Porsche Centre Bournemouth UK J/24 National Championship at Parkstone Yacht Club

Porsche Centre Bournemouth UK J/24 National Championship at Parkstone © Team Chaotic

Chaotic win the Porsche Centre Bournemouth UK J/24 National Championship at Parkstone © Team Chaotic

The Porsche Centre Bournemouth J24 Nationals hosted by Parkstone Yacht Club was raced over three days, fitting in ten races in difficult conditions. The racing was highly competitive with the top positions changing readily throughout the event as the wind shifted round Poole Bay.

This was of course supposed to be the Porsche Centre Bournemouth J24 2020 World Championships meticulously organised over the past couple of years by the local committee headed by Bryan Drake with huge amounts of work done by Jenny and David Pipe. However, even with the event downgraded to a National they pulled off a wonderful regatta.

Day one started in blazing sunshine with a light wind race with the previous National Champion, Sam Pearson successfully achieving the first of bullet of the regatta in Hustle, followed by J24 veteran, William Pollock in his old boat Flying Colours showing the new owner it was a good purchase. Another light wind race saw Nick Phillips and team in Chaotic come in first in tricky conditions with places changing throughout the race. Nick Macdonald in Mojosi on their tail until the finish and other favourites, Shane Hewlett on Phoenix coming in third.

PRO Bryan Drake, ice cool as ever, waited patiently for the wind to fill and fitted in another two races bringing much of the same shifty, light wind with positions changing throughout the afternoon. The final race of the day saw James Torr on Majic have a stunning race coming in second however, Chaotic sat at the top of the leader board at the end of day one, 8 points ahead of Phoenix and 9 points ahead of another local boat, David Hale in Cacoon.

The excellent Friday night class dinner was kindly sponsored by A-Plan Private Clients Insurance and the excessive amount drink consumed by the class 'athletes' was wonderfully paid by Quilter Cheviot. Who knew Jaeger was an isotonic drink?!

Fog and drizzle blanketed the mirror like Poole harbour on Saturday morning. The Sailors thankfully saved from the miserable weather by a short, on shore, postponement which made for another coffee and bacon sandwich whilst the wind filled in.

The first race of the day was not so kind to a few of the fleet that were caught out by the light wind, half-way up a practice beat and unable to make it to the start on time. The yachts will remain nameless, but we know who you are....

Races 6,7 and 8 were sailed in much the same conditions; super light wind veering all over the shop as were the positions in the fleet. Roger Morris and his crew on Jolly Roger took an early port tack to the right side of the course, rounded in first and led all the way to the finish. Phoenix, helmed by Shane Hewlett, managed to clinch 1st in Race 8 after rounding the windward mark in 4th and some close match racing with Chaotic right before the shortened course finish. David Hale and team on Cacoon had possibly stayed off the Jaeger the night before and found incredible boat speed in the light winds with a 1,2,1,4 on day two and were without doubt boat of the day leaving very few points between first place boat Chaotic and themselves.

After an initial postponement waiting for the wind to settle, the fleet started Day 3 with, you guessed it, a light wind beat to the windward mark just off Sandbank's beach. Foredeck and mast crew not seeing much of the racing as they lay down on the deck or got crammed into the fore peak... "no I'm not bitter" - Foredeck legend Izzy Savage.

As snakes and ladders were played across the track in increasing breeze, it was once again Cacoon who managed hold composure to take Race 9 closely followed by Dave Cooper and crew on Jawbreaker who took the favoured left side of the course.

Porsche Centre Bournemouth UK J/24 National Championship at Parkstone - photo © Team Chaotic

Race 10, the final of the regatta was going to be a difficult race with Cacoon and Chaotic both in with a shot for the top step of the podium and one point between them with Chaotic holding the better discard. Similarly for Phoenix and Hustle who were close rivals for 3rd. A drift to the windward mark, made even more difficult by the tide, saw the fleet rounding in tight concession apart from Cacoon and Chaotic who were well on their way to Yarmouth with a tactical match race off the start. Chaotic had to keep Cacoon out of the top three. With the wind finally building for the second beat to circa 10 knots it was Sam Pearson and crew on Hustle with a convincing final race who took the bullet to complete a bookend finish to their regatta. However, J24 4177 Chaotic owned and helmed by Nick Phillips and crewed by Cara Phillips, Matt Hardy, Tom Montgomery, Emily Monckton and Olympian Ben Saxton who won the Porsche Centre Bournemouth J24 National Championships 2021 with David Hale and Cacoon a close and valiant second and Shane Hewlett and team Phoenix third.

A very good BBQ sponsored by Porsche and prize-giving was held at Parkstone Yacht Club that afternoon. Many thanks to all involved and especially PRO Bryan Drake and his race team, Parkstone Yacht Club and their commodore Gary 'Candyman' Wakefield and the generous sponsors; Porsche Centre Bournemouth, A-Plan Private Clients Insurance, Quilter Cheviot, Investor Media, North Sails and Tidal Rum.

More information here

Chaotic win the Porsche Centre Bournemouth UK J/24 National Championship at Parkstone - photo © Team Chaotic

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