Snowflake Series at Chichester Yacht Club

Prizewinners in the Chichester Yacht Club Snowflake Series © Sara Green

This winter’s Snowflake Series at Chichester Yacht Club ended on March 9th. At the prizegiving, Rear-Commodore Dinghies, Malcolm Pye, reported that there had been a total of 160 entries, from 29 clubs, as far apart as Whitstable and Anglesey (although that entrant actually lives in Surrey!). He pointed out that each day’s racing in the series needs as many as thirty volunteers to man the Committee Boat, Safety Boats, Entry Desk and Tea Bar, and to act as Race Day Manager, Beachmaster and Safety Officer, and commended the lead that Race Officer Derek Jackman had taken in all this organisation, as well as taking a full part in the Series on the water in his Solo.

Looking back over the series, apart from one day’s racing which was blown off, the sailors enjoyed generally good conditions, and very close racing over a variety of courses.

In the Fast Handicap 14 boats qualified, and this year the Merlins, although they seemed to dominate the racing, did not finish with quite a such a clean sweep of prizes as in the past. (Some of them did not join in until the New Year.) Visually the fleet was dominated by the two Thames A-class Raters which entered for some of the races, and were watched with a mixture of awe and puzzlement by interested watchers on shore. One of them attracted gasps from the Committee Boat as she was seen to capsize near the weather mark, but she managed to save herself before her forty-foot mast touched the water, though her crew had to bail hard. However, although generally leading by a long way on the water, neither of them could beat the handicapper. As the competition got closer as the Series went on, so did the tendency to rush the Start Line, and the Black Flag was displayed on several occasions after General Recalls, and several boats were disqualified under that Rule.

The Medium Fleet was the largest, with 21 qualifiers. There was a big entry of Finns, which took five of the first seven places. They formed a sort of floating phalanx, and in the flat conditions in Chichester Lake carried their way and used their length with suitable dignity. Only Ian Barnett in his Solo and Nick and Biddy Colbourne in their GP14 got among them in the final results, although the Ponsford and Cox Laser 2ks had some successes in particular races.

In the Slow Fleet, the new-style Mirrors from Itchenor had close racing among themselves, and swept the board, taking the first four places out of the 14 qualifiers. All the prizewinners in this division were young sailors, and there was a strong “family” element, with parents and children competing in different boats and fleets.

There were some protests, but most of them were dealt with by the RYA Advisory and Arbitration process, which the Club has adopted and used with considerable satisfaction and success.

C.Y.C. returned from the Dinghy Show the previous week with RYA Volvo Champion Club Status, and the flag was proudly displayed above the prize table.

Overall Results:

Fast Handicap

1st. Moist (Merlin 3143) Alex Jackson & Chris Downham (Shoreham S.C.) 19 pts (Class Prize)
2nd. No. 854 (RS200) Andrew Shaw & William Kalderoni (Itchenor S.C.) 31 pts
3rd. Still No Idea (RS200 1160) Andy Fitzgerald & Sue Kalderoni (Itchenor S.C.) 32 pts
4th. Liquid Dreams (Merlin 3647) Hywell Bowen-Perkins & Ian Batt (Hampton S.C.) 62.5 pts
5th. No. 3586 (Merlin) Rod & Maureen Porteous, 65 pts
6th. Snow Leopard (Javelin 558) Brian Earl & David Earl/John Mortimer (C.Y.C.) 68.5 pts
Lady’s Prize, (Fireball 13973) Ruth Rhodes (Newhaven & Seaford S.C.)

Medium Handicap

1st. No 642. (Finn) John Tremlett (Locks S.C.) 11 pts (Class Prize)
2nd. Buoy Racer (Finn 648) Adrian Brunton (Mengham Rythe S.C.) 16 pts
3rd. Huffin and Puffin (Solo 4803) Ian Barnett (C.Y.C.) 22pts (Class Prize)
4th. No. 567 (Finn) Martin Hughes (Warsash S.C.) 27 pts
5th. No. 2 (Finn) Luke South (Bosham S.C.) 32 pts
6th. Goldfinger (Finn 77) Howard Sellars (Warsash S.C.) 32 pts (Veteran’s Prize)
7th. Apteryx (GP14 13323) Nick & Biddy (Colbourne, C.Y.C.) 36 pts
Laser Class Prize, Ian Brooks (Treaddur Bay S.C.)
Junior Prize, William Kaldeson (Itchenor S.C.)
Lady’s Prize, Sue Ritchie

Slow Handicap

1st. Red Rover (Mirror 70429) Hugo Sloper & Aidan McCarthy (Itchenor S.C.) 15 pts
2nd. Belle (Mirror 70361) Izzy Fitzgerald & Lucy Hartley (Itchenor S.C.) 17 pts
3rd. Filthy Gorgeous (Mirror 70442) Emma Spruce & Lucy Ford (Itchenor S.C.) 24 pts
4th. Passing Wind (Mirror 70154) Tom & James Lovesey (Itchenor S.C.) 33 pts
5th. Ockie Octopus (Optimist 4759) Abbie Page (C.Y.C.) 36.5 pts
6th. Funtasmic (Optimist 5666) Rosie Hickman (Pagham Y.C.) 41 pts