by Ros & David Downs and photographs courtesy & copyright © Mike Millard
WE WERE ROBBED and final day disappointment
The 45 boat fleet were looking forward to getting racing at Poole YC, after Friday had been abandoned due to the non-existence of wind. However was Saturday going to be a repeat?
Saturday dawned dry with zero wind but the promise that something would turn up later, at least the wind was forecast to be in largely the same direction all day.
Matt Rainback & Phil Angrave gave the competitors an excellent teach-in on the boat set-up and tactics that had won them the first two races. Filled with enthusiasm the fleet set to in rigging up and trying to implement the advice given. At 10:15 with still virtually no breeze the fleet was released, albeit there was reluctance from some teams to set out for the course, which would again be set inside the harbour. Just in time for the 11:30 start a gentle breeze materialised and the fleet got away.
Matt & Phil having advised that left had paid on the first day, the author David & Ros pretty much banged the left hand corner and where pleased to see the majority of the fleet underneath. The run was frustrating with little wind and a real struggle to keep the spinnaker pulling. There was a whole bunch of boats at the leeward gate and rounding the starboard mark and working the left side of the beat seemed to work again. The reaches were tricky with places to be won and lost, before the race was shortened at the bottom of the course. Matt & Phil, 1353 ‘String Driven Thing’, once again won with Matt Burge & Vyv Townend, 1353 ‘Calisto’, second with the father and son team of Roger & Jamie Blake, Osprey 1380 ‘Ghost Ship’, in third. We, Ros & David Downs 1114 ‘Just Pogo’, finished in twelfth place sandwiched between fellow Welsh boats Oscar Chess & Simon Brewer, 1348 ‘Jammy Dodger’, in eleventh and Dave Griffiths & Maurice Clarke, 1365 ‘Carpe Diem’, in thirteenth.
With the wind appearing to hold the fleet were sent away on the second race of the day. Much of the fleet went left again, but having tacked off to clear our air we found ourselves in a bit of pressure and a lift going out to the right. Once we had been headed, we tacked and were rounding the windward mark in fifth place when the race was abandoned, due to lack of wind and a big shift. If we think that we were robbed, spare a thought for Mark Ripley & Tom Ahlheid a youth team fresh from the RS Aero World Championships sailing a borrowed boat, 1356 ‘Shippy McShip Face’ who were in the lead.
The wind eventually returned, together with the rain and once again the telltales were stuck to the sail making it really difficult to read what was happening. The race was a bit of a nightmare for us and with the leaders disappearing into the gloom such that we can’t tell much about what happened at the front of the fleet. Anyway, three laps were sailed in the miserable conditions. We think that Phil Meakins & Richard Anderton, 1347 ‘Pipe and Slippers’, were going well for a while, but Matt & Phil again won, followed by Ben McGrane & James Ross, 1340 ‘Beastly Whizzer’, with Matt Burge & Vyv Townend in third. Which is also the leader board going into the last day of racing.
The forecast for Sunday looks like more light winds & rain, but it is what it is and everyone seems to be having a good time socialising.
Unfortunately, Sunday winds did not summon up enough puff, to enable racing with decision to fly AP over A ashore early, around 12 noon, meant the prize giving could be held early allowing people to get on the journeys sooner.
The 2024 National Champions are Matt Rainback & Phil Angrave with 4 wins from the 4 races completed, having successfully defended their 2023 title. Will they be back in 2025 to go for the hat trick of back to back wins, when the National Championship will be hosted by Mumbles Yacht? The 2nd & 3rd places were decided on tie break procedure of finish order in the last completed race.
The new Class Boat, 1385 ‘Six Pack’, a Hartley MkVI was on loan to a pair of Poole Yacht Club young sailors - Joe Cross & Edward Gillespie – who finished 9th overall and had a best result of 5th in R1. Who will be using it at the 2025 National Championship?
Everyone wishes a safe journey back home to the farthest travelled competitor, who came all the way from Germany to take part.
Results at https://www.sailwave.com/results/ospreyclass/2024-Nationals-Results.htm
The Class gratefully acknowledge the support of
