Harken 2000 Class National Championship at Pwllheli Sailing Club - Overall
by Chris Jordan 9 Aug 2013 21:27 BST
5-9 August 2013
After a superb 2000 Class dinner the night before, and the award of the Pecker to the Lee-on-the-Solent crowd for some imaginative shirts - obviously 'smart casual' has a different meaning down on the South Coast - the Harken sponsored 2000 Class National Championships entered its final day at Pwllheli Sailing Club.
The wind was forecast to be a great 12-14 knots - but then blew 18 to 22 for most of the last 2 races. In order to clinch the win back from Jasper and Laura Barnham, Rob and Katie Burridge needed to win both races. Fergus Barnham and Serena de Nahik flew off the start line into a lead that mere mortals would never catch. But Rob and Katie in their new LDC-built boat flew down the runs, closed the gap and grabbed the 2 wins they needed. Except they didn't, quite!
Around the last windward mark, Rob/Katie were comfortably ahead, and Jasper/Laura gybed of first and caught the big gust. Coming into the final mark: Jasper/Laura were ahead, but outside and needed to gybe across Rob/Katie to get around the mark. Rob/Katie held them on past the mark on the wrong side, before gybing and getting to the mark first. Except that Dave Adams/Richard Thomas had taken advantage of the shenanigans going on between 1st and 2nd, and planed through to take the lead by a couple of feet just when it mattered at the finish line.
Unfortunately for Rob/Katie, however, Jasper and Laura, having got 3 wins the day before, consolidated their lead on the regatta with a 2nd in the first race: the first time for 6 years that the reigning National Champion has managed to retain the title! And, as befitting a Champion, the dolphins came out to play around his bow as he went up the final beat. The wind, being the strongest we had seen all week, meant more boats had capsized before the start than had capsized all the previous days combined, and some of them continued to fall in on the runs - where the waves combined with some strong gusts showed the Inland sailors what a sea race can mean. Still: ice creams on the beach as you land means life isnt all bad - and for some the sailing today just couldn't get much better!
Henry Wright, the Race Officer, very sensibly set a longer start line, in order to give the boats a chance of a clean start, despite being knocked about by the waves: and the black flag and recall were not needed for either start. The beats were a bit of a slog - with waves breaking over the bows on starboard and the need to keep a good look out on port. The runs were high and fast, until you caught a wave right on the downhill side, and then it was just fast whichever way you headed. Some boats retired at the end of the 3rd beat on the last race - the windward mark was quite close to the launch area and it was very tempting to just head for shore, rather than run down to the finish and have to beat all the back again.
The 2000 Class felt that the Harken sponsored 2013 National Championships, supported by Noble Marine and Fotoboat, was one of the best we have had - greatly enhanced by a superb club and venue, some great socials in the evenings, and one of the best Race Officers we have had the pleasure to sail under. Next year, the 2000 Class National Championships are being held at Exe Sailing Club (Aug 3-8th 2014), the home of the boat's designer, Phil Morrison.
Prize Giving
John and Pauline Cox were thanked - for organising the National Championships for the past 12 years - and were given a bottle of pink champagne!
The Race Committee under the control of Henry Wright were thanked - for giving us one of the best National Championships we can remember.
Stephen and Helena Clark from Cardiff Bay Yacht Club won the Endeavour Prize.
The Silver Fleet was won by Colin and Adam Treadwell. 2nd in the Silver Fleet, with the same points and from the same club, were Richard and Rachael Sheridan from Wilsonian Sailing Club.
Overall Results:
1st Jasper and Laura Barnham (Snettisham Beach SC)
2nd Rob and Katie Burridge (Weir Wood SC)
3rd Dave Adams and Richard Thomas (Broadstairs SC)
4th Fergus Barnham and Serena de Nahik (Snettisham Beach SC)
5th Graham and Kristina Sexton (Thorpe Bay SC)
6th Chris and Tom Hall (Snettisham Beach SC)
7th Matt and Clare Sargent (Army Sailing Association)
8th Simon Horsfield and Tom Bernal (Army SA)
9th Christopher and Mark Thomas (and Mum!) (Broadstairs SC)
10th Natalie Roach and Alex Pickles (Royal Navy SA)
11th Chris and Gill Jordan (Brightlingsea and Burghfield SC)
12th Iain and Sarah Yardley (Leigh and Lowton SC)
You can also follow the 2000 Class on www.2000class.org, Facebook and on Twitter (#2000sailing #2000nationals hashtags).