2021 Dragon East Coast Championship at the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club
by Emma York 3 Oct 2021 07:42 BST
25-26 September 2021
Dragon East Coast Championships 2021 at Burnham © Roger Mant
Six home and five visiting teams took part in the 2021 Dragon East Coast Championship out of the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club over the weekend of 25/26th September.
Saturday's forecast light wind was accurate. The fleet took to their boats after a short postponement, but it was not possible to start any races. Forty two people attended a dinner that evening as the ever reliable RCYC hospitality and catering kicked into gear.
With three races required to validate the series, club Admiral and PRO Edwin Buckley and his 'Race Team Phoebe' pulled out all the stops on Sunday. Race one was under way on time with a windward leeward course set in a southerly breeze.
Beauty and the Beast was up to speed first and took line honours from Avalanche. Race two saw BDA Chairman Simon Barter and his Solent team on Bertie in their first outing in Burnham, run aground as if they had been sailing here for years. Usually the visitors steer clear of the mud while home teams park up with complete surprise. Pageboy XI took the win from Beauty and the Beast.
Bertie was back in the hunt for race three and lead for most of the race under pressure from Pageboy XI. With the current running across the course from East to West, Bertie went right, and up current at the final leeward gate, Pageboy XI went left and down current and went into the lead on the short leg to the finish, taking their second race win.
Going into race four Pageboy XI were on six points, Beauty and the Beast seven, Avalanche eight. As the race unfolded Avalanche maintained a clear lead and Pageboy XI slotted nicely into second place ahead of Bertie and Fit Chick, the highest finishing visitors overall.
A second was enough to see Pageboy XI take the overall win and the race four win saw Avalanche up to second overall ahead of Beauty and the Beast. At the helm on Pageboy XI this weekend was Jono Brown, who has more recently been sailing his Squib while the family Dragon is in storage, along with regular crew Clive Page (owner) and Graeme Page. Worthy winners and popular too.
The fleet extended their thanks to the race team for getting four good races in, and to the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club for hosting.
Overall Results:
1st GBR 792 Pageboy XI, Jono Brown, Clive Page, Graeme Page
2nd GBR 722 Avalanche, Mark and Mandy Wade, Nigel Cole
3rd GBR 746 Beauty and the Beast, Peter Marchant, Katie Cole, Noddy
4th GBR 763 Bertie, Simon and James Barter, Donald Wilks
5th GBR 753 Fit Chick, Chris Grosscurth, Emma York, Simon Townsend
6th GBR 827 Still Crazy, Ian Gray, Alex Burnett, Rene Nel
7th GBR 760 Hands Off, Andy Moss, Tim Wilkes, Teresa Wilkes
8th GBR 747 Suti, Toby Atack, Trevor Cox, Ivor Allcock
9th GBR 726 Gandalf, Edwin Hannant, James Hannant, Kerry Worsfold
10th GBR 826 Dublin Bay, David Warner, Geoff Butcher, David Clarkson
11th GBR 797 Vivacious, Andrew Barlow, Hugh Rich, Heath
ECDC 2022
Next year's East Coast Dragon Championship will be back in Rochester hosted by the Medway Yacht Club. Visit https://www.britishdragons.org/ for more information.