70 strong turn out

For Dart 18 Nationals at Netley Sailing Club reports David Lloyd

70 Dart 18s travelled to Netley S C on the Solent for the 2003 Dart 18 Nationals held over the Bank Holiday weekend.

The field was very competitive with six previous European or World Title winners competing. Nine races were held over the three days with conditions varying from almost calm to force five. Saturday was a cold day with a moderate South Westerly.

The tide although neaps was holding the fleet back from the start and so race one got away cleanly with Red Insurance leading at the windward mark and fellow Stokes Bay members Chris Moore & Jess Walton, and Team Typhoon David & Sam Lloyd close behind.

There was place changing when Stuart & Sandie Sly stormed through to win with Typhoon second and Red insurance hanging on to third.

Race two and again Red Insurance led having port tacked the fleet at the start but again they were overhauled by team Typhoon who won with David & Jo Bartlett chasing hard until a severe collision with an Etchells, which was racing on an overlapping course. It tacked as they gybed and ended their race on the last run. This left Grand Prix champs Dan Norman & Mel Rogers to take second.

The final race of the day and Typhoon led from start to finish with Grafham Water sailors Stuart Snell & Bettina Harvey second and Norman & Rogers third. It was a record that not one boat was over the line during the first day's racing.

Day 2 was day with a light north westerly which kept shifting to the southwest and back again with heavy rain showers and squalls passing through the race course.

Race 4 had a port biased line and saw the first general recalls of the championship as the tide was now pushing the fleet across the line. A slightly more port biased line saw several port tackers getting through and the right hand side was paying with slightly more pressure. Former World Champion, Gareth Owen crewed by Joanna Jones-Pierce established a good lead and then tacked across to the left as a squall came through and had a 200yard lead at the end of the first lap from Norman & Rogers.

The tide, against the fleet was stronger offshore but on the second lap it also had more wind. First to spot this were Team Typhoon and Mark Howell & Martin Stevens who jumped into the second and third places, by carefully sticking to just left of the middle of the course as the far left was in a very adverse tide and the far right in very little wind.

Howell & Stevens just nicked second before the race was shortened to two laps.

Race 5 and Red Insurance port tacked the fleet again but this time held the lead to the finish, as they had just managed to avoid a pile up at the pin end with Herve Lemaux and Robbie John Garcka sinking Owen & Jones Pierce on the line. As the race went on the Slys finished second and father and son team Joffan & Stuey Garcka holding off the challenge of Norman & Rogers for third.

The final race of the day and Owen and Jones – Pierce took out their frustration by winning in a borrowed boat with Norman & Rogers second and newcomers to the fleet, Matthew Pullen & Deborah Rickard a creditable third. This left Norman & Rogers leading by a point from Team Typhoon going into the final day with Owen & Jones-Pierce and the Slys still very much in the running.

The final day and the Solent blessed the fleet with clear Skies and warm sunshine. The breeze stayed in the southwest all day but started as a force 2. The tide was holding the fleet back from the line but further out in the channel up at the windward mark it was about half a knot in the other direction. This meant that a large proportion of the fleet overlaid the windward mark.

Chris Moore & Jessica Walton led from start to finish with Team Typhoon going left on the second beat to get back to second place with LeMaux & Garcka in third.

Race 8 and the tide at the windward mark had changed to be the same across the whole course. All the top overall contenders fared poorly as they were so busy covering each other. The race was won by Lawrie Draper & Estelle Derville who were one of the most consistent boats in the series, keeping all their results in the top ten. Le Maux & Garcka were second with Snell 7 Harvey third.

This meant Team Typhoon was firmly in the driving seat going into the final race with only Norman & Rogers able to beat them. The black flag was in and the race got away cleanly. Typhoon shadowed Norman & Rogers down the line as they just had to finish within six places of them. The sea breeze had filled in and with negligible tide or wind shifts and a perfect start line they fleet stormed off cleanly first time, with Norman & Rogers leading , Owen & Jones-Pierce and Team Typhoon just behind.

Typhoon gained second on the first run and then these three extended their lead to the finish.

David & Sam Lloyd won the event in Typhoon. David had previously finished 2nd, 3rd 4th and 5th but finally took the title at the 17th attempt.

Netley proved to be an immensely popular venue with such a friendly club, and excellent value food and beer as well as a massive army of helpers to pull your boat up after a hard days racing. The Bands and Disco along with free camping for 90% of the fleet was a winner too. The Race team were the professional 'Racewithcondor' team who did an excellent job in sometimes difficult conditions. it was fantastic to have long enough start lines in all races and this certainly kept General Recalls to a minimum. Thanks Netley.

National Championship Result

1st ‘Typhoon’ 7724 David & Samantha-Jayne Lloyd Stokes Bay S C
2nd 7722 Dan Norman & Mel Rogers Sheppey Y C
3rd 7749 Gareth Owen & Joanna Jones-Pierce Dee S C
4th 7652 Stuart & Sandie Sly Restronguet S C
5th 7677 Lawrie Draper & Estelle Derville Stokes Bay S C
6th 7700 Stuart Snell & Bettina Harvey Grafham Water S C
7th ‘Red Insurance’ 7738 Alan & Fiona Kernick Stokes Bay S C
8th 7382 Chris Moore & Jessica Walton Stokes Bay S C
9th 7753 David & Jo Bartlett Starcross Y C
10th ‘Fluid’ 7683 Paul Wakelin & Jo Coe Mumbles Y C

Personal Handicap
1st 7678 Richard Pierpoint & Sue Grey Parkstone Y C
2nd 6734 Craig Brown & Joanne Abel Restronguet S C
3rd 3333 Jim & Hannah Mundy Weston S C

Exe Plate, British Open Cup, Saab Cup, Garcka Trophy ‘Typhoon’ 7724 Lloyd & Lloyd
Peter Whitfield Cup Sam Lloyd
SW Water trophy 7652 Sly &Sly
Masters Trophy 7700 Snell & Harvey
Lady Helm 2183 Abby Ledger Whitstable Y C
Youth Helm 7267 Shaun Pollard Hastings S C