Gul Fireball UK Nationals / Pre Worlds at Plas Heli - Day 3

A day of Hyde and Seek!

After the enforced day ashore yesterday as the coamers rolled in across the bay, Day 3 saw and early start with three races scheduled. Today's racing was sponsored by Hyde Sails; with some special prizes for the best performance across the three races... and no discards.

As the fleet left the beach to head out for the course the word was that there was a steady 15-17 knots of breeze out on the course, but it soon became clear that the earlier breeze was already softening. Far from dropping the rig back, the day would become a search for more power, longer spreaders and upright masts.

Once again the Fireballs showed their current liking for a Recall and Black Flag start, when racing got underway the big names were once again all down at the pin. James Peters and Fynn Sterritt would once again show great skills at starting and getting that all important shift better than most, but the race would belong to Tom Gillard and Richard Anderton. As Richard would say once back on shore, for the past few seasons they have enjoyed a well-earned reputation for being the pace setters when the breeze was up, but now with their new boat and some revised settings they had clearly added something extra to their light and medium airs performance. Helm Gillard felt that they always had just a little bit more in terms of boatspeed, certainly enough to pull them clear of the chasing pack early on. Tom went on to say though that the differences between the speeds of the leading boats were minimal, with the advantage going to those who made the fewest mistakes.

In this he was helped by overnight leaders Christian Birrell and Sam Brearey making the first of just a few errors, but that was all it took to hand the win to Gillard and Anderton.

Starting the second race was even more of an issue as there was a General Recall, then a second General Recall under Black Flag before the fleet finally got away at the third attempt. Gillard and Anderton went for the safe option of a start just a short distance up from the pin, others pushed harder for a good start and would end up scoring BFD; amongst the culprits caught out were Matt Burge and Richard Wagstaff, plus the two Tims, Rush and Saunders. None of this seemed to disturb Tom and Richard as they stretched out for their second win of the day, but behind them the minor places were being hard fought with Peters and Sterritt taking the runners up spot, pushing Birrell and Brearey down to third. With Ian Dobson and Ben Ainswoth improving on their first race of the day seventh place with a fourth, the points position at the front of the fleet was getting very tight.

End of day bragging rights would now depend on the final race of the day, which thankfully was a clean start under U flag. For once, the smart starting techniques of Tom Gillard and Richard Anderton let them down as they rounded Mark 1 down in 6th or 7th place. Out front it would be Birrell and Brearey slogging it out with Peters and Sterritt but behind them Matt Burge/Richard Wagstaff were putting their earlier BFD behind them, holding a good position. Also going very well were the French U-25 pairing of Remy Thuiller and Mathieu Corruble and Ian Dobson and Ben Ainsworth. Tom Gillard had already pointed out that the difference could quite possibly come down to who made least mistakes and he was about to prove the veracity of this statement. A good second beat saw him up into third, whilst around him things were going wrong in a bad way. Thuiller and Corruble would get a top 5 finish, only to have to retire after a mistake rounding a mark.

The French Under 25 pairing of Remy Thuillier and Mathieu Corruble would have scored another top 5 result but instead ended up having to card a RET on day 3 at the Gul UK Fireball Nationals - photo © David Henshall

Then, in a tricky reach to reach gybe, leaders James Peters and Fynn Sterritt would get the nightmare snarl up and as they wobbled out of line, Birrell and Brearey were also pushed wide. Gillard and Anderton seized the moment, were through and off to their third win of the day. Christian Birrell would get another second, ahead of Matt Burge, but the problems hadn't finished for James Peters as his toe strap mounting pulled clear from the cockpit floor, tipping him backwards out of the boat. It could so easily have been far worse but for crew Fynn, who was able to manhandle him back aboard. His efforts were well worthwhile as the pair went on to score a highly useful 4th place, leaving them 4th overall.

This morning's featured team, Georgia Booth and Chris Grube enjoyed another good day to stay in the top ten and with Georgia comfortably the top lady – despite crew Chris giving his helm a good deal of 'verbal' in the last race. Georgia's excuse that she was tiring didn't seem to get that much in the way of sympathy! However, their results were sufficient to gain them the Hyde Sails Prize for the best boat from the Silver Fleet on the day. The Hyde Sails award for the best Bronze Fleet competitor would go to the French pairing of Christophe Brigaudeau and Gerard Begnaton.

There is no doubt though as to who would be the Hyde Sails Gold Fleet winners, as with three straight wins, Tom Gillard and Richard Anderton were clearly the big winners on the day. Looking ahead towards tomorrow, the final day of the Gul Fireball National Championships, the pair are happy to recognise that success is now very much a case of 'fleet management'. They know who are their closest challengers and will be racing with them very much in mind. Even more than today, tomorrow and the Championship itself will come down to the team who keep it tight and make the fewest mistakes.

Hard day at the office! (an Irish perspective from Cormac Bradley)

Although the forecast was for 15 – 18 knots or close variations to that, the assembled Fireball fleet at the UK Nationals enjoyed slightly lesser winds on Day 3 of the regatta. "Enjoyed" is used judiciously as the fleet were showing all the signs of a hard day at the office. So much so that the AGM of the fleet couldn't be held due to a lack of numbers!

IRO Peter Caxton did his very best to get the fleet away punctually, but the fleet showed too much enthusiasm for starting and black flag starts were the dominant mode of starting. Ironically the last race of the day was the only one that got away cleanly, under a U Flag. Black flags followed by a General Recall signal means there are people to be identified and this evening there are a number of high profile competitors with a large score on their points tally. Some of them are even more uncomfortable with a second high score on their card.

Today's racing was sponsored by Hyde Sails, represented at this regatta by Dave Hall, who put up prizes for the Gold Silver and Bronze fleets on an all races to count basis.

Given the forecast it appears that most boats went out on a 22' 6" setting and certainly for the start of the first race that appeared to be in order. However, as the first race progressed the wind eased and 22'8" became the rig of choice. The middle race didn't have much more breeze, but the last race of the day saw the wind build as the race progressed, so much so that "Oscar" was broken out at the end of the triangle, which formed the middle lap of that race. The building breeze of the last race generated some debate in the dinghy park afterwards in terms of what was the rig setting required.

The big winners of the day were Tom Gillard and Richard Anderton (GBR15127) who took all three race wins – a feat that sees them take the regatta lead. Races 1 & 2 were lead from start to finish and the suggestion is that upwind they have turned the tables on the second placed pair. Christian Birrell & Sam Brearey (GBR15107) also had a good day with a 2, 3, 2, though at the level of performance they are looking at these results won't be what they wanted. They drop to second place, a point adrift of Gillard & Anderton. In third place overall are Ian Dobson & Ben Ainsworth (GBR15089) a further eight points astern. Fourth overall goes to James Peters & Fynn Sterritt (GBR15129) with Matt Burge & Richard Wagstaff (GBR15123) in fifth.

The first visitors are the French, Remy Theuillier & Mathieu Corruble (FRA 14917) followed by the Irish pair, Barry McCartin & Conor Kinsella (IRL 15114) in seventh and the Czech pairing of Jaroslav Werner & Pavel Winkler (CZE 15110) in seventeenth.

Results after Day 3:

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