Zhik CoastWaterSports Scorpion Nationals - Runners and Riders
by Linda Wolfenden 3 Aug 2015 21:15 BST
8-14 August 2015
With less than a week to go, lets look ahead and see what the Scorpion class has in store when they visit one of their favourite venues for this years Nationals.
This year we are very pleased to have Zhik and Coast Water Sports heading up the sponsorship in conjunction with Buff Headwear.
We have an amazing 58 entries this year, our biggest champs for quite a few years. Here is a snapshot of some of the entrants:
Current Silver Scorpion Champion Pete Gray (2022), the Bernie Ecclestone of the fleet has purchased some platform shoes so that his fiancé can give him a good luck kiss, hopefully ensuring a winning performance.
As usual Tim Parsons (2014) has been spending long hours in his workshop fiddling. Hopefully with his boat, he emerged recently to find he had another daughter.
Catherine Maguire (2024) has taken a step forward in the boat but she is struggling to cope with demands of crewing especially the jet washer aspect. However she has invested in some goggles and super thick gloves so she may be a contender for the Maiden Plate.
At the time of writing it looks like a windy week which will please pie eating Chris Yates (1959) who is hoping for heavy weather so he can stonk up to the windward mark first, lead the race for half a lap and then capsize with his usual finesse.
Past National Champion John Mursell (2020) has recently retired from his day job but rather than putting the hours in training he's been too busy organising his fancy dress outfit, I fear he may go from elite athlete to back of the fleet.
John Fox (2010) has upgraded to the fast twin pole system so he should be able to catch twice as many fish this year and Mr and Mrs Haines are back as a team so lets hope there is more marital harmony than usual for them.
John Purdie (1947) has been spending hours analysing performance data from the sensors on Angel Dust which has resulted in him having to buy a bigger computer.
The class head shroud hanger Alan Ritchie (2005) who has just returned from competing in the Tour de France has been practising hanging from his motorhome in his speedos. And Chris Massey (2026) has been seen smashing it out at the gym but then going home via McDonalds.
John Clementson (2019) has been working hard to get his boat down to weight but Mel has purchased the latest Musto dry bag to store her 40kg bucket of Haribos.
This year we have a new prize category, the Family prize. Contenders include the Fellows, the Willars and the Bowers.
So there's a taster of some of our personalities racing this year. It goes without saying that we have the usual mad social stuff all planned, the social program and menu will be on the website very soon and the barman (who is a lady), Nicky, has been briefed on our drinking habits!
See you all in Lyme, don't forget to read the "Important Info" on the website regarding registration etc.
www.sailscorpion.co.uk