Friday Fed Week Day 5 - 13 August 2010
The final day of the regatta which has attracted a total entry of 394 boats from some 50 different clubs, brought an identical 12-15 knot North Westerly breeze as Thursday but with more cloud cover, and some gusts of up to 20 knots. Course H was used again for events 1 to 13 but this time the start line and leeward mark for Series 1 were located nearer to Copyhold which gave a better beat. Nearly every boat learnt the tide lessons from Thursday and headed off the start line towards the favourable tide in the Emsworth channel.
Mike Lennon’s Foiler Moth surpassed yesterdays time and completed 4 laps in just 1 hour 5 minutes ensuring that the Committee Boat had to reposition itself promptly for finishing after completing the start sequence. In the Fast Asymmetric’s there was a good battle for overall honours between the 49er of Johnny Costard and James Yearsley, the Musto Skiff of Christian Reynolds and the RS700 of Aidan Mitchell. Christian won the race on corrected time but had failed to sign out so received a 4 point penalty. The RS800 of Mike and Will Tomson sailed very well to finish second, with Johnny C and James third, the latter failing to secure the second place needed to win overall. Despite finishing 7th today Aidan’s results from earlier in the week gave him the overall win.
Phil Walker and John Mather in their 29er had already secured victory in the large Medium Asymmetric fleet, and stayed ashore, leaving the course clear for the other 29er sailed by Calum Ellis and Will Harris to take the honours. Nick Peters in the RS100 Fed’ Week debut came in 2nd overall. In the RS400’s Matt Johnson and Gael Pawson sailed to another impressive win, their 4th of the week and were worthy overall winners, while Paul and Matt Oakey’s fourth position, secured second place overall. In the Fast Handicap, the Fireball sailed by Keith Walker and Rhys Pickett once again proved their better form and finished first across the line, but this time with the Merlin Rocket sailed by Simon and Jackie Lytton coming in close behind, to win on corrected time and take overall honours by just 1 point from David and Fiona Sayce, also in a Merlin.
In the Elites the final battle for an overall win was between the Lamb and Tong teams. Greg Lamb sailing with James Grant and Richard Fitzgerald powered away winning by a good margin from Antony Penfold and Peter Chrismas, giving Greg the honours. The Flying Fifteens had already been won by Roger and Barbara Palmer, who decided to take a ‘layday’, leaving Peter Bannister and Nick Willis to take line honours and the Gerald King Cornflake Trophy, and second overall. The large Finn fleet have had some of the most competitive racing of the week and produced their fifth winner of the week, with class veteran Richard Hart securing the Mickey Finn trophy, amazingly a trophy he last won some 45 years earlier! Fifth today but overall winner was Graham Page, and second both today and overall was Dan Belton. Just 6 points separated the first 5 boats.
On Series 2 the large RS200 fleet were immediately put under a black flag regime, and were away on the first attempt. Harry and Pru Roome (ISC) took line honours but failed to impact on the overall leaders after being OCS the previous day. John and Megan Brickwood’s second place, one ahead of Alan and Flavia Roberts, put them on equal points, but was still not enough to dislodge the latter from their overall win. Despite having secured the Series Colin Smith in his Laser clocked a fourth win, whilst Mathew Holden’s (Locks) second place still left him trailing Paul Wright- Anderson (Island Barn) by one point, to finish third overall.
The top of the Medium Handicap fleet has been dominated by the 420s and Sarah Alton and Katie Tomsett (Oxford SC) won on corrected time to secure their second win of the week and the overall series, one point ahead of Harry Derbyshire and Tom Lovesay (ESC). Stokes Bay sailors Oliver Mitchell and Alex Benbow took first and third positions respectively, to end the week on equal points the final race giving Mitchell the edge. In the Laser 4.7s Anthony Parke’s (MRSC) four wins safely secured the series.
With a general recall in the Solos, John Clarke’s second win of the week just secured his overall victory from Chris Powles (HISC) who were both only one point ahead of Ray Collins from Locks. A third win for Anna Prescott and Jess Eales (Lyminton Town) in the RS Fevas secured a clear overall win from Emily Peters and Charlie Darling, whose creditable and consistent performance throughout the week ensured second place overall.
With a full schedule of races completed to date, only one race was required for the Series 3 fleets. Toppers and Slow Handicap were sent on 3 rounds with 2 for Optimists. Once again the Toppers suffered a general recall, went to the end of the start sequence, but were away cleanly on the second attempt. After an hour’s race, Toppers and Slow handicap were shortened by one leg as a 20 knot rain squall hit the course. In the Toppers, Hamish Streeter (HISC) won today, but the series was taken by Adam Osborne (HISC). In the Slow Handicap, Elliot Wells (HISC) took the gun, and overall honours in his RS Tera with a full set of firsts after discards. The Optimists were won today by Jamie Smith (HISC) who also takes the series.
With rain clouds gathering prize-giving ensued promptly following the protest committees final deliberations, and competitors awaited the final announcement that despite challenges from Emsworth Slipperand Mengeham, (runners-up) hosts Hayling Island Sailing Club had once again secured the coveted Inter-club Team Trophy. - Robert MacDonald
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