First 40.7 National Championships
Report by Eddie Mays for the First 40.7 Association |
| Day 1 - Saturday, 10th May 2008 |
| The high-pressure area sitting over the UK meant that it was after 1 p.m. before there was enough breeze for the Royal Southern's P.R.O. Peter Bateson to set a simple windward / leeward course for the 14 entries in the year's championship. Even then the breeze was barely above 5 knots all afternoon and, although nominally about 260 degs, it was subject to large & erratic shifts. |
| Race 1 saw Richie Lovering helming Gareth Williams' 'Challenger' go left on the first beat before tacking across to the layline and gaining a small lead from the Activ Power & Sail team on board 'Addiction' at the top mark. 'Addiction' slipped back a little on the run back and Tim Spalding's 'Love Shack' gained the inside berth to take 2nd at the mark. Behind the front runners there were several private battles going on and racing was very tight down the fleet. The positions stayed the same on the 2nd lap. |
| Race 2 was again a two lap windward / leeward and it turned into an epic battle between 'Challenger' & 'Love Shack'. 'Challenger' hit the layline exactly right to take the inside berth at the windward mark from 'Love Shack' with Guy Prest's 'tarka' on their tails. The leaders went round the leeward mark together and still couldn't be separated at the end of the 2nd beat. It was only when 'Love Shack' took a more westerly course down the 2nd run that 'Challenger' pulled a few yards ahead. |
| With time passing PRO Bateson decided to set a 'round the cans' course for the last of the day's races that took the boats back towards the Hamble. With the wind still light 'Addiction' made a good start in clean air and was able to establish and early, and winning lead. She was followed around the course by 'Challenger' but with the tide now running strongly westwards each mark acted as a tidal gate and the main body of the fleet was never able to catch the leaders. |
| With a maximum of four more races to be sailed on Sunday the fleet will be hoping for a little more breeze. Overnight 'Challenger' is ahead of 'Love Shack' with Addiction' 3rd. |
| Day 2 - Sunday, 11th May 2008 |
| Sunday morning looked to be slightly more promising, wind-wise, as the Committee boat set up station off the Lee-on-Solent shore but as the starting time for first race approached the early morning breeze faded and then started a long swing from West to Southeast. Once there it did settle and build sufficiently to allow the first race to start at 11:45. |
| With the tide taking the boats towards the line most decided that the Committee boat end was the place to start and in the melee several were forced out and two, 'Portia' & 'Big Bamboo' suffered damage and had to retire from the day's activities. 'Love Shack' gained an early lead and covered 'Challenger' up the first beat rounding the mark just ahead of 'Tarka'. With the tide running towards Portsmouth there was only one course available for the run back to the leeward mark. The only decision was how close to go to the shore before gybing out. Most tacticians chose to do it in one hitch but a few did it in two hitches. Neither choice seemed to gain or lose much. The positions on the 2nd lap remained the same with Guy Prest, 'Tarka' following 'Love Shack' home. 'Addiction' posted another 3rd ahead of 'Challenger'. Whilst a lot of attention was focussed on the duel between 'Challenger' & 'Love Shack' positions down the fleet were also hard fought. In the final yards to the line Peter French helming 'Anticipation' made a good tack for the line, hurried Stuart Wilkie, 'Interceptor', into her tack and managed to sail over her to gain 7th place. |
| The next race used the same course and the first beat was probably the closest racing of the weekend. In the pre-start manoeuvrings 'Challenger' dipped astern of 'Love Shack', powered up and took the edge at the gun. Halfway up the first leg the leaders were all together. 'Challenger', ahead and to leeward had room to tack onto starboard and she toppled 'Addiction', 'Euphorix' & 'Love Shack' onto starboard but 'Love Shack' managed to squeeze into clear air and took a boat length's lead into the mark ahead of 'Challenger'. These positions were maintained on the run back but at the start of the next beat 'Challenger' was close enough astern to force 'Love Shack' to leeward of the rest of the fleet whilst escaping herself into clean air. 'Love Shack' still had a slight edge on speed and kept her lead to the line. |
| Following the pattern of Saturday the final race was a 'round the cans' race that cascaded westwards back towards the Hamble. With the tide turning and the wind edging towards the East PRO Peter Bateson abandoned flag 'Z' in favour of the Blue Peter and was rewarded with a clean start. Dr. Dentskevich's 'Euphorix' led 'Love Shack' around the top mark, with 'Challenger' in 7th place. 'Challenger' then struck a lonely course out in the middle as all the rest went inshore again. 'Anticipation' made the best fist of it to take the lead rounding the next mark ahead of 'Love Shack' before reaching across to East Bramble side by side. Positions throughout the fleet appeared to be gained and lost at various stages of the downwind legs but in essence the pecking order was established. The only real gain was by 'Euphorix' that managed to take 2nd place behind 'Anticipation' and ahead of 'Love Shack'. |
| With six races completed a discard was allowed and this was vital in the overall results. 'Challenger' and 'Love Shack' both finished with a nett score of 10 points but the National title went to Gareth Williams' 'Challenger' on 2nd count back. Each won two races but Gareth scored an extras 2nd place to tip the balance. There was also a tie break for 3rd & 4th places. This time Paul Jenkins' Activ team edged past Dr. Dentskevich by dint of winning the 3rd race. A great tribute to one design racing. |
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