J/24 Nationals at the Royal Western Yacht Club - Preview

Kevin Tutill, MD of Barratt Exeter aboard a J/24 together with skippers from the fleet © Chris Saville

BEST OF BRITISH BATTLE FOR BARRATT NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

With the J24 national champion title and places at next year’s World Championships on offer, the excitement over this year’s Barratt National Championships in Plymouth is hitting an unprecedented high.

Fourteen places are available for British helms at the World Championships and the battle will be immense this week (Thursday 9th to Sunday 11th September), reflecting the quality already seen in this season’s J24 racing class.

50 world ranking points are available at the Barratt-sponsored Nationals and some of the top UK helmsmen will be on show including, amongst others, David Ellis, Al Clarke, Gavin Watson, Bob Turner, Nick Hurst, Ian Southworth and not to forget the two Jardines, Mark and Stuart.

The championships will be run by Royal Western Yacht Club (RWYC) – one of the UK’s longest established Yacht Clubs, which celebrates its 177th anniversary this year. Based at the centre of the Queen Anne’s Battery Marina, the RWYC is ideally placed to welcome all competitors and visitors to the four-day championship in the Plymouth Sound.

Neil Trathen, Plymouth’s J24 Class Fleet Captain is one of the many people who have been working hard to organise the championships: “It’s been 7 years since we last held the National or European championships. We have worked very hard over the last eight and a half months to ensure this event is the best National Championships the Plymouth Fleet has ever held.

“There are approximately 40 boats taking part in this week’s championship races and 25 of those will be battling it out for World Championship places. The four days of racing in the Plymouth Sound will start to separate the class leaders from those who won’t be making the trip to Weymouth next year.

“Running an event of this type is an expensive business and to have sponsorship support from Barratt has and will help to make these championships a really fantastic event.”

This is the fourth year that the UK’s premier housebuilder, Barratt, has sponsored races in the J24 class. However, this is the first Open UK National Championships and Kelvin Tutill, managing director of Barratt Exeter, is proud to be backing such a prestigious event: “As a nationwide company, Barratt is delighted to be in a position to support the nation’s top sailors in such a competitive class.

“In addition to being a national business, we at Barratt Exeter are also very interested in what happens within our local region which is why it’s a double honour to be able to support the championships here in Plymouth. I, for one, will be cheering on our fellow south west countrymen in their quest for top points out of the four days racing.”

A maximum of eight races are planned for the four day championships, with one or two races planned for day one (Thursday 9th September), two or more races on Friday and Saturday and one or two races scheduled for the final day on Sunday.

Teams to watch:

Roger Rabbit

The Roger Rabbit team from Falmouth of Gavin Watson (helm), Gary Denning (cockpit/tactician), Nicholas Hirst (kite trim/tactician), Paul Pullen (mast/rigger) and Christopher Sharp (bow) was established in the summer of 2003 and has had good results ever since; 3rd in the Autumn Cup 2003, 6th in the Spring Cup, 2nd (on count back) at the Southern Areas, 6th at the Northern Areas, 2nd at the Floral Cup and winning the Summer Shield in their home waters.

Headcase

GBR 4247, Headcase has been the most consistent J24 in the UK for the last 2 seasons and will again challenge strongly. Her owner and helm from last year (8th overall in the 2003 worlds) Bob Turner is now sailing as team director, allowing Alastair Clarke to helm. It will be interesting to see how the potential of this otherwise unchanged team is realised, but with Tim Clarke, Steve Jose and Adam Bowers all in top form after the convincing Floral Cup victory in July they will certainly be a team to watch. The team are now fully sponsored by Serco Defence and Aerospace.

Hedgehog

Returning to the class in 2004, Ian Southworth is helming the 1987 Rogers built J/24 ‘Hedgehog’. The subject of a major restoration, Hedgehog has been sailed three times this year, winning the Southern Areas, Northern Areas and the Irish J/24 championships. Ian Southworth has won numerous class titles, represented Great Britain in the 420 and 470 class, competed in the Sydney-Hobart as helm; helmed in the Admiral's Cup and competed at international level as a match racer. Ian is no stranger to the J/24; he has won the nationals 3 times, has won the Europeans and was fifth at the Abersoch Worlds in 1992. Chris McLaughlin, his past Fireball, 470, J/24, Melges, Etchells & 707 crew, competes for the title of oldest bowman, while Nigel Smith (Etchells & 707) backs him up. Trimming the kite is B14 multiple champion, Sean Dwyer. Reinforcing the afterguard is top J/24 & 1720 helm, Andy McLelland. Andy has also won the J/24 nationals and is usually at the front of the 1720 fleet in his boat ‘Splash Test Dummies’.

Howden

The Howden team, sponsored by Howden Insurance Brokers, have taken part in all the UK based qualification events and are lying inside the top ten overall. As a team, the Howden crew have taken part in the Dartmouth Regatta, winning the keelboat class. Also a Howden's team took part in Skandia Cowes Week and the Round the Island Race, winning the Classics class. Howden will be racing at the Nationals with its core team of Matthew Reed, Keith Broughton, Jon Pegrum & Tom Reed. Joining the team will also be Nick Sturges, Olympic Sailing coach who has recently returned from Athens.

Stouche

Defending champion Mark Jardine is now sailing his father’s boat ‘Stouche’ which has won the nationals five times and the Europeans once in the hands of Stuart. Three of last year’s team are aboard with International Judge and Sydney-Hobart helm, Craig Mitchell on tactics and Cassie Richardson on bow. Joining the team for the nationals are 707 European champion, Graeme Milne and Karle Thorne. This year Mark has finished 4th in both J/24 events sailed but has won the Mumm 30 Europeans sailing on ‘Mean Machine’ and was 2nd in the XOD Captain’s Cup at Skandia Cowes Week.

Hitch Hiker

David Ellis and the team on Hitch Hiker are currently top of the 2005 worlds qualifying table, winning the Spring Cup, 5th in the Southern Areas, 3rd in the Northern Areas and most recently second in the Europeans in Sweden. As a past national champion in the class the strong team undoubtedly have the potential to win again in Plymouth.

Jobs for the bouys

Stuart Jardine is helming David Lush’s Jobs for the bouys. The five time national champion and 1995 European champion has won the XOD Captain’s Cup this year and seems to have returned to top form after a poor (by his standards) 2003. In the J/24 he has finished 2nd in the Northern areas in 2004. Twin brother Adrian is calling tactics again after a lay-off at the end of 2003.

There are many others in the J/24 fleet who could take home the title; Michael Wright in Riot and Ben Williamson in Rumble are leading a strong team from Bridlington, local Plymouth sailor Peter Woolf is high up in the 2004 rankings and will be strong in his home waters and Duncan Peace in Reloaded is always a contender.