Once again the Contender fleet found themselves heading south west for the nationals, this year to the popular location of Looe in Cornwall. This was the forth time the Nationals have been hosted by Looe SC and all have been memorable for the racing organisation, friendly welcome and convenience for families. This year was no exception and with 54 entries the class showed it was happy to come back again to shove off the sandy beach.
Saturday brought a force 2 to 3 offshore, chilly northerly wind, which provided a shifty, thought provoking day. For the first race the left paid handsomely on the first beat causing the leading bunch to close reach to the first mark. A fine sight if you were out on the right. "Local" Graham Scott got it bang on to clearly lead down the reaches and looked comfortable from there. Stacey Bray showed fine offwind technique, while Ed Presley, resplendent in his new shiny blue boat, put in a bould appearance along with "surf star" Pete Dives. Stuart Jones, the defending Champion, eventually overhauled this trio on one of the shifty beats to finish second with Bray third. The second race of the day saw Tim Holden, Scott and Jones pull well clear of the chasing pack in the freshing breeze. All three had a go in the lead but when Jones poked his nose clear he deciding to rejoin the chasers by rolling the boat over to windward having let go of the mainsheet on the reach. Holden joyfully sailed past to win from Scott. Jones dripped in third with Neil Wilson, complete with balaclava in fourth.
Early Sunday morning was grim, as those camping will confirm, as a gale blew tents to destruction. The day had the same forcast but the wind swung round and never settled. Sometimes strong wind and thunderstorms and sometimes calm. The race officer, Rodger Hocking, knocked it on the head fairly early as it was impossible to set a course.
Monday dawned bright and breezy and after a short wait for the wind to calm down it was off for a battle in the force 6 to 7. Again the wind was off the land there were some mighty shifts and gusts causing not a few quivering lower lips.
In the first race heavy weather experts Wilson, Simon Mussell and Holden lead with a gap back to a gaggle of boats. Despite the conditions there was little capsizing in the first third of the fleet but Mussell laid it down briefly on a couple of tacks to let Scott catch up while Holden dragged the boom to trip up on a reach. It now looked to be Wilsons for the taking but he just failed to lay the finish line and the resulting tacks let in Holden, Mussell and Scott in that order.
The second race of the day saw a reduced fleet as the wind had piped up to full strength. To keep things basic the fleet in general went hard left on the first beat, hung on for the reaches and hard right thereafter. The gybes had to look after themselves or not. Scott stamped his mastery on the event by winning this sail ripper with Bray second, still nicely two footing the reaches. Mussell and Wilson were not far behind.
For the final race of the day the wind calmed down a bit, tempting a larger entry out for three recalls. Tactically there was a similar pattern with the leaders coming from the right on the first beat. A lot of the usual faces were up there but Wilson, this time, made no mistakes with the finish to take it. John Browett had a good one to cross in second with Holden and Mussell completing a good day for themselves. Scott had a relatively poor sixth but it put him nicely in poll position for the last days racing.
The racing looked in doubt for most of Tuesday, as the low causing all the fun had move off up the channel leaving a glassy sea. The race officer persevered and finally got the fleet away in what was obviously, by now, the last race of the series. With this scenario only Holden could overtake Scott on the leader board and the two were in close attendance on the start line. Although not a full blown chase it was perhaps just enough to put Holden off at the vital moment to see him sink to mid fleet at the first mark. Jeff Bettle lead, just about trapezing up the first beat with Wilson, Scott and Jones a little behind. Bettle held the lead for three quarters of the race but was overtaken when the reach tightened to a trapezable one. Wilson went on to win with Jones slipping through Scott to be close behind the race leader.
This was Graham Scotts umpteenth British championship win but not for a few years.
Thanks go to Looe SC which is a very friendly and helpful club to sail from. Rodger Hocking and team did a fine job on the water and the beach party are one of the finest. Then there's the bar and catering. Anyone for an all you can eat buffet and a few pints, does it for me everytime.
Pos |
SailNo |
Helm |
Club |
R1 |
R2 |
R3 |
R4 |
R5 |
R6 |
Total |
Fleet |
1 |
720 |
Graham Scott |
RYA |
1 |
2 |
3 |
1 |
6 |
3 |
10 |
Gold |
2 |
685 |
Neil Wilson |
Holy Loch |
29 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
1 |
1 |
14 |
Gold |
3 |
2318 |
Tim Holden |
Halifax |
8 |
1 |
1 |
5 |
3 |
19 |
18 |
Gold |
4 |
701 |
Stuart Jones |
Datchet |
2 |
3 |
6 |
9 |
9 |
2 |
22 |
Gold |
5 |
2405 |
Stacy Bray |
Porthpearn |
3 |
9 |
13 |
2 |
8 |
11 |
33 |
Gold |
6 |
2315 |
Ben Holden |
Halifax |
10 |
8 |
5 |
7 |
16 |
4 |
34 |
Gold |
7 |
702 |
Matt Aston |
Datchet |
7 |
6 |
7 |
10 |
5 |
9 |
34 |
Gold |
8 |
2372 |
Simon Mussell |
Highcliffe |
36 |
22 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
6 |
37 |
Gold |
9 |
713 |
John Browett |
Datchet |
20 |
12 |
8 |
8 |
2 |
8 |
38 |
Gold |
10 |
2373 |
Gary Langdown |
Highcliffe |
17 |
7 |
15 |
14 |
7 |
10 |
53 |
Gold |
11 |
683 |
Geoff Bettle |
Highcliffe |
4 |
10 |
25 |
15 |
20 |
7 |
56 |
Gold |
12 |
646 |
Martin Frary |
Weston |
28 |
5 |
12 |
17 |
11 |
15 |
60 |
Gold |
13 |
674 |
Richard Gimmler |
Whitefriars |
11 |
13 |
14 |
11 |
15 |
14 |
63 |
Gold |
14 |
716 |
Paul Ross |
Shotley |
32 |
20 |
9 |
6 |
12 |
18 |
65 |
Gold |
15 |
2376 |
Nick Noble |
Portishead |
23 |
14 |
10 |
12 |
10 |
28 |
69 |
Gold |
16 |
707 |
Pete Dives |
Eastbourne |
5 |
21 |
22 |
18 |
13 |
13 |
70 |
Silver |
17 |
589 |
Keith Paul |
Weston |
14 |
18 |
17 |
24 |
18 |
5 |
72 |
Gold |
18 |
700 |
Nick Grace |
Castle Cove |
13 |
35 |
11 |
19 |
14 |
29 |
86 |
Gold |
19 |
629 |
Ed Presely |
RAFSA |
6 |
31 |
18 |
55 |
22 |
12 |
89 |
Silver |
20 |
659 |
Martin Metcalfe |
Killington |
22 |
16 |
16 |
20 |
19 |
22 |
93 |
Silver |
21 |
694 |
Chris Boshier |
Thorpe Bay |
25 |
30 |
21 |
13 |
55 |
25 |
114 |
Bronze |
22 |
696 |
Tony White |
Lancing |
12 |
34 |
27 |
23 |
55 |
20 |
116 |
Silver |
23 |
613 |
Tony Burton |
King George |
27 |
28 |
29 |
55 |
17 |
16 |
117 |
Silver |
24 |
678 |
Bill Hooton |
Burton |
38 |
17 |
19 |
55 |
23 |
23 |
120 |
Gold |
25 |
615 |
Stuart Backhouse |
Burton |
16 |
36 |
31 |
55 |
24 |
30 |
137 |
Bronze |
26 |
718 |
Duncan Ellis |
Hunstanton |
19 |
25 |
20 |
55 |
55 |
21 |
140 |
Silver |
27 |
710 |
Chris Kirk |
Queen Mary |
30 |
41 |
28 |
21 |
21 |
55 |
141 |
Silver |
28 |
2314 |
Rodger White |
King George |
15 |
11 |
55 |
55 |
55 |
17 |
153 |
Silver |
29 |
647 |
Mark Robinson |
Gurnard |
31 |
39 |
24 |
16 |
55 |
55 |
165 |
Silver |
30 |
675 |
David Gautier |
Datchet |
18 |
42 |
55 |
22 |
55 |
32 |
169 |
Silver |
31 |
2359 |
Tony Cook |
Downs |
33 |
26 |
23 |
55 |
55 |
33 |
170 |
Bronze |
32 |
622 |
Tim Humphries |
Pevensey Bay |
43 |
37 |
30 |
55 |
25 |
40 |
175 |
Bronze |
33 |
657 |
Mike Murley |
Weston |
26 |
15 |
55 |
55 |
55 |
26 |
177 |
Silver |
34 |
654 |
Roger Gates |
Datchet |
21 |
19 |
55 |
55 |
55 |
27 |
177 |
Silver |
35 |
2361 |
Alan Orton |
Porthpearn |
9 |
40 |
55 |
55 |
55 |
24 |
183 |
Silver |
36 |
617 |
Richard Cooper |
Brightlingsea |
44 |
46 |
32 |
55 |
26 |
37 |
185 |
Bronze |
37 |
1520 |
Joel MacDonald |
Weston |
42 |
45 |
26 |
55 |
55 |
41 |
209 |
Bronze |
38 |
476 |
Robert Angus |
Weston |
35 |
29 |
55 |
55 |
55 |
35 |
209 |
Bronze |
39 |
673 |
Howard Osborne |
Weston |
40 |
23 |
55 |
55 |
55 |
39 |
212 |
Bronze |
40 |
538 |
David Bate |
Weston |
24 |
33 |
55 |
55 |
55 |
55 |
222 |
Bronze |
41 |
708 |
Chris Bannister |
Brightlingsea |
34 |
24 |
55 |
55 |
55 |
55 |
223 |
Silver |
42 |
649 |
Mark Basham |
Penzance |
41 |
38 |
55 |
55 |
55 |
34 |
223 |
Bronze |
43 |
697 |
Chris Howe |
Oxford |
55 |
32 |
55 |
55 |
55 |
31 |
228 |
Silver |
44 |
692 |
Colin Gates |
Eastbourne |
37 |
27 |
55 |
55 |
55 |
55 |
229 |
Silver |
45 |
693 |
David Gough |
Starcross |
39 |
43 |
55 |
55 |
55 |
38 |
230 |
Bronze |
46 |
2324 |
Colin Strangeway |
WPNSA |
45 |
44 |
55 |
55 |
55 |
44 |
243 |
Bronze |
47 |
549 |
Andrew Holmes |
Glasson |
46 |
48 |
55 |
55 |
55 |
43 |
247 |
Bronze |
48 |
397 |
Ryan Holmes |
Glasson |
48 |
55 |
55 |
55 |
55 |
42 |
255 |
Bronze |
49 |
695 |
Gerry Driscoll |
Datchet |
55 |
55 |
55 |
55 |
55 |
36 |
256 |
Bronze |
50 |
473 |
Venessa Weedon Jones |
Broadwater |
47 |
47 |
55 |
55 |
55 |
55 |
259 |
Bronze |
51 |
303 |
Wayne Miller |
Thorpe Bay |
55 |
55 |
55 |
55 |
55 |
55 |
275 |
Bronze |
52 |
441 |
Tim Grisby |
Thorpe Bay |
55 |
55 |
55 |
55 |
55 |
55 |
275 |
Bronze |
53 |
643 |
Gareth Humphrey |
Weston |
55 |
55 |
55 |
55 |
55 |
55 |
275 |
Silver |
54 |
682 |
Ginge Lincoln |
Hayling Ferry |
55 |
55 |
55 |
55 |
55 |
55 |
275 |
Silver |