Gul B14 Europeans at Rock Sailing and Waterski Club - Overall
by Mark Barnes 10 Sep 2015 15:05 BST
5-8 September 2015
Day 4 of the B14 Europeans, and it was to be a day of chess as 3 B14s, Blue Badge (Beezer/Ferret), Eeyore (Wattsy/Bish) and Seavolution (Barnsie/Chinscar Char) contested the overall with Demelza (Knighty/James Walter PPK) looking at a possible 3rd, with FRA773 an outside 4th. Would the Fat Lady sing before curtain call or would we see a Battle Royal.
So with new SW wind direction the fleet launched into 8-13 knots. With only 2 races, it was to be a day where the strategy was to stay in the pressure and cover the like crazy. Head out of the boat and wing mirrors in full view.
First race, with a 5 degree pin bias, Seavolution took the committee and covered the big 3. However, the script was thrown out of the window as White Stiletto (Paul Gliddon/Josie Gliddon) and a group from the middle ducked the leaders and headed right, which was to prove the right move. With the main protagonists in the middle, they as a group rolled right up the shifts and started to fight their way back. At the top mark White Stiletto led from Torq (Gerry Fermor/Leaky Fermor) with the main players breaking through. Over the run, boats were seen to gybe up to 9 or more times ducking and diving in the pressure. Seavolution clawed her way to 3rd, but FRA773 defied convention and hit the right corner coming out in 3rd and relegating Seavolution. The other 3 were nowhere to be seen, and missing on parade.
Over the next 2 laps White Stiletto, Torq and FRA773 built a small but useful lead, as Seavolution was joined by Demelza who hit the left up the second beat and found extra pressure jumping to 5th. These latter 2 match raced over the next lap and a half with Seavolution keeping Demelza at bay whilst White Stiletto took out the race from FRA773 and Torq.
Final race and 1, 2 and 3 were still in the mix. Could Eeyore overtake Blue Badge or could Seavolution spoil the party and grab second as 1 was no longer achievable to the latter due to the 4th in the previous race.
So off they were again with Seavolution again taking the committee end on a square line. The charge to the right was a drag race won by F-Bomb (Scott Gray/Charlie Colburn) and Ullman Sails (Steve/Phil Eltringham), with the championship players tracking right in the main group. With a repeat of the previous race's conditions FRA773 found their chance and slid into the lead on lap 2 with Seavolution working the middle right to close in on 2nd with the inevitable Demelza arriving from the middle left in 3rd on the last beat. FRA773 sailed off to a deserved win, whilst Seavolution and Demelza engaged in a battle royal on the run with Seavolution repeatedly bouncing Demelza to the right. The joker was arriving in the shape of Blue Badge who banged the right in their private pressure. However, coming into the finish, Seavolution took 2nd from Demelza whilst the next group including Blue Badge and Eeyore arrived at the last gate in a group of about 9 boats. As it unraveled, Blue Badge was the big gainer and Eeyore not able to make the gains as the stable door was shut.
Blue Badge had won the Europeans by 4 points from Seavolution, who beat Eeyore by 1 point pushing them into 3rd.
A great event, sailed in a range of conditions from the extremes of Saturday which will remain etched in the minds of those that flew round the course for years, as well as the Race Committee's watching it happen, to the extremely tactical conditions of the last day.
The fleet would like to say thank you to Gul for sponsoring the event, the club for the efficiency and friendliness with which they ran the event both afloat and ashore.
Next are the B14 Inlands at Datchet at the end of October. Question will be who will man up and muscle their way to the front as the warm-up starts in the build up to the Garda Euros/Worlds in 2016.
Overall Results: (top five)
1. Blue Badge 1, 2, 2, 1, 6, 2, 3, 5, 1, 11, 4 = 21pts
2. Seavolution 2, 4, 5, 2, 4, 4, 1, 2, 4, 4, 2 = 24pts
3. Eeyore 3, 1, 4, 5, 1, 6, 2, 1, 3, 10, 9 = 25pts
4. Demelza 5, 5, 1, 11, 2, 3, 13, 3, 2, 5, 3 = 29pts
5. FRA773 DNF, 3, 3, 4, 3, 5, 5, 4, 6, 2, 1 = 30pts