Gul Fireball UK Nationals at Plas Heli - Limited visibility but a clear winner

A pair of modern day pirates if ever there was one, Sam Brearey and Christian Birrell finish 2nd at the Gul UK Fireball Nationals © David Henshall

A strong final day for Fynn Sterritt and James Peters to finish third overall at the Gul UK Fireball Nationals © David Henshall

Whilst the South of England was basking in day long sunshine and hot temperatures, on the waters off Pwllheli, North Wales the factor 50 had been replaced by an extra level of clothing. Once again this week the forecast was for fruity strength breezes with rain later. The forecasters had it half right, the breeze was there but rain later would come to mean the rain arriving half way through the first race.

With three races scheduled and a final day 1500 hrs cut off point for no further starting, PRO Peter Saxton was keen to get racing underway on time, which for the Fireball fleet this week means time for a General Recall or two. At the outset of the Championships the Race Officer had made clear that fairness in the racing was one of his 'red lines', if he had unidentified early starters he'd pulled them back. Either the whole fleet started fairly or nobody started.

At the second time of asking, the fleet got away and started beating into enough breeze to be interesting and a lumpy confused sea. Not all the fleet started though as disaster had befallen the Czech ladies, Kla'ra Janderova and Michaela. Whilst making some rig changes they got caught by a nasty series of waves and as the boat was shaken about, their mast let go at the gooseneck. There was however a lovely tail piece to this story! Yachts and Yachting.com were doing regular updates on the racing and reported the misfortune of the Czech boat. Just along the coast at nearby Abersoch lived Merlin Rocket sailor Miles James, who just so happened to have a Fireball mast to hand. Miles contacted Y&Y and the end result is that with some modifications made today, Kla'ra and Michaela should be back afloat tomorrow.

Despite a broken mast Kla'ra Janderova and Micaela Burdova are still smiling at the Gul UK Fireball Nationals - photo © David Henshall

However, this generosity didn't extend to events out on the Race Course. After thinking yesterday that his boat has a serious issue, because it just didn't seem to want to live up to its name of Speed Machine offwind, Jonny McGovan and crew Max Todd were flying out in the lead. But just as with the previous day, overall leaders Tom Gillard and Richard Anderton were racing with a strategy of keeping the pressure on, then when the mistakes were made, striking fast to exploit the situation. At the bottom of the course, with just the short reach to the Finish to go, McGovan held the lay line to the mark but left just enough space for a boat to sneak through. With the finishing line and the Championship in sight, Gillard took the shot and was through for his fourth successive win. But although Gillard and Anderton had one hand firmly on the title, with two races still to run, none of the top helms could celebrate quite yet.

As the conditions continued to deteriorate, the Fireball Fleet seemed determined to spend as long as possible out on the waters of Tremadog Bay. With General Recall after General Recall and the Black Flag in operation, two things were happening. The raft of boats sent to wait out the race on the Black Flag equivalent of the naughty step back on the beach grew in size, but at the same time, the clock was running down towards that 3pm cut off.

Finally the fleet behaved well enough for the RO to okay the start, but by now another problem was now becoming a serious concern. As the pulses of rain swept across the course the visibility dropped to the point that Race Officer Saxton expressed his concerned about the fairness of the competition. With an abandonment being discussed the rain eased, the Race Team re-acquired the fleet and the race continued. The conditions though were certainly testing, as the Australian pairing of Ben Schulz and Doug Sheppard would find. After waiting all week for enough breeze for a really good thrash, the pair found themselves forced high under spinnaker, which then led on to an almost pitchpole cpapsize! For a while things looked so good that the Committee boat Team and Mark boats were planning the third and final race. A look to windward though made it clear that a period of even more malignant weather was heading in from seaward and the wise decision was made to let the current race run its course, then send the fleet home. The early leaders of the race, Birrell and Brearey were sailing well, but by now Gillard, realising that another race was unlikely, was pressing for victory. He didn't have to wait long for the opportunity to hit the front for his fifth successive bullet. Birrell and Brearey had problems that would see them retire, leaving James Peters and Fynn Sterritt as runners up in the race.

Speaking before the Prize Giving, UK Class Chairman Jez White was ebullient with the way in which the Nationals Week had been conducted. Bringing the Fireballs to Pwllheli had been very much his 'call' and now three years of planning had resulted in a very well run event, both ashore and afloat.

When it came to handing out the silverware, the strength of the support from the sponsors became apparent as along with the established trophies there were a wealth of prizes from the likes of North, Wessex Resins, Gul, UK Global, Hyde and Harken.

The Gul UK Fireball National Championship Trophy - photo © David Henshall

With the Prize Giving completed, YachtsandYachting.com managed to grab a quick chat with the winners before the classic Fireball celebrating started.

David Henshall: Tom and Richard, that, as they say, is how you dominate proceedings! Five straight bullets!

Tom Gillard: We're really happy that we now have boat speed across the whole range of conditions. We were okay in breeze before, now we have got the same advantage in the lighter stuff as well.

DH: Where do you feel that speed is coming from?

TG: We've put a lot of effort into the new boat and some different settings. (jokingly) we'd better make a note of those; we don't want to lose them!

DH: You've certainly shown that you're the boat to beat when the breeze is up!

TG: We've been working at sailing in these conditions with less rig tension than before, but that is only part of the package. We've not only sailed the winter races together (Y&Y – the pair won a very windy Bloody Mary back in January) but we've been putting in long sessions down at Hayling Island. We've sailed off, right out to sea, so that we can practice in a full range of conditions. We're at the point now that we have complete confidence in our boat handling and even reach to reach gybes in a lot of wind are just something we can do without any real concerns about the outcome. I'd say that even with winds right up to 30 knots were just able to concentrate on the sailing without having to worry about boat handling issues.

DH: From the spectator perspective, your sailing seemed smooth and unhurried. Were you able to sail your own race and wait for the others to fall away?

TG: (Laughing again) Yes, there has been some great sailing by the other boats – Christian and Sam of course, Dobbo (Ian Dobson and Ben Ainsworth) and JP (James Peters and Fynn Sterritt) finished the week really strongly. But they've all made mistakes along the way that have cost them places.

DH: Your week looked pretty mistake free!

TG: Not quite...we did have one, with a spinnaker sheet that managed to cleat itself messing up one of our gybes, but that aside, it's been just as we want it.

Richard Anderton: This week has been something of a monkey off our backs. We've known that we have not been the quickest boat out there, but we've been consistent. Now we have the boatspeed, across the conditions, we feel that we're really going well. But next week there are another 40 or more boats to be here, including DJ and Vyv (Edwards and Townend... in many of the competitors eyes the favourites for the Worlds).

DH: Will you be making any changes?

TG: We've a new suit of sails for the event.

DH: Well, good luck from all at YachtsandYachting.com, we'll be following your progress with interest.

The International Perspective (from Cormac Bradley)

While there can be no doubting that the UK is the spiritual home of the Fireball Class, the reality is that as an international class there is a multi-national facet to the character of the class and that manifests itself even more when the Worlds are hosted in the UK. Thus, while this past week has been a UKFA Nationals, it has also served as a Pre-Worlds/International Week before the World Championships, sponsored by GUL commencing tomorrow, Sunday. Consequently there are other nationalities competing at the event as a prelude to the Worlds.

Representatives from fleets in Ireland, France, Switzerland, Australia, Canada, Belgium and South Africa have contested the UK Nationals and while the organisers would have liked to see more nations here and more numbers from those who are, those that are here add an added dimension to the event both on and off the water.

For most, the quest for success this past week is tempered with getting their boats sorted for the main business of next week so there are scores on their cards that mightn't otherwise be there, but just to give you a feel of where they featured this article is dedicated to them.

Tom Gillard and Richard Anderton (GBR 15127) wrapped up the business of securing the UK title yesterday with another two wins on the water to register a nett score of 7pts for the regatta. Yesterday we saw the strongest breeze of the event with the last reach of the last triangle of the regatta sailed in two-sail mode for even some of the top guys. That doesn't appear to have upset the march of the winners to the title.

In second place were the defending World Champions from Thailand 2014, Christian Birrell and Sam Brearey (GBR15107) who scored a 3 and retired form the last race. This left them with a nett score of 12pts.

The overnight occupants of third and fourth swopped places as a consequence of yesterday's proceedings leaving James Peters & Fynn Sterritt (GBR 15129) in 3rd after a 6, 2 compared to Ian Dobson & Ben Ainsworth's (GBR 15089) 13, 10. This gave third overall to the former pairing with a nett of 27pts to the latter's score of 30pts.

The top five was closed out by another British combination – Jonny McGovern & Max Todd (GBR 15094) with a nett score of 42pts.

The first visitors were the French pairing of Remy Theuillier & Mathieu Corruble (FRA14917)in sixth place with 50pts followed by the Irish pair of Barry McCartin & Conor Kinsella (IRL 15114) in 10th place on a score of 55pts.

Overall Results:
If you finished in the top ten at the Fireball nationals then enter your Gear Guide information here

www.fireballworlds2015.com