Contessa 32 Nationals at Royal Lymington Yacht Club
by Rory Paton 22 Sep 2006 15:02 BST
15-17 September 2006
16 CO32 class yachts returned to Lymington their spiritual home again for the National Championships run by the Royal Lymington Yacht Club.
On Friday the sailors were greeted by a somewhat feisty and shifty northerly breeze, Principal Race Officer Ken Kershaw and his team managed to set two excellent round the cans races in the Solent and all the competitors new they’d been in a race by the time they returned for a BBQ at the Club. Class stalwarts Blanco helmed by Ray Rouse led narrowly from 2 local boats, Ray Mitchell’s English Rose and John Corden and Anne Meryweathers’ Fresh Herring helmed by Rory Paton.
Saturday was warmer but the shifty northerly breeze kept the competitors and race team on their toes for racing in Christchurch Bay. Blanco really stamped her authority on the regatta with two firsts and third place. Also performing well was Eldred Himsworth’s Drumbeat helmed by Steve Johnson who managed a first and a second place. The crews then returned to their berths in Lymington for a Bandstand party and dinner.
Unsurprisingly some where late to arrive at the start line on Sunday, a lovely sunny morning greeted them, although the westerly breeze was somewhat unstable. Another Lymington boat Robin Milledge’s Contessa Catherine used excellent boatspeed and good shift-work to open a massive lead that was never challenged, Blanco however secured the overall result with second place. The final race was a round the cans race starting in the bay and finishing in the Solent, Drumbeat, took and early lead and which she managed to hold onto despite the efforts of Blanco, Co Catherine and Fresh Herring, it was enough to secure her third place just two points behind Fresh Herring and one ahead of English Rose.
Overall Results:
1st 682 Blanco, R Rouse / T Vanner / D Richards, 10pts
2nd 3278 Fresh Herring, J Corden / A Merryweather / Rory Paton, 18pts
3rd 651 Drumbeat, Eldred Himsworth / Steve Johnson, 20pts
4th 926 English Rose, Ray Mitchell, 21pts
5th 2078 Cosantes, J.McCann / A.Gillam, 30pts