Catapult 25th Anniversary Nationals at Bala Catamaran Club

Alex Montgomery, son of Catapult designer Jon, sailing Catapult No.1, storms to victory in the 25th Anniversary Nationals © Stuart Ede

Jon Montgomery, the designer of the Catapult, could be justifiably proud when he joined 24 sailors at Bala Catamaran Club to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of this unique catamaran over 28-30 July. The icing on the cake was watching his son Alex retain the National Championship Trophy.

On the first downwind leg of Race 1, Gareth Ede took over the lead from father Stuart followed by Montgomery, Roger Hodgkison and Paul Ellis, who fought a tough battle at the front of the fleet. Montgomery took first, while Hodgkison pipped Gareth Ede for second place on the last beat.

In Race 2 spectators were twice treated to the sight of about 15 Catapults going downwind abreast as the wind filled in from behind – frustrating as this was for the early leaders. Eventually Gareth Ede broke away to build up a 200m lead, which he hung on to, while Ellis took second and Montgomery third.

On Lap 2 of Race 3 Hodgkison briefly grabbed the lead, but promptly capsized in a gust. Montgomery took over at the front and went on to win, while Ellis and MacIntyre made the best of a shifty beat to take second and third.

On the first downwind leg of Race 4 Gareth Ede fought his way to the front passing his father and Ellis. He went on to build a commanding lead. Behind him Ellis and MacIntyre broke away from the chasing pack and held on to second and third places for the next two laps.

Going in to the last day, Montgomery and Gareth Ede were joint leaders with two wins apiece. Ellis was well placed with three seconds, while MacIntyre and Hodgkison were potential outsiders with two good results and two obvious discards each - MacIntyre’s resulting from a collision induced capsize and torn sail before the start of Race 1. A Force 1-2 breeze across the lake made for patchy and shifty conditions creating the potential for some upsets.

In Race 5 the beat turned into a close reach, and the fleet came to the first mark in a bunch. MacIntyre had the inside position and got clean away while the fleet floundered. With his own wind MacIntyre opened up a large lead. Behind him the unpredictable conditions led to some major place changes: Montgomery came from tenth to second, and Forrest climbed from ninth to third.

Stuart Ede led the first lap of Race 6, but on the downwind leg of Lap 2 the wind filled in from behind, and MacIntyre overtook with Montgomery and Ellis hot on his heels. A sudden shifting and strengthening of the breeze turned the last leg into a close reach sprint for the line. MacIntyre held on to win from Montgomery, while Stuart Ede just pipped Ellis for third.

MacIntyre’s second win vaulted him up to second place overall, and Ellis’s consistency enabled him narrowly to beat Gareth Ede for third place. Meanwhile Montgomery’s two seconds to add to his two wins confirmed him as the 25th Anniversary Champion.

Overall Results: