Big names in Burnham

It is another strong entry list for this year's Endeavour Trophy

Returning for the third year since a major overhaul to the format, the Endeavour Trophy is set to take place this weekend on the River Crouch. The UK Champion of Champions event has proved very popular with the various invited National Champions in recent years and the 2008 event looks to be no exception.

Back in 2004 the Endeavour boat of choice was the RS400, however, with no clear sponsorship deal competitors were relied upon to beg borrow or steal a 400 for the event. This lead to an understandable downturn in numbers and the regatta was looking unsteady. Happily back in 2005 Topper International signed up to loan the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club in Burnham – the events’ spiritual home – 30 Topper Xenons. This, in turn has seen a dramatic rise in the number of competitors taking up their invitations and the Endeavour has looked healthy once again for the last three years.

In addition to Topper signing on for the 2005 event Holt also came in as a title sponsor for 2005, 2006 and 2007. However, this year the company has dropped out leaving the Endeavour Trophy with Topper as the effective title sponsor. A new event sponsor is actively being sought and should be in place by next year. Meanwhile, Topper have signed up to the event until 2010 so the boats and numbers are safe for the foreseeable future.

As with previous years the regatta is now effectively a three day event. Friday is a day of training on the water, with coaching on hand from Adam Bowers for those crews who are unused to the set up of the boat. Sailors will be keen to ensure they are familiar with all the equipment on their boat, practicing maneuvers and looking at their rig and sail tune alongside their competitors. With most unlikely to have sailed a Topper Xenon this will be a welcome chance to get to grips with the boat as well a catch up with some of those who have competed in the event previously.



Racing proper gets underway on Saturday morning with the first start of the day planned for 10.30am. In all, eight races are scheduled for the weekend and if past years are anything to go by it will be a hectic, demanding schedule. Each windward leeward race has a time limit of 45 minutes, the winner of the race is first across the line after this time - and those finishing after the winner are scored accordingly. Once five races are completed then a discard comes into play.

Typically the race team, lead by Kim Allen, have always aimed for five races to be completed on the Saturday, meaning at least five hours on the water and nearly four hours of intense racing. This leaves only three races to be completed on Sunday, allowing time for a prize giving and competitors time to get home.

As much as anything familiarity with the race area on the river Crouch will be an important aspect for the sailors. For the most part racing will take place in one of two areas. If the wind is in a westerly or easterly direction the windward leeward course will be set along the main river, allowing plenty of space for the sailors. Here the tide can be at its strongest and it is not unusual to see sailors tacking or gybing extremely close to the shore. The river, here has relatively steep banks and sailors are able to get very close into the shore. The strong tidal river can make judging laylines extremely difficult and races can be won or lost here. If the wind is blowing from the north or the south the course is usually set up the much smaller tributary of the Roach. Here similar rules apply, though a large shallow band on the easternmost side of the course area makes for a relatively large tidal gain patch. With a much more gentle slope on each side there is more risk in going closer to the shore and competitors need to keep and eye out for the tidal state. It is commonplace to see a few of the boats run aground in the mud here.

The forecast currently has the wind from the northeast at around five knots on Saturday and about ten knots from the southwest on Sunday. Due to this is could well be a weekend for the lightweight teams, but with the course most likely to be set on the Roach, keep an eye out for those who have spent a great deal of time sailing out of the Royal Corinthian in Burnham.

Competitors:

Nick Craig and Toby Lewis:

Easily the favourite for victory Craig has won the event on numerous occasions, in both the RS400 and the Topper Xenon. This year Craig has been invited to the event as the B14 National Champion. The B14 is a class Craig only recently started sailing and won the Nationals on his first attempt, a clear example of his ability throughout a range of classes. However, Craig is not unbeatable and missed out on a fourth straight victory last season as Steve Tylcote won the prestigious Trophy. Tylocote was sailing with Toby Lewis at the time and modestly put a great deal of his victory down to this ‘super crew’. Since then Lewis has been sailing in the B14 with Craig and will be joining him at the Endeavour this season, perhaps creating the ultimate Endeavour super combination.

Roger Gilbert and Jane Willan:

Another sailor who has attended many Endeavours over the years is Roger Gilbert, who will be representing the RS200 fleet once again this year, though he did also win the Merlin Rocket Nationals. Gilbert was second to Tylecote last season and was second to Craig the year before. He has previously won the event back when it was taking place in the RS400 but so far has not managed to hit the front of the fleet in the Xenon. This is, perhaps, surprising for some as the Xenon is fairly similar in size to the RS200 that Gilbert has dominated for the last few years. A light weather event may well suit him and his RS200 crew, Willan.

Graham Camm and Zoe Ballantyne:

Regular attendees of the event, Camm and Ballantyne will once again be representing the National 12 fleet. In the windy conditions last year the pair came home a disappointing ninth place. However, most of the top teams rate them and they are particularly fast in the light winds. If the forecast is correct, this year could well be their year.

Paul Kameen and Steve Tylecote:

Firefly National Champion, Kameen may not be a hugely well known name at the event. However, the Firefly is a competitive small class and Kameen is bound to know what he is doing. Arguably most significantly, though, Kameen will be crewed by Tylecote this season who, as we know, won last year. This combination could well be impressive and the idea of Tylecote going up against his old crew Lewis is an exciting one.

John Pink and Rick Peacock:

Representing the 49er fleet Pink and Peacock are sure to be tough competition this year. However, the differences between the Xenon and the 49er are huge and the pairing could well struggle getting to grips with the different style of sailing. Before moving into the 49er, though, Pink did spend some time sailing a Topper Buzz, a much more similar boat, despite having a trapeze. Hopefully his time in that class will set him up well for the regatta but the pairing are still effectively outsiders.

Others:

Of course being a Champion of Champions event, the Endeavour Trophy attracts many top names from the British sailing World. Richard Stenhouse representing the Musto Skiff and sailing with his wife Kit will be strong competition. Pete Barton and Roz Allen (Cherub) should also be seen at the top of the table and will be a strong pairing especially in the light winds.

TheDailySail will be making our way down too Burnham once again this year to keep you up to date with all the goings on, on the River Crouch.

Entry List:

	Helm	Crew	Class
1	Emma Barry	TBA	Mirror
2	Tim Sadler	Richard Salt	Enterprise
3	Ian Coppenhall	Mark Coppenhall	Comet
4	Graham Camm	Zoe Ballantyne	National 12
5	Mike Gibson	Keith Bond	Supernova
6	Paul Kameen	Steve Tylecoat	Firefly
7	Rob Burridge	Amy Hulley	Laser 2000
8	Christopher Fish	Beth Condie	Lark Class
9	Terry Curtis	Chris Downham	OK Dinghy
10	Neil Ashby	Graham Oliver	ISO
11	Nick Craig	Toby Lewis	B14
12	Mike Hart	Duncan West	Hornet
13	Tim Gratton	Chris Taylor	RS Feva
14	Richard Stenhouse	Kit Stenhouse	Musto Skiff
15	Arthur Henderson	Will Henderson	Cadet
16	Ian Dobson	Andy Tunnicliffe	GP14
17	Dan Henderson	Bruce Spratt	Pico
18	Martin Cooney	Jon Gorringe	Osprey
19	Chris Gill	Jan Gill	Europe
20	Olly Porter	Ben Harden	Laser 4.7
21	Roger Gilbert	Jane Willan	R.S.200
22	Ian Escritt	Ben Rayner	Vortex
23	John Pink	Rick Peacock	49er
24	Peter Barton	Roz Allen	Cherub Class
25	Paul Bayliss	Jane Olive	RS700
26	David Wade	Ben McGrane	Fireball
27	Steve Cockrill	Keri Harris	Streaker
28	Christian Reynolds	TBA	RS 600