Noble Marine Streaker Nationals at Northampton Sailing Club

by Veronica Falat 3 Jul 2013 07:12 BST 29-30 June 2013

Tom Gillard covering Steve Cockerill in the final race of the Noble Marine Streaker nationals © Ben Falat

Tom Gillard wins the 2013 Noble Marine Streaker nationals © Karen Langston

A fleet of 47 boats and five very competitive races were the ingredients for an excellent National Championships for the Streaker class on the weekend of 29th-30th June. Northampton SC were generous, friendly hosts and the efforts of race officer Will Gulliver and of the catering team were particularly appreciated, as were the facts that camping was possible alongside your boat and the weather turned out very nice indeed! Continued sponsorship from Noble Marine also contributed greatly to the event's success.

It was dull and damp on Friday when some of the Streakers took advantage of a training session run by Steve Cockerill but by the time racing started on Saturday the sun was out and many competitors were quite sunburnt by the end of the weekend.

Three races were scheduled for Saturday but a tricky breeze meant it was difficult getting the starting line set without too much bias as the breeze shifted one way and then the other. Several times the starts were postponed as the line had to be reset, or there were general recalls, and so it became a long day on the water. However, by the time the fleet came ashore, all three races were complete and it was clear from the results sheet that the championship was, as expected, turning into a battle between the 2012 champion, Tom Gillard, and the 2011 champion, Steve Cockerill.

Steve won race 1 with a comfortable lead but Tom worked his way into second place. Races 2 and 3 were both taken by Tom, while Steve managed a 2nd and a 3rd, and so at close of play on Saturday, Tom had a narrow points lead, with Steve second, Ian Jones third, and Ian Fryett fourth.

On Sunday the breeze was considerably stronger but still shifty. Steve won race 4 and so the scene was set for the fifth and deciding race.

The start line seemed to be port biased but, almost immediately after the gun, a starboard lift set in, favouring the boats that had started near the committee boat. The fleet charged along, the leeward boats hoping for the wind to switch back and eventually it did and some port-tackers ended up over-standing the first mark, but by this time Howard Frear, who had played the right hand side of the course to perfection, had established a good lead. Tom Gillard was well placed but Steve was in a tight bunch on the reach to the gybe mark. By staying low on the second reach he made up places but Tom was always keeping a close watch on his progress. The two of them were soon locked in a close quarter battle with Tom covering Steve tack for tack. This was a fascinating distraction for the rest of the fleet as these two fought for overall honours. At times it looked like Steve had just managed to squeeze ahead enough to get under Tom's lee bow and force him to tack away but in the shifty, gusty wind it was going to be really difficult for Steve to break Tom's cover. Both were sailing with great skill and intensity but eventually Tom managed to dominate the situation and Steve was forced to accept that the chase was up. While Howard Frear took the race win, a second place for Tom Gillard was enough for him to secure the Championship title for another year.

It had been exciting racing for everyone, regardless of where they were in the fleet. It was windy enough for a few capsizes and it was very easy to get the shifts seriously wrong, but there were lots of smiles to be seen when the fleet came ashore for the prize-giving. Butler Boats kindly supplied some extra spot prizes and as usual there were trophies for various categories and race wins as well as the Championship Trophy itself.

Overall Results:
If you finished in the top ten of the Streaker nationals then enter your Gear Guide information here

Pos	Fleet	Boat Name	Sail No	Helm	Club	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	Pts
1st			1851	Tom Gillard	Northampton SC	‑2	1	1	2	2	6
2nd	45 ‑ 54		1849	Steve Cockerill		1	2	3	1	‑5	7
3rd	45 ‑ 54		1826	Ian Jones	Dovestone SC	4	3	‑6	3	3	13
4th	45 ‑ 54	Maid for Pleasure	1803	Ian Fryett	Llandegfedd SC	5	4	4	‑8	6	19
5th	?	Shorty	1832	Tom Lonsdale	Northampton SC	3	5	‑33	7	7	22
6th	45 ‑ 54		1784	Ben Ratcliffe	Scammonden Water SC	6	11	5	‑20	4	26
7th	55 ‑ 64	Samantha	1777	Howard Frear	Sutton Bingham SC	‑25	17	2	13	1	33
8th	45 ‑ 54		1776	David Bartlett	Starcross SC	7	‑21	7	5	14	33
9th			1800	Oliver Wells	Northampton SC	8	12	(DNF)	12	8	40
10th	65 ‑ 74	Raptor	1783	Alan Bennett	Staunton Harold SC	12	10	‑32	9	10	41
11th	55 ‑ 64	Skippy	1654	Veronic Falat	Waveney & Oulton Broad YC	11	7	11	‑19	17	46
12th			1809	Dan Phillips	Ripon SC	16	15	‑17	4	12	47
13th			1446	Matthew Whitfield	Tamworth SC	10	‑34	13	6	23	52
14th	65 ‑ 74		1790	Dave Smith	Welton SC	13	8	‑20	18	15	54
15th	55 ‑ 64		1787	Paul Whyld	Seafarers SC	9	19	14	14	‑20	56
16th	55 ‑ 64	Blue Moon(ing)	1754	Chris Wright	Ripon SC	22	6	12	24	(DNC)	64
17th	65 ‑ 74	Dizzy	1713	John Burgoine	Tamworth SC	15	18	23	(DNC)	9	65
18th	55 ‑ 64	Salpetre	1683	Peter Cogill	Rotherham SC	‑29	16	16	21	18	71
19th	55 ‑ 64		1702	Tony Wright	Dunleigh SC	23	23	‑24	16	11	73
20th	45 ‑ 54	Rehab	1664	Mark Langston	Beccles Amateur SC	24	20	‑38	10	24	78
21st		Little Swift (1763)	691	Paul Jago	Hykeham SC	14	27	‑30	22	16	79
22nd		Bang Tidy	1769	Gary Stewart	Ouse Amateur SC	20	24	‑31	15	22	81
23rd	55 ‑ 64		1801	Peter Tyerman	Pennine SC	17	‑36	15	32	19	83
24th	45 ‑ 54	Paxo	1618	Dave Butler	Welton SC	18	29	(DNF)	17	21	85
25th	65 ‑ 74	Against the Grain	1791	Bill Strange	Stewartby SC	26	9	28	(DNC)	28	91
26th	55 ‑ 64		1548	Ian Whitfield	Tamworth SC	‑35	35	18	25	13	91
27th	under 20	Alf	1827	Robin Jones	Hykeham SC	31	14	36	11	(DNC)	92
28th		Chloe	1819	Alex Reindorp	Chipstead SC	21	22	27	30	(DNC)	100
29th	55 ‑ 64	Buoy Racer	1640	Ian Parish		19	13	25	(DNC)	DNC	105
30th	45 ‑ 54		1504	Barry Creaser	Hollowell SC	‑38	38	8	31	29	106
31st	?	Motley Rides Again	1603	Jeremy Daniell	Bough Beech SC	37	39	9	26	(DNC)	111
32nd	65 ‑ 74		1850	Gerry Ledger	Upriver SC	40	28	10	34	(DNC)	112
33rd	over 75	Last Bash	1700	Alan Simmons	Lancing SC	‑36	31	21	33	31	116
34th	under 20	Bert	1788	Sally Ratcliffe	Scammonden Water SC	33	‑43	35	23	25	116
35th	55 ‑ 64		1844	Chris Smith	Island Barn reservoir SC	32	26	‑41	29	30	117
36th	under 20		1840	Ben Eaves	Reddith SC	30	32	‑34	28	32	122
37th	55 ‑ 64		1665	Paul Thomas‑Peter	Ripon SC	‑39	33	37	27	26	123
38th	55 ‑ 64		1829	John Crook	Blackwater SC	28	25	26	(DNC)	DNC	127
39th	over 75	Chaos 4	1828	Nick Carter	Burghfield SC	‑46	42	19	36	33	130
40th	55 ‑ 64	Guilia	1820	Peter Jones	Bough Beech SC	‑41	40	29	35	27	131
41st	55 ‑ 64		1667	Mark Mason	West Oxfordshire SC	27	30	(DNF)	DNC	DNC	153
42nd	65 ‑ 74	Krakatoa	1735	Clive Stratton	Warsash SC	42	45	22	(DNC)	DNC	157
43rd	65 ‑ 74	Overture	1812	Primrose Salt	Chew Valley SC	34	37	39	(DNC)	DNC	158
44th	45 ‑ 54	Streakin‑Free	1848	Mark Taylor	Welton SC	43	41	43	(DNC)	DNC	175
45th		Silver Streak	1786	Bill Cunningham	Waterlooville SC	45	(DNF)	40	DNC	DNC	181
46th	over 75		1563	David Hinks	Yeadon SC	(DNF)	44	42	DNC	DNC	182
47th		PG Tips	1836	lisa Moore	Elton SC	44	46	44	(DNC)	DNC	182

1st under 20 years: 1827 Robin Jones (27th overall)
1st over 45 years: 1849 Steve Cockerill (2nd overall)
1st over 55 years: 1777 Howard Frear (7th overall)
1st over 65 years: 1783 Alan Bennett (10th overall)
1st over 75 years: 1700 Alan Simmons (33rd overall)
1st lady: 1654 Veronica Falat (11th overall)
1st Silver Fleet: 1664 Mark Langston (20th overall)
1st boat over 15 years old: 1448 Matt Whitfield (13th overall)
Top Club team: Northampton SC
Best presented boat: 1836 Lisa Moore