Mee and Bithell in straight wins

The Fireball End of Season Championship took place over the weekend

The Fireball fleet enjoyed excellent racing at Draycote Water SC on the first and second of November with 38 Fireball teams taking part including visitors from Ireland and Switzerland.

Three back to back races were held on Saturday and Sunday in a strong northerly breeze. Current World Champion, Matt Mee sailing with fellow Hollingworth Lake SC club mate; Stuart Bithell dominated the proceedings with five straight first places.

Racing on Saturday was held in building northerly breeze. Mee and Bithell took the first race followed by Tom Foskett and Tim Needham in second and Kevin Hope and Russell Thorne third. Mee and Bithell led from start to finish in the second race, although Foskett and Needham also broke away from the fleet and pushed the leaders all the way round. Phillip Popple and Gavin Tilson sailed well to take third.

By race three the breeze had increased to 20 knots and with some vicious gusts and squalls pushing up to the 30 knot margin. This resulted in a depleted fleet for the final race of the day which was convincingly won by Mee and Bithell with Foskett and Tim (the lever) Needham taking their third second place of the day. This young pairing proved consistently fast in the breezy and shifty conditions.

As always on Saturday evening the food was excellent and plentiful, which was was good as there were some very hungry crews!

Sunday's racing took place in marginally lighter conditions but again big gusts were frequently experienced on the racecourse. Mee and Bithell took race four with Foskett and Needham picking up where they left off to take another second, followed again by Hope and Thorne.

Race five saw Mee and Bithell take the win, and the meeting with a race to spare, however they didn’t have this race all their own way. After establishing a comfortable early lead, Hope and Thorne picked up a couple of good shifts on the penultimate beat to pass Mee and Bithell and lead round the final windward mark. Mee and Bithell put the hammer down on the final run to regain the lead by the leeward mark which they maintained to the finish. Hope and Thorne came in second with Foskett and Needham finishing in third securing them second place overall.

With the top two boats absent for the final race, Hope and Thorne took a well deserved win and third overall after an early battle with Andy Pearce and Gary Henwood-Fox who took second. Vince Horey and Rob Gardner came third despite Rob’s complaints about ‘frozen’ feet.

Many thanks to Draycote Water SC for holding an excellent weekends racing with efficient race management and the usual warm hospitality.

The Draycote Water Fireball Super Series kicks off on the 16th November running ever other week until mid March visitors are welcome.

Results:

Pos	Helm	Crew	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	Tot
1st	Matt Mee	Stuart Bithell	1	1	1	1	1	DNC	5
2nd	Tom Foskett	Tim Needham	2	2	2	2	3	DNS	11
3rd	Kevin Hope	Russell Thorne	3	8	3	3	2	1	12
4th	Vince Horey	Robert Gardiner	8	7	8	4	4	3	26
5th	Philip Popple	Gavin Tillson	27	3	4	5	5	9	26
6th	Martyn Lewis	Richard Byne	4	6	5	9	6	DNC	30
7th	Peter Wood	Mike Pratt	10	4	11	6	7	7	34
8th	Peter Gray	Simon Forbes	11	10	6	12	16	6	45
9th	Andy Pearce	G Henwood-Fox	7	14	14	18	9	2	46
10th	Matt Findlay	Richard Anderton	5	13	10	10	8	DNC	46
11th	Derian Scott	Andy Scott	19	18	7	7	13	4	49
12th	Tom Castle	Anthony York	15	11	13	15	11	12	62
13th	Simon Lomas-Clarke	John Piatt	18	20	DNS	13	12	5	68
14th	Chris H Walker	Daniel T Walker	16	27	15	20	15	14	80
15th	Ian Priest	Mike Stoddart	24	16	17	23	17	11	84
16th	Mo Turner	Samantha Bunn	20	25	DNC	16	18	10	89
17th	Mark Maskell	Simon Maskell	14	19	DNC	11	10	DNC	93
18th	Richard Estaugh	Andy Davis	9	5	DNC	8	DNC	DNC	100
19th	Becky Priest	Tim Saunders	6	9	9	DNC	DNC	DNC	102
20th	Terry Forbes	Rob Watson	26	21	DNC	24	24	13	108
21st	Peter Badham	John Rohde	12	12	12	DNF	DNS	DNS	114
22nd	Al Fry	Big Mac-Shane	25	22	DNC	14	14	DNC	114
23rd	Ross Kearney	Colin Rainback	23	24	DNC	DNF	21	8	115
24th	Paul Anthony	Quentin Hayes	32	30	18	27	25	15	115
25th	Bob Morris	Paul Roe	28	26	DNF	25	22	16	117
26th	Colin Snowdon	Karen Hiles	30	28	DNC	22	20	17	117
27th	Simon Kelsall	Tom Williamson	21	23	DNS	17	19	DNC	119
28th	Jez White	Keith Bundy	DNC	29	16	21	23	DNC	128
29th	Simon Mcgrotty	Hugh Butler	17	17	DNF	19	DNC	DNC	131
30th	Mike Deane	Paul Disney	13	15	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	145
31st	Richard Glen	Graham Collett	33	31	19	DNC	27	DNC	149
32nd	Peter Slack	Hania Ogrodzinski	DNF	DNC	DNF	26	26	DNF	169
33rd	Adrian Huber	Brigitte Mauchle	22	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	178
34th	John Tenney	Alex Fillmore	29	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	185
35th	Miles Thomas	Kit Edwards	31	DNF	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	187
36th	Graham Gittins	Teresa Tonks	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	195
36th	Ian MacWhinnie	Richard Renby	DNF	DNF	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	195
36th	Jonathan Cooper	Cheryl Jessop	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	195