B14 National Championships at Beer Sailing Club after Day 2

Sponsored by: North Sails One Design, Harken, Kingfisher Ropes, Ronstan, Vandercraft Trailers, Ullman Sails, Seavolution.

25 B14s arrived at sunny Beer for the 2012 National Championships.

Race 1 - 12 knots of wind from the NE going E were forecast, but the breeze lightened as the fleet launched into a clear blue sea below a clear blue sky. The left hand side of the first beat (setting the theme for the event) was the way to go. At the top Seavolution led from North Sails and Anthill Mob. Seavolution succumbed to a deep hole on the run, allowing North Sails to lead at the bottom. The wind started to shut down and track right, giving Anthill Mob the opportunity to lead at the top from North Sails. Seavolution was next, close followed by Ullman Sails who rolled Seavolution on the hoist, and Blue Badge who had used their get-out-of-jail free card to bounce from the teens to 5th. With a straight leg to the finish the order stayed like that.

Race 2 - North Sails pretty much led from start to finish, with a battle for 2nd between Demelza and Blue Badge resolved in Demelza’s favour from Anthill Mob and Seavolution.

The wind now shut down for a while and then teased the PRO for an hour or so. Finally it filled back in, albeit it in an extremely fitful fashion.

Race 3 - The well-worn track up the left hand side of the beat was again the only way to go, and a gaggle of boats from that side converged on the windward mark. Seavolution and Anthill Mob rounded just ahead of North Sails. The first 2 gybed early, and North Sails found the quicker route to the bottom mark. The wind now started to play it’s joker, with unfathomable gusts and shards of breeze appearing and disappearing without rhyme or reason. This pretty much fried most people’s brains, apart from North Sails who carried on imperiously at the front to win again, from Ullman Sails, Blue Badge, Anthill Mob and Torq/On Purpose who were now getting into the habit of pulling off a blinding start and motoring up the first beat.

Race 4 - The wind continued to play tricks. North Sails perplexed the fleet by heading for the French coast on the first beat, a move which proved disastrous. At the first windward mark a gaggle including Axcess, Blue Badge, Torq/On Purpose, and probably many others, all swapped positions as the fickle breeze shared out its favours and forfeits. It saved the best for the second beat, when it hugely favoured the right hand side of the course, for the first and only time, bringing 657 into a big lead. With the breeze now quite fresh and shifted to the right, Blue Badge put in the early gybe to make up a number of places and round the leeward mark just behind 657. On the final beat Blue Badge pulled away to a lead, to be followed through by Seavolution, Ullman Sails, 66 and Anthill Mob. Axcess who had the lead for a while slipped back to 7th.

Overnight North Sails led comfortably from Blue Badge, Ullman Sails, Anthill Mob and Seavolution who were all separated by only a few points.

Big Saturday dawned with a forecast of 20 knots and dire warnings of death by launching. The fleet were kept on the beach for just long enough to tweak the apprehension level to 11, and then released. A co-operative launching effort through the surf worked smoothly and everyone got afloat in one piece. The wind then again poked its fingers up and settled down to a reasonably steady 12 knots.

Race 5 - The usual protagonists started at the port end to settle into the left hand groove. North Sails ground through to a controlling lead, taking the gun from Seavolution, Blue Badge, Demelza and Ullman Sails.

Race 6 - The breeze remained the same. Anthill Mob lead at the windward mark from North Sails and Blue Badge. Blue Badge went left and made a big gain, rounding the bottom mark just behind Anthill Mob having done a precautionary spin for a potential infringement following a glancing blow with Seavolution. North Sails & Seavolution followed. On the next run the wind shut down as the fleet approached the gate and the PRO wisely shortened the course. Seavolution squeaked past North Sails to take 3rd. Demelza was 5th.

Race 7 - Again North Sails made the best of the first beat followed by Torq/On Purpose who had another blinding start and rocketed up the beat. Blue Badge was next followed by Anthill Mob. The latter suffered technical issues which put them to the back. North Sails went on to win, and Blue Badge finally ground down Torq/On Purpose on the last run to take 2nd. Demelza was 4th from Harken.

At this point the wind shut off again and the fleet headed ashore.

With the scores on the doors North Sails leads comfortably and needs one or two shockers to keep the fat lady from singing in their favour. The final day’s forecast is for very light winds, which may make getting the final 3 races in unlikely.

With the fancy dress evening well and truly underway it was the twin ovills the took the honours with special mention for mankini man (you had to see it!) the clangers (who didn’t actually sail but came down anyway!) and all 3 tiggers who did a special rendition of the Tigger theme tune!

Beer Sailing Club have pulled out all the stops and provided a very special venue. Thank you.

Final report to follow from your offshore reporter in Beer...