Firefly Nationals - ridiculous situation

I like many of you have been reading the regular race reports from the multitude of Nationals that appear to be on this week (RS200, Merlin, Scorpion, Fireball Euros and Firefly), with interest, but one of them has really upset me.

The Fireflies appear to have had a great week in Hamble, but the Championship has been ridiculed by what has happened in the last 24 hours.

http://www.fireflysailing.org.uk/news/news_article.php?artic le_id=39

The leader of the week Steve Tylecote with a scoreline of 1,1,5,1,2 has had to pack up his boat and go to a wedding. Now I suppose it could be said that he was unlucky that they didn't sail yesterday due to strong winds and therefore he couldn't sail on the Thursday and miss the Friday having already sealed the Championship, but there are a number of people that need singling out for comment in this strange/ridiculous situation:

1. The week has now been won by my friend Nigel Wakefield with a great days sailing today with a 3rd and a 2nd, and congratulations to him and Emily, but his win will alway be tainted by the fact that he only won because Steve went home. Nigel has been sailing Fireflies for years and I feel very sorry that he finally won in this way

2. The real Duckhams award needs to go to the chap Simon Spolton whose wedding Steve is the best man for. I must say I really get upset when I have to miss events because non sailors insensitively put their weddings on the weekends of critical sailing events, but the irony of this is Simon is Steve's ex crew (in the Firefly?) and is/was on the Firefly committee. Sorry but this is a ridiculous situation and one that surely a bit of careful planning could have avoided.

Sorry if this rant seems a bit personal but events of this sort undermine a lot of organisation and peoples enjoyment of a great weeks sailing.

Here's hoping it is a great wedding!

Nigel

Yep that whole thing is a non issue and Im not really sure of your point. Why would a class assoc try to ogranise things around one ex-crews personal life?

A win is still very much a win no matter what the circumstances and the other guy should be congratulated for sailing well enough to be in the right place at the right time at the end of the champs! Well done to Nigel Wakefield! If this Steve guy is as good as you make out he can come back next year and win it to prove a point, but until then Nigel is your national champion and that achievement shouldnt be taken away from him or his crew!

Edited by chrisg

Originally posted by Nigel Scott I like many of you have been reading the regular race reports from the multitude of Nationals that appear to be on this week (RS200, Merlin, Scorpion, Fireball Euros and Firefly), with interest, but one of them has really upset me. The Fireflies appear to have had a great week in Hamble, but the Championship has been ridiculed by what has happened in the last 24 hours. http://www.fireflysailing.org.uk/news/news_article.php?artic le_id=39 The leader of the week Steve Tylecote with a scoreline of 1,1,5,1,2 has had to pack up his boat and go to a wedding. Now I suppose it could be said that he was unlucky that they didn't sail yesterday due to strong winds and therefore he couldn't sail on the Thursday and miss the Friday having already sealed the Championship, but there are a number of people that need singling out for comment in this strange/ridiculous situation: 1. The week has now been won by my friend Nigel Wakefield with a great days sailing today with a 3rd and a 2nd, and congratulations to him and Emily, but his win will alway be tainted by the fact that he only won because Steve went home. Nigel has been sailing Fireflies for years and I feel very sorry that he finally won in this way 2. The real Duckhams award needs to go to the chap Simon Spolton whose wedding Steve is the best man for. I must say I really get upset when I have to miss events because non sailors insensitively put their weddings on the weekends of critical sailing events, but the irony of this is Simon is Steve's ex crew (in the Firefly?) and is/was on the Firefly committee. Sorry but this is a ridiculous situation and one that surely a bit of careful planning could have avoided. Sorry if this rant seems a bit personal but events of this sort undermine a lot of organisation and peoples enjoyment of a great weeks sailing. Here's hoping it is a great wedding! Nigel

 

Great first post. At first I thought it was a joke until I read the end bit. So someone got married and forgot to check the Firefly sailing calender to make sure the dates didn't clash, even though (and I make a guess here) that the wedding date may well of been made prior to the sailing date. Or maybe that date was the only date suitable for all the families involved in the wedding to get together. And because of that in your opinion you feel a sailing event has been ridiculed? Reading between the lines of your post are you saying that Steve should not have entered the event in case this situation might occur?  Would you have still felt sorry for Nigel for winning? What if there had been racing on the windy day and Nigel decided not to race for fear of damaging his boat. Steve sails and damages his boat and has to retire. He cannot sail the next day so Nigel wins the championship. Would you still be feeling sorry for Nigel for becoming National Champion. Your rant seems ridiculous. All the time I have sailed and now, with my skating, surfing and Freemasonry my family always comes first, business second and hobbies after that. Steve obviously felt the wedding was more important to him than a sailing event, or he wouldn't have agreed to go to the wedding. Someone put their love of another human being who they intend to spend the rest of their life with above a sailing event. What do you suggest should have happened?  Should the wedding have been postponed for a year? How does Nigel feel about you feeling sorry for him? I am sure the wedding will be great, they generally are, the celebration of the union of two loving people.

Edited by bigwavedave

I think it is perhaps more the ex-crew organising (or not, as the case may be) his life around that of the association.

What sailor would even think about getting married in the sailing season? My first wedding was postponed 2 weeks so I could do an event, 2nd one was a week after the Nationals (NOT DURING!). (And the fact I've had two has nothing at all to do with not allowing prospective mother-in-laws any say over OUR wedding (not hers!!).

Well done Nigel!

Here's your wedding invitation: