Seavolution B14 National Championships at Stokes Bay - Day 2

B14 Nationals at Stokes Bay day 2 © Charlotte Keeling

B14 Nationals at Stokes Bay day 2 © Charlotte Keeling

B14 Nationals at Stokes Bay day 2 © Charlotte Keeling

Massive Cuttlefish!

Day 2 and the light winds sniggling we were promised did not materialize. Instead we had force 3 – 4 climbing to a solid force 4 – 5. But what a day on the water it was. The 4 front runners going into the day all had kite issues at times as the boats fired down the short steep seas. The gybing points were easily identified after the first laps as the front runners chased down the guys who had piled it in. It was definitely a day of it is not over till the Fat Lady Sings.

Day Race 1, Race 2 of the series, and the front runners put the hammer down and headed up the middle with P&B South (Ben McGrane/Ollie Wells), GBR 681 (Paul Glidden/ Josie Glidden), GBR 791 Flying Donkey (Mark Watts/Chris Bishop) and Seavolution North Sails (Mark Barnes/Ruth Oliver) arriving close together at the mark. Over the race Whitstable Marine (Nick Craig/Tom Pygall) moved through the fleet to recover to 3rd with GBR 681 getting the better over P&B South on the last round to win. Meanwhile the rest of the fleet played musical chairs with the shifts and holes and allegedly massive killer cuttlefish.

With a quick turnaround, The fleet were fired up in the building breeze. Again getting away first time, the fleet split left and right with the same 3 heading out to the left, but with Demelza (Peter Knight/Jane Reeve) leading the charge to the right and Whitstable Marine on their own going up the Middle. At the windward mark Demelza had played their joker and chased Whitstable Marine round the course to get the better of them on the third beat and sail home to a great win, followed by Whitstable Marine and P&B South.

Race 3 and with the breeze building Flying Donkey won the pin, clipped the mark, turned and then fired out through a magic gap in the fleet to take a lead that was never challenged. Behind was a battle royal between Blue Badge (Mikes Bees/Ferret) and Whitstable Marine who ultimately took 2nd.

Race 4 and Troublegum (Alan Davis/Kathy Sherratt) claim to have won the pin but took it a little far and ended up in a mating dance with it. Whitstable Marine led at the top mark from P&B South only for Tom Pygall to do a spot of fishing at the bottom mark. As the breeze built the lead group of 5 boats duelled with some incredibly close downwind action. P&B South led from Blue Badge until they succumbed to the pressure from Flying Donkey and Ferret got in a bit of a tangle at the bottom mark. By the final top mark P&B South led only to struggle on the hoist, pinning out Flying Donkey and letting Whitstable Marine through to take the win. Flying Donkey recovered to take second with Blue badge slipping through into 3rd, P&B south frustrated in 4th in what was potentially a pivotal race for the championship.

Currently leading the endeavour trophy (although we are claiming it is rigged as Char is a veteran!) are Iain Horlock/Charlotte "chinscar" Jones.

Forecast for tomorrow is for big breeze so the jury is out how many races will be sailed. You could say Whitstable Marine have the event sewn up but with their sometimes unconventional manoeuvres who knows what might happen tomorrow! The battle for second is wide open with 3 boats in the hunt.

Results after Day 2: