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23/06/2017
Noble Marine National Championships Royal Torbay Yacht Club

The Noble Marine Streaker National Championship was held at Royal Torbay YC over three days (Friday 23rd to Sunday 25th June). The conditions were pretty tough; the forecast had suggested that Friday’s wind would have eased by Sunday but that didn’t happen. Fortunately, by Sunday, we had got used to it although there were some seriously aching muscles after the 7-race series was over.

It was disappointing that the entry of 21 boats was considerably lower than had been hoped for but those that came were well looked after by the club and the race management was excellent. The good news was that 9 of last year’s top 10 boats were there and also that we had 6 competitors for whom this was their first Streaker nationals.

Race 1 was sailed over rather a short course. The Race Officer was somewhat taken aback at how fast we were in those planing conditions, even though some of us did tack round at the gybe marks! Last year’s top 3 (Tom Gillard, Isaac Marsh and Ian Jones) were soon battling for the lead and there were several place changes before Marsh crossed the finish line first, just ahead of Gillard. Jones was 3rd and Doug Horner 4th. Meanwhile Alan Gillard had to retire when a shackle on his forestay came undone and he managed to return to the harbour, fix it and still make the start of the next race. However, 8 boats either didn’t start or retired from Race 2 as the wind continued to build. One such boat was Rupert Smith’s which had its clew cringle pull out of the sail at the gybe mark; he was in 3rd place at the time. Tom Gillard won the race and held a narrow points lead over Marsh and Jones at the end of the first day.

Saturday’s three back-to-back races were also sailed in a south-westerly wind which offered tough beats and exciting downwind sailing. There were plenty of shifts and so lots of chances to make gains or suffer losses. Race 3 saw Jones take the win, with Tom Gillard finishing 2nd just ahead of Marsh, and Alan Gillard in 4th place after a close battle with Smith. Jones was now just 1 point off the lead but his chances took a knock in Race 4 when he started a fraction too early and was called back. By the time he got clear and could restart, he was well behind the rest of the fleet but amazingly he worked his way right through to 4th place at the finish. The win went to Marsh, with Horner 2nd and Tom Gillard 3rd. Now Marsh was the overall leader, tying on points with Gillard but having 2 race wins to his name. However, when the chips are down, Tom Gillard has the knack of getting back in front and he won Race 5 and so led again at the end of the second day.

On Sunday morning we watched the committee boat set out into conditions that looked as windy as ever. Fortunately, by the time the racing started, it had moderated a bit and in fact there were some surprisingly quiet patches from time to time. Race 6 was sailed over a longer course; it took 15 minutes to beat to the first mark but it had the bonus of some super long reaching legs. Jones got clear and took the win, while Gillard had a real battle on his hands with Horner and Marsh. In the end Horner finished 2nd and Gillard 3rd. This meant that the championship depended on the final race. Jones and Gillard were counting identical race scores but they could both be beaten by Marsh if they finished worse than 3rd and Marsh won the race. The course had been made a bit smaller and the race got underway with the fleet splitting tacks as they tried to keep clear of each other while still playing the shifts. Jones looked well placed early on but on the second lap Gillard made a big gain and eventually finished first and so won the Championship by the narrow margin of 1 point ahead of Jones.

The competition at the front of the fleet had been terrific with the leading helmsmen demonstrating super fitness, determination and great boat-handling skills. For those of us further down the fleet, there was also good competition with the added spice of not being sure we would get round without capsizing!

It was a very enjoyable event, made particularly memorable by the can-do attitude of those for whom this was well outside their usual comfort zone. It was great to see the ‘Girls on Tour’ team from Dittisham giving it a go every day, even though they hadn’t sailed at sea before, and returning with broad grins. Well done everyone!

Thank you to Royal Torbay YC for a super time and to our sponsors – Noble Marine Insurance, Rooster Sailing and North Sails.

 

Photographs of the event can be found at www.borderphotos2010.com

 

Trophy winners:

Championship Trophy:   Tom Gillard

Over Trophy (over 45 yrs)  Ian Jones

Well Over Trophy (over 55 yrs)  Alan Gillard

Past It Trophy (over 65 yrs)   Richard Eagland

Scaling Belle Cup (1st lady)    Veronica Falat

Steve Gentry Shield (winner of Silver Fleet)   Rupert Smith

Tune It Up Trophy (most improved from,last year)  Paul Grace

Open Trophy (first qualifier in last year's Paddle series)   Alan Gillard

Cadzow Trophy (best presented boat)    1618 'Paxo'

Downs Cup (Race 1)   Isaac Marsh

Viking Trophy (Race 2)   Tom Gillard

Ripon Horn (Race 3)   Ian Jones

Heron Salver (Race 4)  Isaac Marsh

Blackpool Bailer (Race 5)  Tom Gillard

Rooster Get the Beers In Trophy (Race 6)  Ian Jones

Pinnell & Bax Trophy  (Race 7)   Tom Gillard

Series Place

Sail No

Boat

Helm

Club

 

Series Points

Race1

Race2

Race3

Race4

Race5

Race6

Race7

1

1951

Allen Bros

Tom Gillard

Sheffield Viking

 

10

2

1

2

(3)

1

3

1

2

1759

 

Ian Jones

Dovestone

 

11

3

2

1

(4)

2

1

2

3

1952

 

Isaac Marsh

Dovestone

 

15

1

3

3

1

3

(4)

4

4

1940

 

Doug Horner

Swanage

 

21

4

(6)

6

2

4

2

3

5

1618

Paxo

Allan Gillard

Sheffield Viking

 

29

(22)

5

4

5

5

5

5

6

1681

Scoundrel

Rupert Smith

Newhaven & Seaford

 

41

9

(22)

5

6

6

7

8

7

1837

 

Graeme Bristow

Leigh & Lowton

 

47

6

4

(11)

10

7

10

10

8

1881

Notorious Bandit

Steve Blackburn

West Lancs

 

47

7

7

9

8

8

8

(12)

9

1972

Pickle

Veronica Falat

Waveney & Oulton Broad

 

48

10

(22)

7

9

10

6

6

10

1977

 

James Dawes

Redditch

 

52

11

8

8

7

9

(15)

9

11

1703

 

Martin Penty

Beaver

 

57

5

(22)

12

11

13

9

7

12

1887

 

Paul Grace

Chipstead

 

70

(16)

9

13

13

12

12

11

13

1933

 

Ian Priest

Scaling Dam

 

72

8

11

14

(16)

15

11

13

14

1953

Elise

Alex Reindorp

Chipstead

 

79

13

10

15

14

(22)

13

14

15

1844

 

Chris Smith

Island Barn

 

90

14

(22)

17

15

14

14

16

16

1905

 

Phil Halldron

Downs

 

94

17

12

(18)

18

16

16

15

17

1975

Lady Godiva

Brenda Hoult

Hayling Island

 

99

(22)

22

10

12

11

22

22

18

1808

 

Peter Heyes

Whitstable

 

103

15

13

19

17

17

(22)

22

19

1970

 

Richard Eagland

Ripon

 

114

12

(22)

16

20

22

22

22

20

1916

Megan

Jennie Richardson

Dittisham

 

118

18

(22)

20

19

22

17

22

21

1849

Hanky Panky

Janie Harford

Dittisham

 

131

(22)

22

21

22

22

22

22

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