Vortex National Championships at Paignton Sailing Club

Brainteasers at the Vortex National Championships (drawing the course in the sand) © Raglione-Hall

Keith Escritt wins the Vortex National Championships © Vortex Association

Tilbrook, Escritt and Lister take the podium at the Vortex National Championships © Vortex Association

The Vortex Class achieved an encouraging increased turn out for their 2009 National Championships held within the BMW Torbay week at Paignton Sailing Club. Close racing was enjoyed at all levels with several newcomers in the 18 boat fully Asymmetric fleet cutting their teeth for the first time in a National event.

Saturday brought less wind than forecast with a F2 and the occasional period of F3. Race 1 was lead by Paignton sailor Chris Tilbrook until he took a flyer into a fleet of huge yachts on an adjacent course . As he struggled for clear wind, Keith Escritt and Phil Whitehead (both from Yorkshire Dales SC) took up the lead. Keith eventually taking the bullet from another local, Chris Cunningham who’d found good pressure on the last run to take the second spot from Phil.

After a lap of race 2, Escritt lead followed by Tilbrook, Ben Rayner (YDSC) and Whitehead. With the breeze building, the final downwind leg proved decisive. First Phil nosedived, and whilst trying to save a capsize, his ageing muscles finally gave up as he tore his hamstring - putting him out of the event. The drama continued as Chris Tilbrook also capsized losing his tiller in the process. Whilst tillerless Tilbrook trawled for his steering stick Keith went on to win followed by Ben Rayner, Jonathon Lister and Angus Winchester (Castle Semple SC) all benefiting from staying upright!

Early contenders in race 3 included Ed Corteen and Andy Maw, but Keith led from Ben Rayner around mark 1. Jonathan Lister and Chris Cunningham found some increased pressure by going left on one of the downwind legs to gain places, but this time Tilbrook had employed a cunning strategy (ie keep his tiller extension attached), and was challenging hard. The race finished with Escritt holding on to narrowly win from Tilbrook, Cunningham and Lister.

A great evening meal brought some comfort for invalided Phil, but sadly his impression of Long John Silver got him nowhere with the waitresses.

Sunday looked a bit light, but by the start of race 4 the wind was back up and still building. Escritt led from Winchester but this time Keith gave everyone a chance by mistaking a buoy on another course for the leeward mark. The half mile diversion and ‘trip around the bay’ that followed must have mystified the OOD as well as most competitors who couldn’t figure out why / when an extra buoy had been introduced! All this tourism made little difference, as Escritt won by a comfortable margin from Tilbrook and Rayner

Race 5 was a cracker – the breeze was up, and the Asymmetrics were blasting downwind. Escritt led again, initially from Jim Trice (Calshot). On the last run a high speed gybing battle ensued with Tilbrook just gaining water at the leeward mark and then dropping his kite for the final tight reach to the finish. Escritt didn’t drop, and with a slight lull, managed to poke his bow in front again. But Tilbrook held his nerve as he correctly gambled that Escritt would struggle in the next big gust and chuckled as inevitably the gust came and Escritt duly shot off to leeward, leaving Tilbrook to take the win, with Rayner grabbing another 3rd

It’s always good to save the best until last, and the final race lived up to that billing. Initially, it looked to be following the same pattern as Escritt led again, but then he caught the windward mark anchor rope on his rudder – eventually having to jump in - or was it fall ;-) to release it. This gave Tilbrook the lead from Jonathan Lister and Chris Cunningham. By the start of the last run, Escritt was back up to second, but Lister and Cunningham spotted a strong gust, and screamed away. With the spray flying, they were soon putting pressure on Tilbrook. Approaching the leeward mark, any of the four could have made it round first, but a smart move to the inside by Lister, blocking Cunningham and Escritt gave him the lead as Tilbrook desperately left his kite up so long that he nearly capsized. All four boats rounded overlapped, so the tight reach to the finish was a tense affair – especially for the race leader, but Lister held on to win albeit by such a small margin that the excellent race team led by Ken Hull had to confer over which boat had won.

So the 2009 National Championship went to Keith Escritt from Yorkshire Dales with Chris Tilbrook from Paignton second and rueing the chances he’d had to win races. Jonathon Listers’ last race win elevated him to third and a consistent performance from Chris Cunningham’s gave him fourth from Ben Rayner fifth and Angus Winchester rounding out the top 6.

Paignton Sailing Club were excellent hosts, and the Vortex class can thoroughly recommend the race area, club, shore and race teams to any class looking for a Nationals Venue. We will be back!

Overall Results: