Racing cancelled on day two

A report from the Sailability 18ft Skiff 2005 Inland National Championship

Oxford Sailing Club hosted the Sailability 18 foot Skiff 2005 Inland National Championship at Farmoor reservoir over the past weekend, in aid of Oxford Sailability’s Pontoon Project for disabled sailors. The event was also the fourth round of the 2005 UK 18 foot Skiff Grand Prix.

The current prolonged period of high pressure meant that winds were unlikely to be anything more than light to moderate in strength, and Saturday’s conditions were typical of what can be expected on inland waters on a hot summer day. A north north westerly gradient breeze averaging only five knots was all that was on offer, but the racing was far from dull. In fact, the competing teams had their work cut out to make the most of a wind which varied in strength and direction to such an extent that places changed constantly in the challenging conditions.

The Radii team of Andy Richards, Andrew Fairley and Dave Richards, who are enjoying an outstanding season, were soon in tune with the vagaries of the breeze, and spotted the shifts and flat spots well enough to win the first race by a good distance, followed by Peter Barton, Martin Borrett and Ian Turnbull on Barron and Smithers and Tim Penfold, Matt Alvarado and Will Penfold on Fat Face.

Race two was perhaps even more difficult, with the pack being shuffled very frequently, but the remarkable thing was that the finishing order for places one to five was precisely the same as in the first race.

Race three was far less predictable and more full of incidents, the first of which was when the normally sure footed Dave Richards did a spectacular backward somersault on the first downwind leg and soon found himself 25 metres behind Radii before his team mates were able to get back to recover him. They then surprised everyone by regaining the lead before the end of the leg, only to lose out later in the race to Base 1 sailed by Rob Dulson, Paul Constable and Drummond Sydenham and also the Fat Face team.
There was then a hugely popular series of joy-rides for large numbers of enthusiastic local sailors who willingly contributed to the Sailability Pontoon Project to have their first rides on the mighty 18 footers, and this was followed by more fun with a barbecue and entertainment by a ceilidh band.

Sadly, there was disappointment on Sunday morning when the breeze tantalisingly failed to materialise for more than a few minutes at a time, and all hopes of racing were finally abandoned at 1 pm. In spite of this the Skiff sailors had enjoyed the weekend, and contributed donations to the Pontoon Project.

Overall results:

1-Radii’ Andy Richards Andrew Fairley and Dave Richards, 5 points
2-Barron and Smithers Peter Barton, Martin Borrett and Ian Turnbull, 8 points
3-Fat Face Tim Penfold, Matt Alvarado and Will Penfold, 8 points
4-Base 1 Rob Dulson, Paul Constable and Drummond Sydenham, 9 points
5-Grapefruit Graphics Ollie Holden, Ben Cooke and Dan Robins, 15 points