Virtual Skipper 3 Challenge at the Dinghy Sailing Show 2005
by Mark Jardine 7 Mar 2005 06:52 GMT
5-6 March 2005
Virtual Skipper 3 trials on the Yachts & Yachting stand at the RYA Dinghy Sailing Show © Mark Jardine
The second Virtual Skipper 3 Challenge took place at the RYA Dinghy Sailing Show over the weekend. Racing took place on the main stage with four competitors racing head-to-head with the crowd able to watch racing on board the Melges 24 yachts via the big screen on stage.
Saturday:
Qualifying took place throughout the morning on the Yachts & Yachting stand with International Moth world champion Rohan Veal setting the first qualifying time. Soon a top performance was needed to make the finals with Ben Longstaff setting the course record of 2 minutes, 59 seconds which remained unbeaten throughout the weekend.
At 2:15pm on the main stage the semi-finals took place with a single practice race allowed for all competitors to get them used to racing against each other. Each yacht was branded up for easy identification; the yellow Yachts & Yachting boat, the while Daily Telegraph boat, the red Helly Hansen boat and the blue Royal Yachting Association boat.
Racing was fast and with some of the collisions very lucky that this was just virtual racing. Finalists on the Saturday were Grafham 29er sailor Jamie Morgan, Waldringfield Cadet sailor Ed Harrison and Grafham Laser Radials sailor Ben Longstaff & Adam Fox.
It was the Radial sailors who dominated with Adam Fox sailing The Daily Telegraph to the Saturday title ahead of Ben Longstaff on Yachts & Yachting with Ed Harrison on Helly Hansen third. Each of the finalists received excellent Helly Hansen sailing gear with all the semi-finalists receiving Helly Hansen goody bags.
Sunday:
Sunday saw the return of two of last year’s fastest competitors, with winner Tom Simes and second place Jamie Pidduck posting the fastest qualifying time of the day at 3 minutes, 2 seconds. A shock was in store though in the semi-finals with both Tom and Jamie being knocked out before the finals!
The finalists were; Rutland Instructor Craig Freestone, International Moth World Champion Rohan Veal, Budworth Topper sailor Stuart Brown and Elton Topper sailor David Carpenter.
The final race saw some of the closest racing of all with places changing constantly and a few penalties being dished out for collisions around the race course. Also the most spectacular Chinese gybe of the competition on the final leg of the race saw Craig Freestone dip his mast in the water twice before the boat settled facing upwind with the kite wrapped around the forestay.
Honours went to David Carpenter sailing the blue RYA boat who just took the win from Stuart Brown in Yachts & Yachting in second. Rohan Veal completed the podium in Helly Hansen.
Once again each of the finalists won Helly Hansen sailing gear with goody bags for all the other competitors.
Many thanks to all the competitors for making the racing so fun to watch. Also thanks to the sponsors; the RYA, The Daily Telegraph, Helly Hansen and Yachts & Yachting for making the racing possible and proving the prizes.
Saturday Results:
1st Adam Fox, (Grafham Water Sailing Club)
2nd Ben Longstaff (Grafham Water Sailing Club)
3rd Ed Harrison (Waldringfield Sailing Club)
4th Jamie Morgan (Grafham Water Sailing Club)
Semi-finalists:
Tim Carter (Waldringfield)
Tom Power (Waldringfield)
Rohan Veal (Australia)
Stephen Videlo (Waldringfield)
Sunday Results:
1st David Carpenter (Elton Sailing Club)
2nd Stuart Brown (Budworth Sailing Club)
3rd Rohan Veal (Australia)
4th Craig Freestone (Rutland Watersports Centre)
Semi-finalists:
Jamie Pidduck (Portchester Sailing Club)
Tom Simes (Cardiff Bay Yacht Club)
Martin Price (Emsworth Slipper Sailing Club)
Simon Adams (Rutland Sailing Centre)