Phantom Southern Series at Shoreham Sailing Club

Phantom Class Association Southern Series visits Shoreham © Warwick Baker / www.warwickpics.com

Phantom Class Association Southern Series visits Shoreham © Warwick Baker / www.warwickpics.com

Phantom Class Association Southern Series visits Shoreham © Warwick Baker / www.warwickpics.com

Bright sunshine and Force 4/5 winds greeted the 15 entrants for the first day of the Shoreham Phantom Open Meeting held over the 11th/12th August 2012, the seventh race out of nine for the Phantom Class Association Southern Series.

For the initial briefing the Race Officer detailed a four lap course for all races consisting of triangle two sausages, triangle then finish. This in itself did not appear too complicated but was to later catch out some competitors who appeared cerebrally challenged when it came to working out which leg of the course they should be on.

Race 1 was hotly contested with Simon Hawkes (Wimbleball SC) leading the fleet up the first beat closely followed by Nick Mason (Island Barn SC), Tim Hemlsey (Frensham Pond) and Nick Orman (Castle Cove). The first reach was a real screamer with a number of competitors getting caught out with the combination of Force 5 gusts and rolling waves. Simon Hawkes pulled out a commanding lead to the finish followed in by Tim Hemsley (2nd) and Nick Mason (3rd).

It was more of the same for Race 2 with Simon Hawkes and Nick Orman pulling away followed by local boy Tyler Harmsworth (Shoreham SC) and Nick Mason. On the last lap Hawkes put paid to a second win for the day by forgetting to go onto the reach for the last lap and deciding to do a third sausage. Nick Orman followed while the rest of the fleet went on to complete the proper course, with Tyler Harmsworth taking the honours followed by Nick Mason (2nd) and Mike Tustin of Bowmoor SC making a welcome return to the Phantom fleet in his new boat, finishing third. Hawkes and Orman finished 10th and 11th respectively.

That ended the racing for Saturday with the evening spent by competitors in the club house hotly contesting the 'how many sausages make a course' issue. Hawkes and Orman lost the argument 12 – 3 and in the absence of any formal protest the results stood. Beer and curry was served in the club house and for desert the local Indian restaurant were only too happy to supply Hawkes and Orman a helping of curried humble pie!

Sunday morning dawned for Race 3 with a Force 3 breeze and more sunshine. Again Simon Hawkes led the competitors up the beat and a battle then ensued between him and Nick Orman with Hawkes once again taking the win. The wind was dropping as the race went on and swinging from the East round to the West causing what should have been the beat to become a fetch. The lighter members of the fleet took advantage of this with Mike Tustin working his way up to a credible third place.

With the 180 degree shift the Race Officer hurriedly reset the course and the fleet set of in a force 2 which gradually increased into force 3. Nick Orman achieved what looked like the impossible and led Hawkes around the first mark, however normal order was resumed with Hakes overtaking him on the downwind leg.

Nick Mason and Mike Tustin battled it out for third place downwind and till Tustin decided he wasn’t too bothered about his new gel coat and luffed Nick Mason resulting in a collision. Tustin sailed off while Mason did his penalty turns. Hakes and Orman continued their battle with Tyler Harmsworth chasing them down with Hawkes ending up the eventual winner, followed by Orman (2nd), Harmsworth (3rd) and Tustin (4th).

Overall Results: