Seriously windy

The breeze was regularly up to about thirty knots at the 1720 UK National Championship

The highly competitive fleet which assembled for the Murphy and Nye 1720 Sportsboat English Championship must have felt a sense of déjà vu as the 2005 National and European Champions, King Quick with Ruairidh Scott at the helm, led the fleet to win the first two blustery races of the regatta, but it was Shane Hughes’ accomplished team aboard Key Yachting who were to dominate a windy regatta with four straight wins out of six races.

Despite what the score line suggests, they didn’t have it all their own way; the final winner was decided in the last of six races which the hosts, The Royal Southern Yacht Club, should be proud of having completed in the testing conditions, with winds which peaked well over 30 knots on both days of racing.

The conditions only added to the excitement. Mark Greenaway’s La Licorne wiped out in a severe gust while leading the third race, leaving it open for Key Yachting and Yoanne Richmonne’s student crew on Dark Side, who ran from their examination hall to just make the third race, finishing in second place! A promising challenge from Conor Clarke’s Wow with Jamie Lea on board was scuppered; they were unfortunate to suffer rig failure in the first race. Overnight, it was Goacher Sails who took an early lead after a protest left the eventual winners disqualified from the second race.

After a day’s racing lost to stormy winds, the final three races became an impressive showcase for high wind boat handling, with most boats preferring their masthead kites despite the ferocious conditions. The young crew on Simon Blake’s Sworded Fish, who took fifth place overall, were un-phased enough by the conditions to watch their instruments and note well over 20 knots boat-speed downwind!

Despite the wind building to at least 35 knots, the majority of the fleet still finished the final race of the regatta, but it was a punishing affair in which Geoff Carveth helming Key Yachting demonstrated superior boat handling to confirm the title. As King Quick broached badly downwind, Rob Larke driving La Licorne stayed upright to take the lead and the fleet followed, holding masthead spinnakers as long as possible before dropping and gybing towards the mark. On the second lap, most boats opted for white sails only, but Steve Goacher made a smart call for the small kite on the second lap and it took him into the lead, only to lose to it to a fast Key Yachting by less than a boat-length when the front two boats struggled through a tack close to the finish line in extreme conditions.

Accepting their trophy, the winning crew, Shane Hughes, Geoff Carveth, Paul Campbell-James, Matt Adams, Nick Hutton and Dan Newman (with a five point lead over Goacher Sails), thanked Sara Grain of Murphy and Nye for their continued support of the class and proceeded to express their delight at winning late into the evening.

Looking ahead, the standard of racing in the fleet, but also the wholehearted social participation bode well for more excellent regattas this year and in particular the 1720 European Championships at St Malo in September.

Results:

Pos	Helm	Sail Number	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	Tot
1	Shane Hughes	GBR 1743 L	3	DSQ	0.75	0.75	0.75	0.75	6
2	Steve Goacher	GBR 1760 L	2	2	3	2	5	2	11
3	Graeme & Ruairidh Scott	GBR 1777 L	0.75	0.75	7	3	2	6	12.5
4	Mark Greenaway	GBR 1701 L	8	3	6	7	3	3	22
5	Simon Blake	GBR 1767 L	5	4	5	4	6	8	24
6	Neil Angel	GBR 1716	9	10	8	5	11	7	39
7	David Greenhalgh	GBR 1710 L	DNS	5	10	12	9	5	41
8	Tom Clay	GBR 1730 L	7	8	9	8	10	DNF	42
9	Ian Atkins	GBR 1785 L	4	6	DNF	11	4	DNF	45
10	Alan Coad	IRL 1725	12	9	12	10	DNF	9	52
11	Richard Powell	GBR 1775 L	13	7	13	14	12	10	55
12	Conor Clarke & Dermot Crean	IRL 1759	DNF	DNC	DNC	6	7	4	57
13	Charles Swingland / Yoann Richomme	GBR 1797	DNC	DNC	2	9	8	DNF	59
14	Andy Smith / Shaun Barber	GBR 1741	6	RAF	4	DNC	DNC	DNC	70
15	Matt Mills	GBR 20 R	11	11	RDG(9)	DNF	DNC	DNC	71
16	Simon Arscott	GBR 1758	10	DNC	DNC	13	DNC	DNC	83
17	Richard Blacker	GBR 1722 L	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	100
17	Guy Knight		DNS	DNS	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	100
17	Darren & Georgie Baker	GBR 1742	DNS	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	100