Gul Fireball UK Nationals at Plas Heli - What a difference a day makes...
by Dougal Henshall 19 Aug 2015 15:21 BST
17-28 August 2015
STOP PRESS: AP over A now - no racing today.
If yesterday brought the ingredients for champagne sailing, day long sunshine and trapezing breezes, today showed the other side of the North Wales character with horizontal rain and a stiff South Easterly breeze.
Sailing out in the bay would be survival, as the wind coming in over the relatively shallow waters of the bay has kicked up a sea that is probably worse that might be expected with the wind steady in the low 20 knots area. The Race Team have wisely imposed a 2 hour postponement, in the hope that the forecast improvement in conditions arrives sooner rather than later. However, some of the locals are less optimistic, suggesting that today might well be a day to go and enjoy the other pleasures to be found on the Llyn peninsular.
Whilst the AP over 2 is still flying the Fireball class has made use of the innovative design of Plas Heli. With enough space to bring fully rigged dinghies into the central 'drum' feature of the building, ex World Champion Richard Wagstaff ran an impromptu coaching session, with a highly topical focus on sailing the Fireball in breeze! He certainly provided plenty of food for thought as a number of teams were afterwards seen braving the elements outside changing the settings on the rig.
The enforced downtime also gave YachtsandYachting.com the chance to catch up with Champion Crew Sam Brearey.
David Henshall: As the saying goes Sam, what a difference a day makes...
Sam Brearey: Laughing... Yes, when we went out yesterday we were really set up for something in the region of 8-10 knots. By the second race we were really getting overpowered to the point that Tom (Gillard) took a lot of distance out of us and finished just off our transom.
DH: The day ended up being a benefit for the bigger crews?
SB: Certainly Richard Anderton (who crews for Tom Gillard) is a big lad, as is Fynn (Sterritt) who is crewing for James Peters.
DH: But once you've set the boat up for the breeze, you're hardly lacking in boatspeed?
SB: True, but once it gets past that 'nice and breezy' of yesterday to the full on conditions of today, the emphasis changes to minimising the boat handling mistakes. Once the breeze is really up and the waves have grown it is all too easy for a mistake – when gybing under pressure, to result in a situation where any chance of a result is lost.
DH: But you and Christian (Birrell) have been sailing together long enough now for the teamwork in the boat to be working well?
SB: We've been sailing together for about three years now, but we've known each other for ages, have raced against each other when we were younger.
DH: So what is the plan for today?
SB: We'll set the rig up for big winds, eat plenty before we go afloat and just look to that thinking sailing, about what we are doing in the boat. Conditions like this tend to highlight the differences between the top boats and the rest. Some of the boats, in particular the Swiss and Czech boats, that were going well in Race 1 yesterday, will find it much harder today. Again, it is all about making fewer mistakes. And don't forget, there are a number of the top boats that are not doing the Nationals but will be here for the Worlds. DJ (Edwards) and Vyv Townend are always quick, all the more so in the breeze. JP (James Peters) was going really quick yesterday but then he's a great sailor. Maybe some of the nuances of conventional spinnakers may catch him out early on, but with Fynn out on the wire he will be there at the finish.
DH: Thanks Sam, will catch up with you after the race, good luck and keep the metal bit pointing skywards...
However, that was at 11am. With the clock running down on the A over 2, the conditions if anything are worse than they were earlier. The wind is up to an unpleasant 18 gusting 26 knots and combers are now sweeping in across the bay.
Reduced French presence?
The French Team, captured adjusting their spreaders, may well want to think again! The chances of them getting afloat today are getting slimmer by the minute!
Once they had completed making their changes, YachtsandYachting.com were able to enquire as to the reduced presence from the normally strong fleet. It seems that somehow the dates have been allowed to clash, meaning that this week also sees the French Nationals taking place at Quiberon. However, the conditions there are light airs and it is cold, so the French fleet could have travelled anyway – at least there is breeze here (albeit too much).
Help for a last-minute campaign
One of the great stories of the week has to be that of William Gordon and Jack Moscrop. They are not just newcomers to the fleet, they bought themselves a boat, packed it up and headed for Pwllheli. Turning up like that is a great advert for the attractions of joining the Fireball fleet, even for those on the steepest part of the learning curve. Championship life might well have caught them out, as they lacked some of the usual prerequisites such as numbers on their spinnaker and country identifier (now is that GBR or IRL?) on their main. Well done to the Class and the organisers, instead of censuring the pair they were helped with numbers and letters so that they can now enjoy their regatta without coming to the attention of the Jury.
www.fireballworlds2015.com