International Canoe Open at Weston Sailing Club
by Dave Timson 17 Jul 2007 08:00 BST
14-15 July 2007
Phil Allen at the Weston International Canoe open © Tony Robertshaw
With a severe weather warning forecast for the South coast, a dedicated fleet of fourteen International Canoes arrived for their second Premier event of the season. With the fast approaching European and National Championships to be held at Loch Lomond, this was a final chance to try new settings, new equipment and even new boats in this very competitive but friendly fleet.
With an early start required for the tide on Saturday, the sailors awoke to a challenging fresh south westerly breeze.
Race 1 saw current World Champion Robin Wood throw down the gauntlet with a port end flyer to put distance between himself and the chasing fleet, but it would not be his weekend as teething problems on his new boat forced his retirement for the rest of the day.
At the front of the fleet it was very close, gains and losses with the shifting wind and a confused course shared with the RS800 fleet, the lead changed on each lap between Steve Bowen, Dave Timson and Phil Allen.
In race 2 and 3 the form sailor Gareth Caldwell came onto the scene battling with Weston’s Phil Allen to take the bullet.
Sunday dawned calm and settled, the wind swung to the south and by the start of Race 4 it had filled in to a force 4. Confusion at the start due to a double RS 800 recall saw 6 canoes capitalise and take advantage from their start. Caldwell continued as he had left off the previous day leading to the windward mark only to retire with a broken boom allowing Allen the win from Bowen.
Wood finally got to grips with his new boat to take a convincing win in Race 5. With wind against wave and a mixed up chop from the busy seaway, seat carriages moved aft paid dividends, there were many downwind moments with bowsprits disappearing down the mine and the occasional casualty of the dreaded but entertaining pitch pole.
Race 6 and the severe warned weather finally arrived, thunder and lightning, torrential rain and finally the squall to devastate and flatten the remaining fleet, only two finished the shortened course with Wood taking the win from Timson.
Weston SC’s own Phil Allen used his local knowledge to deservedly lift the Loch Earn Trophy and take the overall AC win from the Welsh pair of Steve Bowen and Dave Timson from Llandegfedd SC.
With the conventional International Canoe fleet in transition into two Development Canoes, the Moth-like, single sail boat of Andy Paterson and the radical design of Alistair Warren raced alongside the conventional Canoes in which Colin Newman fought back on day two to defeat the challenge of Mike Shreeve after day one. The narrower, 30kg lighter DCs were significantly faster than the ICs, at least when upright, they are proving harder to sail with no jib to help keep out of irons.
Overall Results:
AC
1st Phil Allen, GBR 296 (Weston SC)
2nd Steve Bowen, GBR 290 (Llandegfedd SC)
3rd Dave Timson, GBR 303 (Llandegfedd SC)
IC
1st Colin Newman, GBR 295 (Draycote SC)
2nd Mike Shreeve, GBR 233 (Draycote SC)
3rd Bob Austin, GBR 193 (Milton Keynes SC)
DC
1st Andy Patterson, GBR 305
2nd Alistair Warren, GBR 308