Tempest Nationals & Soling Open at Ullswater Yacht Club
by Sue Giles 6 May 2008 09:11 BST
3-4 May 2008
The ‘big boys’ descended on Ullswater Yacht on Saturday and Sunday, May 3 and 4 for the Tempest National Championships. They were joined by even bigger racing keelboats, the Solings for a class open meeting. A total of 11 Tempests took part in the two-day nationals which was also ‘big’ on wind and excitement.
On both days the strong South-easterly winds brought huge vicious shifting gusts making for tricky sailing conditions. Over the weekend not one boat managed to avoid at least one ‘flattening’ and there was plenty of opportunity to demonstrate ‘man overboard’ and ‘untangling spinnaker’ techniques.
On Saturday, race office John Robson set a traditional Olympic course for both fleets which as well as the unpredictable gusts also included, for extra excitement, a reef in the middle of the upwind leg.
After three races UYC members Ian Modral and Robin Higgins were on top with two firsts and a second although they had plenty of close battles with several other boats. Ian’s son Jonathan, crewed by Colin Meadows from Datchet Water SC, the 2007 national champions were lying second.
In the Solings, Ken Murray, Tony Freeth and Mike Farmer from Royal Northumberland YC took three firsts after a close contest with Dave Fish, Dave Howarth and Tim Seddon from Blackpool and Fleetwood SC.
Despite predicted lighter winds, Sunday brought more of the same extreme conditions with even stronger gusts.
This time it was a windward leeward course with some very hairy downwind spinnaker legs. Race four, with six demanding laps, was too much for some of the competitors who decided it was wiser to retire and just six Tempests finished. The winner was Ian Modral with Jonathan Modral second and Dave Giles and David Lyons of UYC third.
The Murray team again won the Solings and as the wind increased the Soling fleet decided to call it a day and return to the safety of the club.
The remaining Tempests sailed race five in even stronger gusts and this time it was Jonathan Modral who made it to the finish first, with Ian Modral second and Dave Giles third.
A course was set for the final two races of the day but as the wind became even more ferocious, the race officer decided on abandonment.
Ian Modral and Robin Higgins took the national champions trophy by one point and the award for the first Mark 1 boat went to the Giles/Lyons team.
Overall Results:
Tempest
1. Ian Modral and Robin Higgins, 1114, Ullswater YC, 5 points
2. Jonathan Modral and Colin Meadows, 1161, Datchet Water SC, 6 points
3. Dave Giles and David Lyons, 793, Ullswater YC, 11 points
Soling
1. Ken Murray, Tony Freeth and Mike Farmer Ken Bailey, Peter Hewitson and Adam Fox, 96, Royal Northumberland YC, 3 points
2. Dave Fish, Dave Howarth and Tim Seddon, 7, Blackpool and Fleetwood SC, 6 points