Turner takes the lead

Reports from the opening day - and a horrific one for Shirley Robertson - at the Dubarry J/24 Europeans

Day one of the Dubarry J/24 Europeans saw the successful completion of
three races in light and sunny conditions. The postponed first race started after early morning fog had cleared and the wind had settled down. By 12.00pm, there was a flat sea and a gentle southwesterly breeze of about 6-8 knots.

The fleet got off to a clean start with an individual recall only. Ian Southworth in Hedgehog led at the windward mark, followed by a local Westerley J, 'Speedy Bean' helmed by John Dowty. Jon Powell in Peggy was third and Serco Defence and Stouche fourth and fifth. By the second rounding of the windward mark Olympic gold medallist Shirley Robertson in Volvo was fifth. Stuart Jardine in Stouche was OCS, and having not
heard this on his radio, did not return. The finish saw Southworth first, Powell second and local boat Jam third.

Race 2 did not start until after 3.00pm with several general recalls and the race officer, Brian Drake coping admirably with shifty and tricky conditions.

15 boats were black flagged including; Southworth, National Champion David Ellis, Robertson, Ben Williamson in 'Rumble' and several European competitors.The newly slimmed down fleet had a close race in an increasing breeze, and was led at the finish by Serco, followed by Jam Two and Team Gul.

The conditions were now perfect; a SW 3 -4, bright sun and a flat sea, and despite it being after 4.00pm, the Race Committee made the most of the great conditions and the fleet sailed a third race. This time only three boats were disqualified at the black flag. These were Robertson, Jspot from Holland and Superliga from Sweden. Local Westerly Speedy Bean again excelled and led at the windward mark, followed by 'Hedgehog' and Cerco. At the finsh Hedgehog won followed by Cerco and Speedy Bean in third place.

Day Two will start with several eminent sailors having to sail without discards, and with Serco, Team Gul, local Poole sailors Duncan McCarthy and John Dowty, and Rotoman from Germany as the top five boats.

Chris McClaughlin crew on Ian Southworth's Hedgehog sends this:

Parkstone Yacht Club in Poole, Great Britain is host to the 2006 J 24 European Championship. Following a delay of an hour for early morning fog to clear, the fleet of 43 boats set off for the internationally renowned bay. This was to prove a frustrating but ultimately exciting day as the breeze varied from 3 to 12 mph across the three races held on the first day.

Pre-Regatta form leaders include double Olympic gold medallist Shirley Robertson and Ian Southworth, the current J24 European Champion. Shirley, in a J24 for the first time, had served notice on the fleet by running away with the practice race, before in time honoured fashion, not passing through the finish line.

But for the opening race, it was Southworth in his 1987-built Hedgehog who showed the fleet round the course. Leading from start to finish he crossed the line two and a half minutes ahead of the second boat, John Powell, making a welcome return to the fleet in Peggy and Alan Benet in Jam, fourth was John Dowty in Speedy Bean. Shirley Robertson opened her scorecard with a fifth place in light conditions.

Race two began in slightly stronger breeze and two abandoned starts were followed by a black flag which saw eleven boats, including Southworth and Robertson on the Blackboard. Comments Southworth “It was a very challenging start and we won the pin, so I know we weren’t over. We have asked for redress, but sometimes this happens in racing”.

The second race finally got away on the fourth attempt and Al Clarke led from start to finish in Headcase, holding off an initial Challenge from Stuart Jardine in Stouche and then from Ronny ball, sailing Jam Two. Third was the always fast Roger Rabbit driven by Gavin Watson and fourth, Stefan Karsunke in Max Bahr, a German fleet entry. Another German boat, Rotoman took fifth, although for this regatta it is driven by Greg Wilcox, a leading New Zealand Etchells racer.

Race three after a long wait, saw Southworth storm off the line for the port side of the course and then a tack to the layline. He led from start to finish from Serco and the Speedy Bean team, Stuart Jardine held onto forth place from the new fleet members Jiggy with it – the team from Truro College.

Shirley Robertson had a horror of a day, recording another black flag.

Said Ian Southworth: “ What great racing we are having these boats are so even and there are a number of competitors with an equal chance of winning the title. Now where’s the Guiness?!”

Results:

Pos	Nat	Boat	Helm	R1	R2	R3	Tot
1st	GBR	Serco Defence	TURNER Bob	12	1	2	15
2nd	GBR	Team Gul	HIRST Nicholas	11	3	8	22
3rd	GBR	Madeleine	McCARTHY Duncan	7	6	11	24
4th	GBR	Speedy Bean	DOWTY Jon	4	19	3	26
5th	GER	Rotoman	WILCOX Greig	6	5	17	28
6th	GBR	Jam Too	BALL Ronney	21	2	9	32
7th	GBR	Joya	TOMS Paul	9	9	15	33
8th	GBR	Peggy	POWELL Jon	2	14	19	35
9th	GBR	J-Whizz	ROBINSON Gareth	17	13	6	36
10th	GER	Max Bahr	KARSUNKE Stefan	15	4	20	39
11th	GBR	Jooler	LIBBY Robert	13	12	14	39
12th	GER	United 5	KAEHLER Jan	23	8	10	41
13th	GBR	Hedgehog	SOUTHWORTH Ian	1	44.0 BFD	1	46
14th	GBR	Jeeves	TRATHEN Neil	10	10	33	53
15th	GBR	Stouche	JARDINE Stuart	44.0 OCS	7	4	55
16th	GBR	Johnny Bravo	STEPTOE Brian	14	18	23	55
17th	GBR	Jeepers	PIPE David	28	16	16	60
18th	GER	Three chicks,Two Guys	HELMS Jan-Peter	32	11	18	61
19th	GBR	Rolling Stock	POLLOCK William	16	20	25	61
20th	GBR	Jiggy With It	BROWN Craig	36	27	5	68
21st	GBR	Jumanji	DOWNING Bryan	29	17	22	68
22nd	IRL	Sayonara	O'DONOVAN Diarmuid	44.0 DNS	15	12	71
23rd	GBR	Fruitcakes	ELFORD Lee	20	25	29	74
24th	GBR	Jam	BENNET Alan	3	44.0 BFD	28	75
25th	GBR	Why J	HARRIS Roderick	31	21	24	76
26th	GBR	Zaphod	OWEN Phil	39	22	21	82
27th	GBR	Legal Alien	McDONALD Nick	33	44.0 BFD	7	84
28th	GBR	Ju Ju	PROUDFOOT Sue	34	23	32	89
29th	GBR	Jinseng	GUANT Andy	35	24	31	90
30th	GBR	Echidna	MORRIS Roger	27	26	37	90
31st	GBR	Owens J	KERR Owen	18	44.0 BFD	30	92
32nd	GBR	Volvo	ROBERTSON Shirley	5	44.0 BFD	44.0 BFD	93
33rd	GBR	Hitch-Hiker	ELLIS David	37	44.0 BFD	13	94
34th	NED	J/Spot	KOK Ivo	8	44.0 BFD	44.0 BFD	96
35th	GBR	Wijit	HILL Andrew	26	44.0 BFD	27	97
36th	GBR	Rumble	WILLIAMSON Ben	30	44.0 BFD	26	100
37th	GER	Zicke	MAIS Stephan	24	44.0 BFD	34	102
38th	IRL	Just in Time	JONES Gerry	25	44.0 BFD	36	105
39th	GBR	Hi Jack	HORNBY Richard	22	44.0 BFD	40	106
40th	GBR	Ballistic	ROLFE Barry	40	28	38	106
41st	SWE	Superliga	WALKUSH Klaus	19	44.0 BFD	44.0 BFD	107
42nd	GBR	Easy Tiger	MARTIN James	41	29	39	109
43rd	GBR	Helms Deep	CROSS Richer	38	44.0 BFD	35	117