Challenging conditions

After two day's wait sailing gets back underway at the Fireball World Championship

With no sailing on Day three (no wind) and Day four (lay day) the race officer was keen to get in as many races as possible today. However the wind had other ideas. With a little gradient breeze and a substantial haze the prospects of a sea breeze were slim.

By three pm the sea breeze had shown no signs of putting in an appearance. However the news from the Met Office in Exeter was that a cold front was on its way, bringing with it a predicted 12 knots of breeze. Just before five pm the wind showed signs of arriving and the fleet was released.

When the race started it was under flag O the “Pumping” flag. The fleet got away first time, but with the wind still not fully settled down it was a very challenging beat with first the right and then the left side looking favoured.

It was the Swiss pairing of Frédéric Duvoisin and Laurent Grob who sailed by far the best beat to lead at the windward mark. The breezy conditions were to the liking of the 2004 World Champion Andy Smith and crew Jonny Mildred who overhauled the Swiss team to take the race win.

With today’s challenging conditions the leader board was well shaken up. It is now the 2004 World Champion Andy Smith and Jonny Mildred who lead by a small margin from 2003 World Champions Chips Howarth and Vyv Townend, with the 2004 European Champions Tomas Musil and Jan Stantejsky in third place.

Results:

Pos	Sail Number	Country	Helm	Crew	R1	R2	R3	R4	Tot
1	14895	GBR	Andy Smith	Jonny Mildred	13	1	7	1	22
2	14830	GBR	Chips Howarth	Vyv Townend	1	17	3	5	26
3	14879	CZE	Tomas Musil	Jan Stantejsky	3	3	11	25	42
4	14908	GBR	David Edwards	Dan Newman	25	2	4	18	49
5	14834	GBR	Shane MacCarthy	Andy Thompson	5	15	26	4	50
6	14904	GBR	Richard Estaugh	Rob Gardner	24	4	18	7	53
7	14870	GBR	Vince Horey	Gavin Tillson	11	16	17	9	53
8	14791	GBR	Angus Hemmings	Steve Chesney	20	14	12	21	67
9	14899	GBR	Sam Mettam	Richard Anderton	2	26	31	10	69
10	14880	GBR	David Wade	Richard Wagstaff	32	5	14	19	70
11	14400	FRA	Ludovic Alleaume	Etienne Perdon	26	11	13	27	77
12	14820	GBR	Andy Pearce	Adam Broughton	16	18	6	38	78
13	14863	SUI	Frédéric Duvoisin	Laurent Grob	33	6	32	8	79
14	14887	GBR	Steve Goacher	Tim Edlund	22	9	37	15	83
15	14614	GBR	Guy Tipton	Chriss Tattersall	6	19	2	59	86
16	14892	GBR	Penny Gibbs	Ian Gibbs	42	7	35	3	87
17	13945	GBR	Malcolm Davies	Ian Cadwallader	4	52	23	26	105
18	14864	GBR	John Curzon	Pete Elver	8	55	28	14	105
19	14682	GBR	Donald Smith	Matthew Richardson	14	12	71	12	109
20	14821	GBR	Chris Gill	Jonathan Bale	10	32	42	28	112
21	14839	GBR	Kevin Hope	Russell Thorne	7	57	44	6	114
22	14836	FRA	Tim Rush	Fred Sotteau	52	46	1	20	119
23	14829	SHE	Brydon Leask	Ewan Stirling	19	8	30	62	119
24	14857	GBR	Becky Priest	Tim Saunders	35	25	43	16	119
25	14652	GBR	Martin Cooney	David Cooney	29	35	10	51	125
26	14786	AUS	John Heywood	Brett Littledike	28	27	36	35	126
27	14898	GBR	Paul Cullen	Jonathon Ching	12	88	25	2	127
28	14867	GBR	Veronica Falat	Ben Falat	31	24	48	30	133
29	14703	FRA	Franck Juin	Pierre Perdon	9	13	84	31	137
30	14853	GBR	Derian Chandler	Olly Goldsmith	23	42	52	24	141
31	14897	SUI	Kurt Venhoda	Sonja Zaugg	27	23	29	63	142
32	14901	GBR	Tristan Jacques	Keith Bundy	45	56	9	33	143
33	14827	CZE	Petr Koran	Pavel Winkler	44	10	55	36	145
34	14875	GBR	Jenny Thompson	Nick Thompson	41	44	20	40	145
35	14894	IRE	Noel Butler	Hugh Butler	47	75	16	13	151
36	14780	GBR	Alex Piggott	John Rowell	46	29	34	43	152
37	14782	AUS	Robin Inns	Phillip Bowley	15	53	57	29	154
38	14851	GBR	Mark Jarred	Nick Collins	18	51	68	39	176
39	14877	GBR	Phil Popple	Andy Scott	72	48	41	17	178
40	14835	GBR	Euan Sellar	Matt Summers	53	65	50	11	179
41	14903	GBR	Adam Whitehouse	Mike Woodward	37	30	62	55	184
42	14589	BEL	Kristof Woutters	Deca Jan	36	38	73	45	192
43	14874	GBR	Gary Russam	Andy Beston	49	58	49	37	193
44	14019	SLO	Marko Kocjancie	Klara Maucec	89	40	24	42	195
45	14761	GBR	Andy Willcocks	Andrea Willcocks	38	34	79	50	201
46	14805	GBR	Mark Maskell	Vic Gomes	54	47	40	66	207
47	14628	GBR	Simon Maskell	Jon Watkins	17	49	94	48	208
48	14778	GBR	Mike Deane	Paul Disney	30	63	66	49	208
49	14818	GBR	Pete Badham	John Rohde	55	22	65	71	213
50	14850	AUS	Ben Schulz	Doug Shore	60	69	69	23	221