Formula 18 Nationals at Pentewan Sands Sailing Club

Action from the Formula 18 nationals at Pentewan sands © Lee Whitehead / www.photolounge.co.uk

Action from the Formula 18 nationals at Pentewan sands © Lee Whitehead / www.photolounge.co.uk

Olympians do it again - Styles and May win F18 Championship

Styles and May, UK Tornado in 2000 lead the regatta from start to finish giving an almost perfect display in a range of conditions.

Thirty three F18's travelled down to Cornwall to compete and started the eleven race series in light and shift conditions. Hugh Styles and Adam May started their series with a good win with second place going to Jonnie Hutchcroft/Mark Dickenson (Worthing YC) abd Dave Hazard/Suzanne Rhodes (Datchet Water SC) in third place.

The second race brought the same winners, but the highly experienced Tornado pairing, though new to F18, Andrew Walsh and Edward Barney, Restronguet SC came in second with more new comers Matt Pullen and Jamie Shelton in third place.

The final race of the first day, saw Styles and May gain another first place, with David and Joanna Bartlett coming second with Paul Butler/Pete Bell(Highcliffe SC) third. That was the end of the light and shifty winds as the second day was about to give all sailors a trust test of heavy winds.

The official figures were Force 6/7 with gusts of over Force 8 showing on the Committee boat. Even so, all the fleet were happy to hoist spinnakers showing that quality sailing skill levels have moved massively in the last few years. F18's, even in big seas, will be going upwind at 16 knots and be cruising at speeds of well over 20 knots with spinnakers in these conditions.

Walsh/Barney started to show their real skills with heavy weather specialists Hutchcroft/Dickenson arriving home third, with Styles/May splitting them as they got second. In the fifth race, normal service was resumed with Styles/May leading home Walsh/Barney, this time with Hutchcroft/Dickenson receiving another third place. The third race of the day, again lasting over an hour was too much, for thirteen crews retired after numerous capsizes, and taking a severe hammering from wind and waves.Styles and May were almost home when they capsized feet from the line allowing Matt Eeles and Sam Moir through to win, showing that even in these conditions, ladies can tame an F18 spinnaker. Race Officer, Brian Goodman was amazed as Styles/May righted their catamaran, saying, "from the time they hit the water, they were back up again in 20 seconds and sailing to the line in well under the minute." Hutchcroft/Dickenson sailing another third place.

Monday dawned in similar fashion. Forecast was for Force 4/5 and reducing, but it didn't! Again increasing to a full Force 6. The heavy wind specialists kept their form and the seventh race went to Walsh/Barney, Hutchrocft/Dickenson/Styles/May and Eeles/Moir, but as it was the first race of the day only two teams decided to give in to the weather. First season F18 sailors, Will Sunnucks/Mark Self, Brightlingsea SC, were getting to grips with all the tuning of F18's. They are famed around the World as long distance sailors, having come fifth in their first 1000 Mile USA Worral (Inter 20), held the Round Texel record (Tornado Sport), first place recently in the four day Swedish Archipeligo Raid (Hobie Tiger), now they are showing their skills in "short course" racing, coming third in Race 8. The day finished off with Leo Farrow/Tristan Lamb (Worthing YC) absolutely "horizoning" the rest and winning by hundreds of yards, again from Styles/May, Walsh/Barney, Sunnucks/Self and Hutchcroft/Dickenson.

At last the winds dropped on Tuesday to a perfect Force 2 increasing to Force 3, in warm sunshine ad blue skies, all the fleet were delighted and thought again that they had a chance against the heavy wind specialists, and they did!! But Styles/May won Race 10, from Butler/Bell, Sunnucks/Self in third. Fourth place went to Rob Garcka sailing with teenage nephew, Stuart, in his first regatta. The final Race 11, went again to Butler/Bell, with Sunnucks/Self and Styles/May in third place and lighter wind specialists, Hazard/Rhodes and David and Joanna Bartlett close behind.

Eleven races were a real test and a true National Championship. Racing was handled with quality by Race Officer, Brian Goodman and his team of experienced Pentewan rib drivers.

Overall Results:

1st Hugh Styles/Adam May 1,1,1,2,1,2,(3),1,2,1,(3) 12pts
2nd Andrew Walsh/Edward Barney (20),2,(8),1,2,6,1,2,3,7,6. 30pts
3rd Will Sunuucks/Mark Self 4,5,(13),6,4,3,(8),3,4,3,2. 34pts
4th Jonnie Hutchcroft/Mark Dickenson 2,(11)4,3,3,4,2,6,5,9,(13) 38pts
5th Matt Eeles/Sam Moir 6,(8),5,8,5,1,4,7,6,(15),7. 49pts
6th Leo Farrow/Tristan Lamb (12),4,7,9,6,(10),5,4,1,6,8. 50pts

The Championships was sponsored by Red Insurance who provided the bow numbers with joint sponors, Mike Rogers of the Cat Shack (Nacra) and Steve Beard of the Hobie Cat Centre.