Squib National Championships at Weymouth Sailing Club - Day 3

Today in Weymouth the PRO for the Squibs decided that two races should be sailed in place of one race previously programmed, due to a bad weather forecast for Wednesday with winds of over 30 knots.

Today the fleet raced in a different location from previous days, they raced off Weymouth harbour. Conditions consisted of about 8 knots wind and relatively calm waters. However the element which was different for the 60 boat fleet was the wind, which swung back and forth by up to 20 degrees. There was no apparent or visible reason for such a disturbed wind.

In the first race the fleet started on the second attempt. Unfortunately three boats were OCS. They were Jubilation, Ric O'Shea (who has championship winning aspirations), and Essayes. With a shifty wind it paid to start at the pin end, and to play the wind shifts. If you started at the wrong end of the start line you were on the back foot before the race evolved. Many top boats such as Brimstone, Lady Penelope and Dream On struggled to break through the silver fleet in such a short race. At the first windward mark, it was Mike Hart and Mark Hogan in Ric O'Shea who led the fleet, from Aquabat steered by Stu Rix and boat owner Steve Warren-Smith.

Squib Nationals at Weymouth - photo © Mike Rice / www.fotoboat.com

The wind was progressively building in strength. The course with the windward mark 1 mile upwind was a triangle and sausage. This was considerably shorter than yesterday's race, due to the need for two races. At the finish Ric O'Shea discovered their fate, and Aquabat took their third gun of the week. In second place was Nigel and Jack Grogan in reHydrated, and in third was Richard Robinson and Steve Allso in Greyling.

Incendio sailed by David Lloyd and Mark Stones in 6th place won the silver fleet prize. Once again Mark and Ian Knights in Quidsin of Royal Corinthian Yacht Club in 13th place won the daily bronze prize.

Top lady helm was Megan Pascoe in Squibble in 44th place
Top lady crew was Alex Porteous in Spoof in 4th place

Squib Nationals at Weymouth - photo © Mike Rice / www.fotoboat.com

The second race followed almost immediately after the PRO relaid the course for the wind shifts.

Prior to the start there was much shuffling from one end of the line to the other to take advantage of the wind shifts. On the gun it paid to be near the pin boat, but not too close to it as there was quite a pile up caused by Squibs unable to clear the start boat. On the first beat Alan Johnson and David Garlick pulled out a good lead very early on. However the shifty wind got the better of them and it was David Wines and Keith Davies in White Magic who took the lead at the first mark. Behind them was a large bunch of some 20 Squibs. The depth of talent in this Squib is immediately apparent to all the competitors who find that gaining places in the 30s is as difficult as it is at the top of the fleet.

Again the course was a triange and sausage with a beat of one mile.

At the finish the order was:

1st. White Magic, David Wines and Keith Davies
2nd. Crossfire, David Best and Pete Richards
3rd. Moonstone, Malcolm Blackburn and David Shiel

In the silver fleet Femme Fatale, Joe o' Byrne and Vincent Delany in 15th place who took the prize.

In the bronze fleet, it was Sannu-Sannu, David Baker and Steve Weake in 27th place who took the prize.

Results after Day 3: (four races, 1 discard)