GP14 South Wales Championship at Neyland Yacht Club
by Paul Simes 23 Aug 2004 15:08 BST
21-22 August 2004
Richard Instone and James Goodfellow from Chase SC / South Staffs SC won the South Wales Area Championship held at Neyland YC on 21st/2nd August 2004.
22 boats from all over the country took part in a great event with 12 visitors adding to the 10 home club boats, but special mention must go to Simon Pritchard-Jones, Ellen Milner and Luke Shaw who travelled from Budworh SC, Rob Senior who travelled from Bolton and Keith Bundy who came from Leigh on Sea, a great effort!
The fleet were met with a F1 to 2 for Race 1 with Race Officer, Paul Harries, setting a fairly long course due to the strength of the outgoing tide. Carl Jeffs and Jim Toothill from Trimpley SC started at the committee boat end, tacked immediately onto port and headed for the strongest part of the current. They were quickly followed by Paul and Tom Simes from Cardiff Bay YC, though Paul had sailed here for many years in his early GP14 days with Richard and James just behind. These three rounded the windward mark in that order hotly pursued by the rest of the fleet. The front three remained the same for the rest of that lap, however both Richard and James and Dave Young and Lynda Estaugh from South Staffs SC managed to pass Paul and Tom up the next beat. Down the run Richard and James slipped inside Carl and Jim to round the leeward mark first and held this lead throughout the rest of the race to win Race 1. Carl and Jim and Dave and Lynda had a tremendous battle but with Carl and Jim always holding the upper hand to finish second and third respectively.
After a short delay, to let the Irish Ferries ferry out, Race 2 started in the same conditions over a slightly shorter triangle/sausage course but with less tide. Paul Leavers and Keith Bundy from Midland SC and Leigh on Sea YC started with a port tack flyer and led all the way up the first beat only to have Richard and James tack inside them at the windward mark. These two were followed by Simon Potts, taking a turn at the helm for a change, and Luke Shaw from Chase SC and Budworth SC. Simon and Luke managed to get water on Paul and Keith at the gybe mark and these positions remained the same until the 1st run, here Simon and Luke slipped inside Richard and James to round 1st at the leeward mark the second time. However Richard and James were not to be denied and up the next beat they reclaimed 1st place and sailed onto record their 2nd win of the day. Simon and Luke finished second holding off a charging Paul and Tom who recorded a third.
After a fine barbeque, good plentiful drink and a disco laid on by Neyland YC on the Saturday night, the fleet was met with much more wind on the Sunday morning with the prospect of some fast and lively sailing and an incoming tide for Race 3.
With the wind nearly 180 degrees different from the 1st day, Race Officer Paul Harries set up the course for Race 3 with the windward mark now in the shallows and the leeward mark in the channel, thus making the lessons learnt from Saturday worthless. No side paid up the first beat and Graham Flynn and Frank Nickless from Bartley SC led round the windward mark only to promptly capsize whilst hoisting the spinnaker! Carl and Jim took the lead never to relinquish it though much place changing went on behind them due to the shifting winds and the big gusts never allowing the fleet to settle down. Simon and Luke, Dave and Lynda, Richard and James were never far apart throughout the race apart when Richard and James nearly capsized up the beat allowing a now empty Graham and Frank past. Not content with this they then went on to pass Simon and Luke and Dace and Lynda to finish 2nd with Simon and Luke in 3rd. These results meant that the championship was now between Richard and Carl, with Richard having the upper hand, as all he had to do was finish just behind Carl to win, no matter what Carl did in the last race.
The wind had risen by the start of Race 4, Graham and Frank led round the windward mark and were never challenged again. Carl and Jim rounded 2nd but crucially Richard and James followed them in 3rd. These two then battled it out around the course in the exhilarating conditions with Richard and James passing Carl and Jim at one stage. Carl and Jim regained 2nd but couldn't manage to get a boat between them and Richard and James thus Richard and James won the Championship by having 2 firsts to Carl and Jim's one.
The Silver fleet prize was won by Simon Pritchard-Jones and Ellen Milner from Budworth SC, followed by Jane Alexander and Rob Senior from South Staffs SC / Bolton SC with Neil and Hannah Davies from Chase SC in third.
The Bronze fleet prize was won by Malcolm and Julie York followed by Adrian Owens and Emily Cook in second with Stuart Lewis, making a welcome return to GP14 sailing, and Tom Hamilton in third, all from the host club Neyland YC.
To help the visitors get away quickly the prize giving was held quickly and the 1st three boats in each fleet were presented with framed photographs of their boats at the event with the overall winners of each fleet also getting a bottle of wine.
A great time was had by all and we look forward to returning to Neyland in 2006.
Overall Results:
1st 13815 Richard Instone & James Goodfellow (Chase SC / South Staffs SC) 5.0pts
2nd 13793 Carl Jeffs & Jim Toothill (Trimpley SC) 5.0pts
3rd 13810 Graham Flynn & Frank Nickless (Bartley SC) 7.0pts
4th 13747 Simon Potts & Luke Shaw (Chase SC / Budworth SC) 9.0pts
5th 13835 Dave Young & Lynda Estaugh (South Staffs SC) 12.0pts
1st Silver 13721 Simon Pritchard-Jones & Ellen Milner (Budworth SC)
1st Bronze 13788 Malcolm York & Julie York (Neyland YC)