Contessa 32 Nationals at Royal Solent Yacht Club

Anna Gillam helming John McCann's Cosantes wins the Contessa 32 Nationals © James Walker / www.photos4sail.com

ANNA GILLAM HELMING JOHN McCANN’S COSANTES WINS CONTESSA 32 NATIONALS

Twenty three boats came to the starting line of the Contessa 32’s National Championship held by the Royal Solent Yacht Club in Yarmouth IOW over the 19th to 21st September. It was one of the largest and most competitive fleets of recent years, containing all the in form boats plus some new faces in a good indication of the health and competitiveness of the class.

Rouse, Vanner, Richard’s Blanco, this year’s Inshore series and Cowes Week winner was the form boat. John Holloway’s 2001 season all conquering South Haze was there. Nick Bradley brought the always fast Merak II back together with his previous National winning crew. Proven race winners Cosantes, Polar Star, Drumbeat and Fresh Herring were joined by new comers like Ray Mitchell in his 2003 Round the Island class winning Confusion.

A predominantly light wind series of races were run over three days, taking advantage of the Royal Solent’s location to mix Solent round the cans courses with more neutral windward/leeward courses out in Chistchurch Bay and ending up with a longer race from the Solent out into the open sea and back on Sunday.

The first race was round the cans on Friday, starting on the mainland shore with a beat up towards Lymington avoiding the tide before crossing to round Black Rock off Yarmouth. Early leaders included Drumbeat, +Roulette, South Haze, Polar Star and Contessa Catherine. Skirting Jack-in-the-basket Drumbeat was covering while Merak, protest flag already flying, was showing her speed by sailing through the fleet from a poor start. At Black Rock, Roulette rounded first from Merak, Drumbeat, Polar Star and South Haze.

After a spinnaker crossing of the Solent, a gybe and back to Wadworth, Merak still led with Drumbeat, Polar Star, South Haze and Fresh Herring changing places behind her.

The final spinnaker run to the Committee boat finish saw Merak win from Polar Star, South Haze and Drumbeat. Roulette and Fresh Herring followed after an extravagant luffing match. Blanco recorded a 12th , for their worst result of the year. ‘Everything we tried went wrong’ was Ray Rouse’s comment.

Gualin’s protest over Merak’s behaviour at the start was later resolved in Merak’s favour so Merak retained her 1st place – but Nick Bradley was not to be so successful on the following day.

The Saturday races consisted of a windward/leeward course followed by a triangle/sausage/triangle course in Christchurch Bay. The first start was delayed to 14.20 by a lack of wind, and the hot sun combined with the long lay-off immediately resulted in a General Recall as half the fleet pushed the line. The second attempt, under Black flag, was more successful, though protest flags were immediately out on Merak and South Haze.

With wind building to 13 knots, the windward mark was rounded first by Merak, followed by Confusion, Roulette, Cosantes, Contessa Catherine, South Haze and Blanco. After a good start, one of the mid fleet boats, Andaxi, was hanging onto the leading pack, but a delayed spinnaker hoist dropped them back.

After the run, the second beat showed big gains for those like Corafin that went left, but at the finish it was still Merak from all the Cs - Confusion, Cosantes and Contessa Catherine.

With the wind dying, the Committee Boat rapidly re-laid the course and did well to get the second race away at 16.25 – again under a Black flag to curb over enthusiasm. At the first mark South Haze led from Blanco, the improving Cosantes, Roulette and Drumbeat. After the reach, gybe, run and second beat Cosantes had moved up to second, and was able to close South Haze further when her next spinnaker hoist at first produced a wine glass.

Still worse was to come for South Haze on the last beat to a shortened finish. Her cover was broken and Cosantes, Fresh Herring and Merak all managed to slip through.

Cosantes’s 3rd and 1st for the day, after their 8th on the Friday, was beginning to look good. John McCann has always been one of the best and most astute Contessa skippers (not to mention being the Class Measurer) but this year he has been joined by his daughter Anna Gillam, a particularly impressive helmswoman.

Cosantes’s position was further strengthened when Nick Bradley lost his protest with South Haze over the start of the second race. Under Black flag, Merak had refused to luff up and be forced over the line – caught between the ‘rock’ of disqualification, Harlequin and South Haze. In a series where no discards are allowed, a disqualification can be catastrophic. Confusion was promoted to winner, Cosantes to 2nd.

Sunday dawned foggy – quite in keeping with most of the crews after Saturday night’s excellent dinner at the Royal Solent – but the mist and hangovers soon cleared enough for the longest race of the Championship to get under way at 10.50.

From a Committee boat start on the mainland shore and a short beat to a laid mark, the fleet crossed to Wadworth and then started a long down tide beat all the way to South West Shingles out in Christchurch Bay. In a wind that never exceeded 12 knots and at times was as low as 6 knots, maintaining boat speed through the tidal slop and keeping in the main channel tide proved crucial. Places were there for the taking. Andaxi, squeezed at the Committee Boat end of the line and forced round to start second to last, had already got nine places back by the second mark. Blanco and some others, putting in an unnecessary tack before laying Wadworth, dropped back.

After rounding South West Shingles, a frustrating spinnaker run in a dying breeze took the fleet back in to North Head, with Cosantes already in the lead from Drumbeat and the ever fast Merak.

The tide was turning to help the fleet back and a gybe at North Head led to a tight spinnaker reach close in to the beach up to Hurst Castle. Through Hurst Narrows, the Committee shortened course to a finish at Moore & Blatch. Anna Gillam brought John McCann’s Cosantes in for their second win, ahead of Elrded Himsworth’s Drumbeat, and Merak.

Cosantes’s speed, tactics, and clean starts produced a final points total of 12 and the Contessa 32’s first Lady Champion in Anna Gillam. South Haze’s consistency brought 19 points and 2nd overall. Drumbeat was 3rd, Fresh Herring 4th Roulette 5th and the very first Contessa 32 built, Contessa Catherine, was 6th.

The Royal Solent Yacht Club provided excellent hospitality and good racing – no mean feat in the face of light and variable conditions – while the Contessa 32 racing fleet continues to go from strength to strength.

Overall Results: