Probably the best sailing of the year

The B14 fleet enjoyed fantastic conditions at their latest TT event

The B14 flying circus made its way down to the West Country for some great sailing. The 20 B14s were to probably have their best sailing of the year to date. Saturday consisted of training in the morning and a four race pursuit series, no discards in the afternoon. Then on Sunday, again a four race series, no discards counting towards the TT series.

The racing on Saturday was fast and furious with the fastest boats starting up to four minutes after the scratch teams with races lasting 20 minutes. With the sea breeze kicking in with undisrupted sun it was to be peachy sailing. There were two downwind gates, so racing was compact with the emphasis on tactics and boat handling. Each race had a different winner and most finished within one minute of the winner. However, having been the most consistent boat, bragging rights and the champagne went to Arkansas Chuggabug (Will and Matt McGrath) who started two minutes after the scratch fleet.

Saturday night and with the 80’s UK tour concert at Powderham Castle next door, the fleet were treated to a concert consisting of ten of the 1980s headline bands and a great fireworks display accompanied by a BBQ.

Sunday dawned and we waited for the sea breeze to come in on que. Racing kicked off in more glorious sun and a building southerly breeze.

Race one and Winged Monkey (Mark Elkington and Charlie Game) hit the front off the pin and led out to the left chased by Seavolution/Blue Marine (Mark Barnes and Pete Nicholson). To the right Rowsell Sails (Frank Rowsell and Miles Harrison) led the pack along the Powderham shore. However, it was the left that paid with Winged Monkey rounding in front of Seavolution/Blue Marine, Asbo (Crispin Taylor and Tom Baker) and Acxiom (Mark Emmett and Alan Stuart). Down the run the leading two played cat and mouse with Winged Monkey holding on. On the next lap at the leeward gate, Seavolution/Blue Marine broke through, with Rowsell Sails and Acxiom fighting for third. Over the last lap, Seavolution/Blue Marine pulled away but the next five boats were neck and neck. So it was a resurging Simmons&Simmons (Mark Watts and George Morris) coming back from the back, found a way past the tight group to claim second at the finish with Acxiom third and Rowsell Sails DSQ for rounding the gate wrong on one lap.

Race two and more of the same. With the same two leading off the line chased by Buzz Wagon (Mark Pollard and Richard Hingston), but the twist was that the right paid this time with Credo (Theo Gayler and Jack Spencer) leading in from the right. These two were never to be passed and led to the finish by three boat lengths. Behind them, there were many place changes throughout. Seavolution/Blue Marine slipped back with weed on their plate and Winged Monkey, used all that local knowledge to slide through to grab second from North Sails/MJF (Dave Hayes and Sean Dwyer), Acxiom and Buzz Wagon.

Race three and the fleet mainly went right but the usual small group headed left. Winged Monkey led from Seavolution/Blue Marine and Das Boot (Mark Philips and Paul Bartlett). From the right, it was Credo, Rowsell Sails and North Sails/MJF. Over the next lap these six fought a close battle with nothing to choose between them. However, Seavolution/Blue Marine broke through to take the win from Winged Monkey, North Sails/MJF, Credo and Simmons&Simmons.

Race four and with the tide changing it was all to play for with at least five boats in the hunt, some jumped the gun. Seavolution/Blue Marine returned but Rowsell Sails did not so DSQ for them. Up the first beat Chattanooga Cho Cho (Dan Cowin and Kathy Sherratt) led and held on for one lap but were hounded by Acxiom, Winged Monkey and Arkansas Chuggabug. However, on the downwind leg of lap two, it was Seavolution/Blue Marine and Simmons&Sommins that were to pass the Chattanooga Cho Cho who slipped back to fifth. Over the next lap, the front two had a battle royale but by the windward mark, Seavolution/Blue Marine had the upper hand by a boat length. Down the run these two cross gybed with little between them. At the finish, Seavolution/Blue Marine gybed on top of Simmons&Simmons to win by a pole length. They were followed by a resurging Chattanooga Cho Cho, Acxiom and Winged Monkey.

However, the last roll of the dice was played ashore. In race four Seavolution/Blue Marine was found by the Jury to have tacked too near to another boat and subsequently DSQd. So the winner of the event was Winged Monkey who sailed a very consistent series. The first tin rig was the ever consistent Das Boot.

The class would like to thank John Donovan and his team for slick turn arounds and good courses and the ladies ashore for their great service in the canteen. The next event is the Torbay Regatta 23 – 25 August for the SW series and 30 – 31 August Lee-on-Solent for the TT circuit.

Results:

Pos	Helm	Crew	Club	Sponsor	R1	R2	R3	R4	Tot
1st	Mark Elkington	Charlie Game	SYC	Winged Monkey	6	2	2	4	14
2nd	Theo Gayler	Jack Spencer	Emsworth Slipper	Credo	4	1	4	6	15
3rd	Mark Watts	George Morris	Weston	Simmons & Simmons	2	8	5	1	16
4th	Mark Emmett	Alan Stuart	Weston	Acxiom	3	4	6	3	16
5th	Dave Hayes	Sean Dwyer	Southport	MJF/North	7	3	3	8	21
6th	Mark Barnes	Pete Nicholson	Whitstable	Seavolution/Blue Marine	1	7	1	20	29
7th	Dan Cowin	Kathy Sherrat	Ely	Chattanooga Cho Cho	12	9	8	2	31
8th	Rod Bosjwik	Sharon Binney	Mountbatten	Little Blue	8	14	7	9	38
9th	Mark Phillips	Paul Bartlett	SYC		5	10	14	11	40
10th	Mark Pollard	Richard Hingston	SYC	Buzz Wagon	9	5	20	7	41
11th	Crispin Taylor	Tom Baker	SYC	ASBO	10	12	9	10	41
12th	Will McGrath	Matt McGrath	SYC	Arkansas Chuggabug	13	13	11	5	42
13th	Tony Blackmore	Charlotte Jones	SYC	Sailsport	11	11	10	12	44
14th	Frank Rowsell	Miles Ashton	Exe	Rowsell Sails	20	6	12	20	58
15th	Trevor Harris	Lucy Walter	Bexhill SC	Tango Tango	14	16	15	15	60
16th	Ed Streeter	Ali Callender	SYC		20	15	13	13	61
17th	Sam Game	Sam	SYC		20	17	17	14	68
18th	Martin Northcott	Lucy Northcott	Mountbatten	Green Machine	20	18	16	18	72
19th	Mark Collett	Diane Collett	SYC		20	19	20	20	79
20th	Mike Roe	Sally Roe	Mountbatten		20	20	20	20	80