B14 news

Tim Fells reports on the final Grafham event plus the completed 2003 ranking series

A great season for the B14 class, marked by record turnouts, rounded off in perfect style on 25/26 October. Grafham always comes up trumps with great sailing and this year was no exception. Saturday produced sun and a force four straight down the lake to give the 23 boats great, flat-water blasting conditions. Sunday was trickier with the Northerly containing enough snakes and ladders to keep everyone on their toes. Both days were notable for the closeness of the racing, showing how well the middle of the fleet has progressed over the year.

Tim Fells and Shaun Barber, who have recently teamed up to campaign for the 2004 Garda worlds, dominated Saturday’s racing. Having been gifted the first race when Matt Searle and Andy Ramus set off on an extra lap, they then reeled off three straight wins to hold a comfortable overnight lead. Matt and Andy made up for their first race error by posting a couple of second places before being removed from the racetrack by a high-speed 49er, for which they received average points. Nils Jolliffe and Jon Branch, thoroughly enjoying their newly acquired Ovington, compiled a tidy 2,3,3 to hold second overnight.

The four races on Sunday brought a new set of faces to the front. Nils and JB took race 5 followed by Tim Harrison and Jonny Radcliffe who then took out race 6 ahead of the very quick Chris Bines and Dave Gibbons. Race 7 went to Alan Davis and Alison Wilson with Nils and JB close behind. Meanwhile Tim and Shaun were exploring all parts of the fleet and their scrambled 3,7,8 left them narrowly ahead of Nils and JB going into the last race.

Nils and JB did what they had to do and jumped into the lead, closely followed by Chris and Dave. As the race progressed, Tim and Shaun kept nibbling away at the lead and on the last run jybed away into pressure on the left to narrowly take the gun and the meeting.

Overall:
1st 758, Tim Fells and Shaun Barber (Grafham)
2nd 764, Nils Jolliffe and Jon Branch (Weston)
3rd 767, Dave Hayes and Sean Dwyer (Southport)
4th 688, Tim Harrison and Jonny Radcliffe (Burnham)
5th 725, Matt Searle and Andy Ramus (Hayling)
6th 741, Chris Bines and Dave Gibbons (Brightlingsea)

And results of the B14 2003 Ranking Series:

Newly introduced for the 2003 season, the B14 Ranking Series proved to be a great success. With generous sponsorship from North Sails and Hyde Sails, the series attracted 62 different teams out onto the water and encouraged an increase in turnout at all events.

The season started in March at Rutland with a total of 11 events covering UK domestic, Nationals and Eurocup at Garda. An end of term party at Grafham rounded off a highly competitive season in which a number of new teams have come through to challenge the established front-runners and throughout the fleet skills have markedly improved.

At the front of the fleet, spoils were divided equally between five different teams with two event wins apiece. Dave Hayes and Sean Dwyer won the two big events – the Garda Eurocup and the Whitstable Nationals. Tim Fells, having picked up the Worlds in Melbourne in January (a non-ranking event) won Rutland at the beginning of the season and Grafham at the end, all with different crews. Matt Searle and Rich Bell won a very windy Weston and the excellent Tide Ride. Jono Pank won the Datchet Inlands and Lee-on-the-Solent. Mark Barnes and Tom Pygall won at Hayling and Brightlingsea.

The North Sails sponsored ‘Best Newcomer’ category was won by Richard Harrison and Chris Coultard, who’s 11th place overall gained them a £730 discount off their next suit of North sails. Chris Bines and Martin Worth stormed up the rankings to 7th overall to be the best improvers and took home a new Hyde Jib.

Final Ranking Position:
1st Dave Hayes and Sean Dwyer (212 pts)
2nd Tim Fells and Dave Cunningham (207 pts)
3rd Matt Searle and Rich Bell (197 pts)
4th Nils Jolliffe and Jon Branch (188 pts)
5th Tim Harrison and Jonny Radcliffe (164 pts)
6th Mark Barnes and Tom Pygall (129 pts)