Fed Week Event News
Fed Week 2009 Round-up
At last the weather was kind, with Federation Week 2009 reverting to its usual format of one race a day for Series 1 and 2 classes, and two races for the smaller Series 3 events. Good breezes, sunshine and racing on the top of the tide, except for the last day, ensured that the 385 entries, from 49 clubs, enjoyed competitive racing over varied courses, with some of the classes commenting that the week had provided some of the closest competition of the season.
On the Tuesday when it seemed that the winds had deserted, patience by the race officers finally gave all classes a classic race after the sea breeze established itself at 1430hrs. On the last day with late tides all series were sailed in reverse order giving the Series 3 fleets a chance to enjoy a longer course in the main harbour, with Series 2 following on, and finally Series I classes having a short race over a special ‘Z’ course in the slightly restricted harbour waters.
In the fast Asymmetric Fleet the 49ers established their dominance with Paul Brotherton and Mark Asquith (HISC) taking four 1st places despite finding a large hump on the Winner bank when tacking at the windward mark on the last day. Consistency over the first three days by Richard Lovering (HISC) in his Musto Skiff secured second place, whilst a broken mast on the Monday prevented Jonny Costand and James Yearsley, also in a 49er, from improving on 4th place overall.
In the Medium Asymmetrics the fight at the top of the fleet remained between the 29ers and ISOs, with Alex Mothersele and Hamish Ellis from Emsworth Slipper securing dominance ahead of clubmates Andrew and Vicky Gould in their ISO. In the RS 400s Mark Littlejohn and Emma Clarke, 783, from Lancing SC, established their pole position by Thursday with three wins, leaving the consistently second placed Matt Johnston and Gael Pawson ,1124, from Slipper, having to accept this as their overall place.
The Fast Handicap enjoyed serious competition between the individual classes. Despite taking the win on the first day in stronger winds, Keith Walker and Rhys Picket in their Fireball were unable to maintain the handicap advantage over the Merlin Rockets in the reduced winds as the week progressed, and the Merlins dominated the front of the fleet, with David Sayce and Graham Williamson, 3653, convincingly securing first place on corrected time for all remaining races.
The Flying Fifteens, with 23 entries, were dominated at the beginning of the week by Andrew Jameson and Richard Kent, 3904 (HISC), but only a good 3rd place on Friday secured their win by a quarter point from the more consistent Russell Peters and Zeb Elliot, who were disadvantaged by the permitted two discards.
In the Finns John Tremlett 642 (Mengeham Rythe) was the only helm truly to put his stamp on the week, taking line honours every day, although second-placed Neil Robinson 679 (Mengeham Rythe) had pushed Tremlett in race 2, finishing only a few seconds behind, after the Race Officer has set another perfect start line, leaving competitors unsure which side of the beat was to be favoured.
On Series 2 the RS 200s, the largest fleet of the week with 44 entries, in contrast to the Finns had four different winners. But once again the consistency of James Peters and Alan Roberts, 1350 (HISC), who won the last race, after a black flag general, to add to their 1st and 2nd places kept them clear ahead of Colin Smith and Rachel Williamson, 1133 (HISC) ,and Dicken MacLean and Marianthe Evangelidis, 94 , of Island Barn SC. Marrtin Jones, 176854 (HISC), took three firsts and two seconds to secure the winners trophy in the Lasers, clear ahead of Matthew Holden, 182479 (Locks), and Charlie Poyner, 190801 Emsworth.
In the Medium Handicap it was pleasing to see the return of the 420 fleet, who took four out of the first six places overall. Catherine and Peter Alton, 53377 (Oxford SC), comfortably outsailed Jess Lavery and Georgie Mothersele (Emsworth) and Sarah Alton and Katie Tomsett, (also from Oxford) who secured second and third places respectively. Elliot Piper-Brown, 161799 (Minnis Bay), finished two points clear of his closet rival in the combined fleet of 33 Laser Radials and 4.7s, with Christiana Lewis (Mengeham Rythe) sailing well to finish 13th overall as top 4.7
The Solos, another increasingly popular single handed boat with 35 entries, provided extremely competitive racing although Nick Rawlings, 4669 (HISC), established his supremacy clinching a third win on the last day. Chris Powles, 4656 (HISC), was chased hard and despite securing a win in Monday’s race, only just managed to keep Simon Notley 4916 (Mengeham Rythe) back in third, after Notley’s perfect start on Wednesday’s race enabled him to lead to the finish and make an impressive challenge against a traditionally strong Hayling fleet.
In the RS Fevas Alexandra and Stephanie Orton, 2837 (Chichester YC), struggled during the last two days when clubmates James Poyner and Abbie Page, 2582, joined the fray to take two firsts. Against the persistent performance of Ruth and Tess Allan, 2600 (Emsworth), and Rob and Elliot Wells, 1096 (HISC), a fourth place on Wednesday’s race combined with their two firsts from Monday and Tuesday gave them the necessary half point lead overall.
The Series 3 classes started the week by losing their second race on the first day, after the wind climbed to 20 knots. Joe Simmons, Topper 45530, proved himself a worthy champion finishing 3.75 points clear ahead of Jamie Catchpole, 46063 (Leigh & Lowton SC), with Brendon Wood, 33984 (Slipper), in third place. The RS Tera livened up the Slow Handicap taking the first three places with Elliot Spensley-Corfield, 959 (HISC), leading from Tommy Darling, 980 (HISC), and James Notley, 322 (Mengeham). In the Optimist fleet, David Brand and Sam Yearsley (both HISC) battled continuously with Brand’s decisive win on the last race securing him the Rutherford Trophy.
The final prize, the Inter-club Trophy, was awarded to hosts Hayling Island Sailing Club, with a repeat of last year’s win, beating Emswrth Slipper and Mengeham Rythe SCs. into second and third places respectively
Overall a ‘classic’ Fed Week for all sailors, and at a prompt prizegiving after Friday’s racing Louise Goldsmith, Chairman of Chichester Harbour Conservancy, kindly gave away the prizes and also announced an additional award. The Conservancy wished to recognise the outstanding dedication and many years of service to the harbour of local mariner Frank Dunster by awarding him the prestigious ‘Freedom of The Harbour’.
Robert Macdonald
FED Week Race Results
FED Week Images 2009
Race Report Day 1 - Monday 10 August 2009
Race Report Day 2 - Tuesday 11 August 2009
Race Report Day 3 - Wednesday 12 August 2009
|