49er and 49erFX National Championships at the WPNSA

49er & 49erFX Nationals at the WPNSA © Alex Irwin / www.sportography.tv

49er & 49erFX Nationals at the WPNSA © Alex Irwin / www.sportography.tv

49er Fleet (by Gillies Munro)

The weekend looked set to be a good one with a fresh Autumn forecast and larger than expected turnout in both the 49er and FX fleets. Saturday's racing was held out in the Weymouth bay in some perfect skiff sailing conditions, except for possibly a lack of sunshine. The boats that sailed to the pressure and were on the right side of the wind shift were consistently at the top score board. At the end of the first day of racing Grummet/Budden were sat in the hot seat. For Sunday the racing was held inside Weymouth harbour. The flatter waters made straight line speed and handling easier but race strategy was made interesting, with the wind coming down the course in bands influenced by the gaps in the clouds making for some near unpredictable conditions. Results were up and down but Munro/Harris & Hiscocks/Cujean went into the last race tied on points, the younger lads had the better of him round the first lap of the course and lead round the final windward mark with good margin in front. Hawkins/Thomas and Hiscocks/Cujean nailed the last run by finding and staying in the pressure and making it a 1, 2 at the finish. Just enough for Hiscocks/Cujean to take the overall win. It was also good to see the youth in the 29er having a blast in the 49er, sign up and have a go session. The number of people signing up looks hopeful for the classes growth.

The class association arranged a training day beforehand, and this helped to make some really good competition for the non-squad sailors. It was a very close event for the UK class (Non-Squad) sailors, with 3 boats drawing on points after Saturday. Simon and Roger Coles drew ahead on the second day, cementing a win with an 8 point lead.

49er FX Fleet (by Ellie Aldridge)

For the FX Fleet, a tricky but good weekend of racing started fairly early on Saturday morning, rigging up the boats after collecting various parts from repair after a few breakages earlier on in the week. The boat park soon filled with other 49er and FX, along with many 29ers of a National Grand Prix circuit event.

Saturday presented a light North Easterly breeze, which provided some shifty patches of pressure, bouncing off the cliffs and hills of the Jurassic coast out into Weymouth bay where racing was held.

Starting with the full rig boys proved to be challenging post start, but great practice having a good number on the line! Knocked down 4 solid races with consistent results, despite the very inconsistent wind and big dark rain cloud wandering down the coast. Luckily the halo above Portland must have scared it away because we missed the rain and had a lovely evening taking the 29er sailors for a spin around the harbour, hoping they feel inspired to join us in a few years time! Sunday brought slightly more breeze to begin, from a similar direction. But being inside the harbour with flat water, it was a little easier to predict the wind and a lot smoother around the course. Still very similar conditions seen with tough racing amongst the fleet and overall a great weekend. The 49er FX Nationals were won by Tilly James/Steph Orton, with an impressive scoreline of 5 wins from 8 races.

49er & 49erFX Nationals at the WPNSA - photo © Alex Irwin / www.sportography.tv

The class is shaping up to have a very busy season next year, with a full event circuit around the UK, many thanks to our new class president Matthew Barker. There will also be training days for those new to the class or looking to improve – All boats are welcome (including Aluminium masts – There will be others!)

Overall Results:

Keep an eye on the UK 49er Class Association Facebook page and the class website for dates.