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03/06/2017
Scottish Championship East Lothian Yacht Club

The Streaker Scottish champs once again returned to the beautiful North Berwick as part of the East Lothian yacht club regatta, supported by the best Gin available in Great Britain, North Berwick Gin. 

As per last year, it was stunning sunshine again but this time round with a very encouraging boost in the turnout.  There was a short wait on land for the breeze to appear but once it did, the race officer wasted no time getting everyone launched and the racing started. 

Immediately from the start gun of the first race, John Hookway took it upon himself to show everyone in the fleet what boat speed was all about leading at every mark leg after leg, lap after lap.  Behind him were Doug Horner and Isaac Marsh doing everything they could to try to overtake but becoming increasingly frustrated with John's ability to appear as if he's just casually cruising round the buoys.  Behind Doug and Isaac was James Dawes in fourth constantly working to keep in front of the chasing fleet. At the very last buoy just before the short leg to the finish line, Doug Horner finally managed to work past John Hookway to take the lead just at the finish line.  Isaac Marsh finishing 3rd. 

Race 2 saw Isaac and Doug a bit more wary of John Hookway, both making fast starts to try to gain an early advantage.  Their aggressive starts seemed to work as they rounded the windward mark together with a slight gap on the fleet.  John Hookway and James Dawes rounded together but James had to do everything possible to stop John from gliding past.  At the front Isaac and Doug pushed each other on every leg but Isaac managed to pull out a few boat lengths and hold the lead to the finish line. 

Race 3 started but was quickly abandoned as an explosive thunderstorm appeared from nowhere.  With everyone ashore the results at the end of day one were Doug Horner in the lead with a 1,2, Isaac in 2nd with a 3,1 and John Hookway in 3rd with a 2,4. 

Day two was looking like it was going to be a perfect day with a force 3-4 and bright sunshine, but as the fleet launched the clouds came over and the wind disappeared.  After a short postponement race 3 got underway.  Isaac was clearly on a mission and Doug had forgotten how to start or go upwind, rounding the first mark at the back of the fleet.  With Isaac clear in the distance and John Hookway ahead of the rest of the pack and chasing Isaac, it was James Dawes having a battle with the fleet to grab 3rd place.  Doug pulled up to 4th using the downwind legs to gain every place possible but it was all too little too late. 

Race 4 started with John Hookway flying off the start line and looking like a clear leader for the race but a breakage saw him sat with his sail flapping whilst the fleet sailed off into the distance.  Isaac again in the lead, with James Dawes following and Doug Horner again having use the downwind legs to catch up.  Isaac seemed untouchable and James, whilst flying upwind, was unable to stop Doug working his way past on the run.  So it finished with Isaac winning, Doug in 2nd place, James Dawes in 3rd and Richard Eagland in 4th. 

Race 5 was the most memorable of the weekend where the wind created carnage on the race course.  Isaac managed to pull off a dismal start, doing turns behind the line whilst the fleet sailed off..... No one's really sure what he was doing but everyone was grateful for a chance to actually win a race after he'd led the last 3 races.  John Hookway, back in action after his gear failure was clearly looking to make up for his lost race.  He led at the first mark and sat in front for the whole first lap whilst the rest of the fleet were battling behind.  On the second lap with the fleet spread across the width of the beat, the wind swung hard left and picked up in strength leaving those on the left, John, James and Doug, on a screaming reach to the windward mark leaving everyone else behind in the distance.  As they tacked around the "windward" mark, Doug Horner again, much to James Dawes’ frustration, used the downwind legs to work his way into 2nd, and so it finished in that order with John 1st, Doug 2nd, James 3rd and Isaac had managed to work his way up to 4th. 

The 6th and final race was a short affair and seemed to be very much 'back to normal', as Isaac again found himself in the lead, Doug in 2nd and John in 3rd.  Barney Proud beat James across the line for 4th place and finally it was time to head home. 

At the end of the weekend, although Doug had taken the early lead on day one, it was Isaac Marsh who was the very deserved winner of the weekend.  John Hookway finished off the podium in 3rd place. 

Rooster Sailing, sponsoring the Streaker Scottish Championship, had supplied some fantastic prizes for the class which the sailors were incredibly grateful for.  As well as the Rooster prizes, Isaac got to walk off with a huge bottle of the famous NB Gin, as did all the other fleet winners of the East Lothian regatta.  Just as last year, the Streaker Scottish champs, as part of the ELYC regatta, really showed itself to be one of the true premiere events of the class. 

Report by Doug Horner

Rank SailNo HelmName Club Tally R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 Total Nett
1st 1952 Isaac Marsh Dovestone Sailing Club 82 3.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 (4.0) 1.0 11.0 7.0
2nd 1940 Doug Horner Swanage sailing Club 62 1.0 2.0 (4.0) 2.0 2.0 2.0 13.0 9.0
3rd 1973 John Hookway East Lothian Yacht Club 69 2.0 4.0 3.0 (12.0 DNC) 1.0 3.0 25.0 13.0
4th 1977 James Dawes Redditch Sailing Club 81 4.0 3.0 2.0 3.0 3.0 (5.0) 20.0 15.0
5th 1750 Barney Proud South Windermere Sailing Club 76 5.0 6.0 (7.0) 6.0 5.0 4.0 33.0 26.0
6th 1732 Calum Robertson Loch Ard Sailing Club 73 6.0 5.0 6.0 (7.0) 6.0 6.0 36.0 29.0
7th 1970 Richard Eagland Ripon Sailing Club 67 7.0 10.0 9.0 4.0 7.0 (12.0 DNC) 49.0 37.0
8th 1716 Paul Noble East Lothian Yacht Club 65 9.0 7.0 5.0 5.0 (12.0 DNC) 12.0 DNC 50.0 38.0
9th 1914 David Farmer East Lothian Yacht Club 60 8.0 8.0 8.0 8.0 8.0 (12.0 DNC) 52.0 40.0
10th 1775 Jim Lundy East Lothian Yacht Club 59 11.0 11.0 10.0 (12.0 DNC) 9.0 12.0 DNC 65.0 53.0
11th 717 Richard Jones East Lothian Yacht Club 85 10.0 9.0 (12.0 DNC) 12.0 DNC 12.0 DNC 12.0 DNC 67.0 55.0

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