlie ESSE	Royal Lymington/Royal Lymington	DNF40	DNF40	DNF40	31	24	33	168
36	Tommy D'ORTEZ	Conor KEOHANE	Tenby SC/Tenby SC	31	28	BFD40	35	39	36	169
37	Philippa GRAY	Hannah THOMAS	Oxford/Oxford	30	DNF40	DNF40	37	38	38	183
38	Joan FURNESS	Hannah LENNOX	Draycote Water SC/Draycote Water SC	DNF40	DNF40	DNF40	38	35	35	188
39	Martin LOWN	Harry COULSON	Wilsonian SC/Wilsonian SC	DNF40	OCS40	DNF40	36	36	37	189