HR Owen Sonata Nationals at Dabchicks Sailing Club - Overall

Only one race was planned for Wednesday, the Championship’s halfway point, and once again competitors were able to enjoy near perfect conditions. Continuing an apparent trend for the week, defending national champion ‘Eric the Boat’ once again came home in front, their third win in four races. Their fantastic form leaves them a comfortable seven points clear of second placed ‘So’ in the overall series.

Also enjoying promising form is local youth crew Jack Grogan and Jess Gozzett sailing ‘The Apprentice’. They continued their run of top ten finishes yesterday with a 9th place leaving them lying in 6th place in the series and top Mersea crew. But with four more races to be fitted in over the next two days, the Championship is far from over. Only a few points separate those in the top ten and fierce competition looks set to ensue as crews look to outwit their fellow competitors.

The final two days of the Sonata National Championships, held at West Mersea’s Dabchicks Sailing Club, saw competitors complete 5 races in steadily increasing winds, a challenge which led to some exciting racing and unexpected incidents.

A steady force four breeze meant Race Officer Brain Bolton kept the fleet busy on Thursday, fitting in three back-to-back races. Defending national champion ‘Eric the Boat’ continued on fine form, winning the first two races of the day and coming a very respectable third in the day’s final race. This superb set of results was enough to ensure they retained their title as Sonata National Champions, as well as giving them a well-deserved race off on the final day.

Despite the fact that the championship title had already been claimed, the remaining competitors enjoyed some thrilling racing on the final day of the series. With gusts reaching up to 30 knots crews battled hard in testing conditions, which left several boats with broken halliards and one missing a rudder! ‘Presto’ won their first race of the series with a solid performance that saw them finish a good distance ahead of second placed ‘Brahms & Liszt’. Another crew who managed well in difficult conditions was the local youth boat ‘The Apprentice’ who finished in third place.

After a relaxing day without racing the crew of ‘Eric the Boat’ picked up their prize, the National Champion Pimms Trophy, and congratulated Dabchicks and the organising committee for an excellent week of racing. Dabchicks’ Commodore Martin Cartwright responded, “As a club we have all really enjoyed the event and would dearly love to see you all here again soon”. The success of this year’s championship clearly demonstrates the enthusiasm and skill with which Dabchicks organises high-class sailing events and the suitability of the River Blackwater for keelboat competitions.

Overall Results: