B14 European Championships at Circolo Vela Torbole - Day 1
by Mark Barnes 22 Jun 2016 12:49 BST
22-25 June 2016
After 2 days of measuring and partying, in Torbole, the B14 fleet were now ready to flex their muscles and see which hemisphere will hold the bragging rights.
Day 1 of the B14 European Championships lived up to expectations. The sun arrived and the Ora arrived on queue at 1100 and built into a steady 15 – 18 knots. The start of the northern and southern hemisphere jousting was t start in earnest.
The flying circus, launched into champagne conditions with the day's story to be a case of snakes and ladders
Race 1 got away at first attempt with many on the pin end bailing out as a shift kicked in. Bang Bang (Rick Plain/Mike Vincent) got the jump on the fleet coming out on port and led the fleet round the 2 laps. They were chased by a group of 10 boats, where places changed on a regular basis with AUS 375 (Craig Grampton/Phil Newman) coming through to take second chased by the first European, Team GUL/North Sails (Mark Barnes/Charlotte Jones).
Race 2: The wind dropped for the start of race 2 but the sun kept shining and the breeze came back in all race to deliver lots of Garda smiling faces!
Most of the fleet headed left up the 1st breeze but ran out of wind so Nick Darlow/Max Unruh came flying in from the right followed by Team Harken/Sandiline (Nick Craig/Tom Pygall) who took the lead by gybing back into pressure. World Champions Guy Bancroft/Dave Grace did the same to move through to 2nd and then head left on the 2nd beat on what looked like a great shift only to run out of pressure.
AUS 375 (Garmston/Newman) charged through the fleet and judged the lay-line to the finish to perfection to nearly take Team Harken/Sandiline. Former World Champions The Anthill Mob (Tim Harrison/Jonny Ratcliffe) moved through to 3rd and after a 5th in the opening race are the overnight European leaders with AUS 375 holding a tidy early Open event lead
After an opening ceremony of champagne, sandwiches, garlic bread and apples (interesting combination!), the fleet are now relaxing in the sun with beers before a big day of 3 races tomorrow.
Tonight we have the 'come dressed as your boat' evening, with some nifty outfits to be on view.
Results after day 1:
| Pos | Sail No | Team | R1 | R2 | Pts |
|---|
| 1 | AUS 375 | CRAIG GARMSTON, PAUL NEWMAN, MCCRAE YACHT CLUB | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| 2 | GBR 758 | TIM HARRISON, JONATHAN RATCLIFFE, GURNARD SAILING CLUB | 5 | 3 | 8 |
| 3 | GBR 791 | MARK WATTS, CHRIS BISHOP, WESTON SAILING CLUB | 4 | 5 | 9 |
| 4 | GBR 796 | NICK CRAIG, TOM PYGALL, FRENSHAM POND/WHITSTABLE Y.C. | 13 | 1 | 14 |
| 5 | GBR 795 | MARK BARNES, CHARLOTTE JONES, WHITSTABLE YC/EXE S.C. | 3 | 12 | 15 |
| 6 | GBR 772 | KATHY SHERRATT, DECLAN CLAMP, WESTON SAILING CLUB | 9 | 6 | 15 |
| 7 | GBR 787 | ALAN DAVIS, RICHARD BELL, WESTON SC | 12 | 4 | 16 |
| 8 | FRA 773 | CADRE ALAIN, FRANCOIS CADRE, CLUB NAUTIQUE DE CASTELNAUDARY | 7 | 9 | 16 |
| 9 | AUS 793 | GUY BANCROFT, DAVE GRACE, MCCRAE YACHT CLUB | 10 | 8 | 18 |
| 10 | AUS 792 | ADRIAN BESWICK, JONO LEBIS, LEVEN YACHT CLUB | 6 | 14 | 20 |
| 11 | AUS 780 | RICHARD REYNOLDS, LISSA MCMILLAN, WOOLLAHRA SAILING CLUB | 8 | 13 | 21 |
| 12 | GBR 769 | DANIEL COWIN, ALEX HORLOCK, BURGHFIELD SAILING CLUB | 15 | 7 | 22 |
| 13 | AUS 351 | GLENN CARDWELL, DYLAN CARDWELL, ILLAWARRA YACHT CLUB | 17 | 10 | 27 |
| 14 | AUS 371 | RICK PLAIN, MIKE VINCENT, MH16SC | 1 | ocs | 32 |
| 15 | GBR 788 | JOSH WILCE, WILLIAM HALL, RUTLAND SAILING CLUB | 11 | 23 | 34 |
| 16 | GBR 762 | CRISPIN TAILER, GUY HARVILL, SYC | 16 | 19 | 35 |
| 17 | GBR 764 | TONY BLACKMORE, NAOMI POUND, STAR CROSS YC/BCYC | 19 | 18 | 37 |
| 18 | AUS 794 | KELVIN BOYLE, STUART MCDONNELL, MCCRAE | 24 | 15 | 39 |
| 19 | AUS 782 | ANDRE WEBSTER, KATE FOURNEAUX, CANBERRA YC | 22 | 17 | 39 |
| 20 | AUS 778 | SOPHIE HUNT, ANDREW PAYNE, RSYS | dnf | 11 | 42 |
| 21 | AUS 373 | IAN CUNNINGHAM, DAVID CUNNINGHAM, MCCRAE YACHT CLUB | 14 | dnf | 45 |
| 22 | GBR 768 | JAMES GARDNER, HAYLING ISLAND | 25 | 20 | 45 |
| 23 | GBR 786 | GERALDINO FERMOR, LEAKY FERMOR, RYA | 20 | 26 | 46 |
| 24 | AUS 378 | NICK DARLOW, MAX UNRUH, MCCRAE YACHT CLUB | dnf | 16 | 47 |
| 25 | GBR 7 | CARL RAYNES, GUY RAYNES, WESTON | 23 | 25 | 48 |
| 26 | AUS 781 | DAVID LOUTIT, MCCRAE YACHT CLUB | 18 | dnf | 49 |
| 27 | AUS 368 | GEOFF WALDON, JIM GAAL, WOOLLAHRA SAILING CLUB | 28 | 21 | 49 |
| 28 | AUS 355 | STEPHEN MITCHELL, ADRIAN BELL, MIDWAY POINT YACHT CLUB | 27 | 22 | 49 |
| 29 | AUS 367 | STEVE MILLER, LUCY REES, MIDWAY POINT YACHT CLUB | 26 | 24 | 50 |
| 30 | GBR 770 | SIMON HADLEY, NIKKI HADLEY, WHITSTABLE YACHT CLUB | 21 | dnf | 52 |