Sail East Regatta at Dabchicks Sailing Club
by Julian Lord 8 Sep 2008 11:40 BST
6-7 September 2008
The fifth and final Sail East regatta of the season was held on 6th and 7th September on the River Blackwater, when 30 IRC yachts from seven different East Coast clubs competed in the Dabchicks Regatta.
Saturday’s first race began in a fresh breeze which gradually strengthened. The forecast 30 knots then arrived for the second race, which saw numerous broaches – all captured on film, which crews watched with raucous cheers whilst relaxing in the clubhouse after getting ashore, before beginning the usual evening partying and ceiling walking activities.
Sunday’s more moderate conditions in the final race enabled full mainsails and No 1 genoas to be used for the only time during the weekend for most competitors. In all four classes, each winner scored five points, beating each runner up by just one point!
Class One saw the new ST370 Holding Pattern skippered by Matthew Vincent take the final race win to come out on top ahead of Richard Matthews top rated Humphreys 42 Oystercatcher XXVI, winner of both Saturday’s races. Geoff Payne’s J105 Jolene enjoyed Saturday’s boisterous conditions and placed third overall.
Joe Billing’s Projection 762 Bananaman planed her way downwind to a Class Two victory in race one, before John Edwards Sigma 38 Red Macaw took the last two race wins and top spot in class. Banaman finished third overall, with Duncan Haley’s SJ320 Double Trouble II in runner-up position with three second places.
Helped by wins in both Saturday’s races, Alan Vince helming Nick Glanvill’s Corby 25 Smile won Class Three, ahead of the Sunfast 32 Amazon (Tony & Chuffy Merewether), winner of the final race. The Brooke Mob’s half-tonner Harlequin placed third.
Similarly in Class Four, two Saturday wins by Julian Lord and Vic Prior’s MGC27 Skybird helped them to top position in class, with final race winner Tom Mills with his Impala Rocker taking second ahead of Jack Grogan and Jessica Gozzett in The Apprentice, the leading Sonata. Class Four’s Sunday result typified the closeness of Sail East racing, with just 32 seconds separating the leading three boats after a two hour race.
Overall Results:
Class One
1st Holding Pattern (M.Vincent/R.Matthews) Haven Ports YC
2nd Oystercatcher XXVI (R.Matthews) West Mersea YC
3rd Jolene (G.Payne) Dabchicks SC
Class Two
1st Red Macaw (J.Edwards) Haven Ports YC
2nd Double Trouble II (D.Haley) Crouch YC
3rd Banaman (J.Billing) Dabchicks SC
Class Three
1st Smile (N.Glanvill) West Mersea YC
2nd Amazon (T&C Merewether) Crouch YC
3rd Harlequin (Brooke Mob) Walton & Frinton YC
Class Four
1st Skybird (J.Lord/V.Prior) Dabchicks SC
2nd Rocker (T.Mills) Blackwater SC
3rd The Apprentice (J.Grogan/J.Gozzett) Dabchicks SC