Great start

Former GBR Challenge helm Andy Beadsworth describes winning his first Star regatta

Freddie (David Carr) and I have been training in the Gym and getting organised for the beginning of this program for three months or more.

We sailed a couple of times out of Hayling Island, Sparks Marina during November to learn how to rig the boat and make ourselves familiar with it. I figured it would be pretty embarrassing to turn up at our first regatta and crash into everyone getting off the dock.

We shipped the boat out to Miami having tidied the boat up as best we can with help form Dave Heritage, Marlow Ropes, Harken, Tacktic, Paul and Phil at the RYA store. The boat is an RYA loan boat originally sailed by Ian [Walker] and Mark [Covell] in 1999. Since then it has done many miles.

We flew out to Miami on 4 January very excited and anxious about the idea of sailing against another boat. US sailing were running a clinic for their top boats but unfortunately would not let us join in. Our frustration was hard to contain. Still not able to sail against anyone. We trained on our own and watched a bit of the US clinic for tips on how to sail the boat. I do have to say though, how helpful all the sailors have been answering a myriad of questions about how to set up the boat and how it all works.

On Sat 8 January the Levin Cup regatta started: 8-10 knots, sunny, 35 boats, a sprinkling of world champions and past medallists.

After three general recalls and a black flag we got off to a great start close to the pin. Our speed was good and stayed in the front row until we decided to tack on a shift. We dipped a couple of boats but is was clear we were in the front pack and in the hunt. Half way up the first beat we found ourselves on the hip of Mark Reynolds. Interesting to see how we will go: Good. Higher and a bit faster. Eventually he tacked off and sailed behind
us. Very encouraging!!

On the approach to the windward mark we took a couple of shifts out to the right and unbelievably came in first with a four or five boat length lead over the next boat. The committee boat was pulling out boats black flagged at the start - a moment when my heart skipped a beat. We were clear and leading the race for real.

Freddie and I had not sailed a Star downwind against another boat and being in the lead did not make it easy to copy anyone around us. Although we lost one boat on the first run we subsequently extended form the rest of the fleet.

We maintained our position to the finish thinking we were second. Then we discovered George Szabo driving the boat ahead was black flagged at the start and so disqualified. We had won our first race. You can imagine we were thrilled.

Unfortunately the second race did not end up so good finishing 17th. Essentially we had a bad start which sent us right and then a 20 degree left shift came in. Almost last!! From then we gained on most legs to finish 17th. We were very happy, we had sailed well to recover.

With only one race scheduled for Sunday and all races to count we were in the hunt lying fifth overnight, 10 points off the lead and only a couple of points off third.

Lining up against a couple of boats pre-start we couldn't believe how fast we were. Unbelievable!

Our start was okay but not great. However there was a small gap to tack out on port dipping some boats. We took it and squeezed through by the skin of our teeth. Over the next few minutes we established ourselves in the leading group of 10 or so, crossing tacks with Freddy Loof five or six times. At the top of the first beet we moved into fifth place tight on the leaders heels. We passed two boats down the first run to be third at the bottom with a good gap to fourth. Good speed and a little separation to the left put us into the lead at the top mark second time around. In the early part of the run we lost to Andy McDonald but then found a bit extra and sailed away from him. With a 10 length lead at the leeward mark we were in good shape to win the race. However then the second place went right and third went left. Which way to go??? We were pretty much guaranteed top three. Again halfway up the beat Andy MacDonald reeled us in but then we extended again to the finish.

With a 1,17,1 Eric Doyle the overnight leader was down in the early teens. We were ahead of him but not sure who else was in the frame - not easy when you don't know which boats are whose. We might have won the regatta.

Time would tell. We heard whooping and cheering behind us as one of the boats finished. Obviously we had not won. Oh well! It wasn't until just before the prizegiving when all the results had come through that it was confirmed we had won.

Beginners luck!

Having thanked all those that ran the regatta and helped David and I, I dedicated the win to an old Friend, Glyn Charles who I strangely felt closer to at this time.

The boat we sailed was the one he ordered but never got to sail and it is still branded with United Airlines, a sponsor he brought into Olympic Sailing. I remember he won his first ever race in a Star at the same venue, although in the Bacardi Cup, a bigger event.

Thanks to Ante, Stirfry and Bedford for kick starting the evening celebrations with Multiple rounds. I hope they caught their flight home okay!

I would like to take the opportunity to thank all those who have helped us get off the ground so far:
- The RYA for loaning us the boat
- Mark Covell, Jeremy Fanstone, Ian Walker all of whom have helped us find our way
- Hayling Island Sailing Club who helped us out with a RIB, pretty essential to beginner Star sailors.
- Sparkes boat yard who provided us with a base and craned us in and out.
- Dave Heritage
- Marlow Ropes
- Harken
- TackTic
- Aladdin's Cave
- Peters & May
- Esporta (the Hampshire tennis and Health Club)
- Ruth Jones Physiotherapy.

Our program onwards from here is to stay out in Miami until the end of the month training and competing in two further regatta's on Biscayne Bay and the Rolex Miami Olympic Classes Regatta. We will come back out for the Bacardi Cup in March and finances permitting, the Western Hemisphere events in Nassau. Meanwhile we will endeavour to campaign the European circuit through the summer culminating in the Europeans in August. This will be our first chance at qualifying for World Class Performance Funding essential to our continuity.

The financial obstacles are by far our biggest concern and the biggest threat to the program. I hope we struggle through to at least the Europeans. We will have to increase our focus on funding and sponsorship.

To contact Andy Beadsworth with offers of support and money click here