J/24 UK Nationals at Royal Western Yacht Club

J/24 nationals racing in Plymouth © Robin Price / www.rpsphotos.co.uk

J/24 nationals racing in Plymouth © Robin Price / www.rpsphotos.co.uk

Watson retains J/24 title by single point

In a hard fought ten race series, hosted by the Royal Western Yacht Club, Gavin Watson and the crew of “Reloaded” retained their UK National J/24 title by the narrowest margin in Plymouth this weekend. The twenty-boat fleet had enjoyed three days of close and exciting racing in varied and challenging conditions, before Sunday’s last race showdown. Although numbers were down on last year, the quality of the racing was as high as ever. Mistakes were hard to recover from, and every boat picked up at least one double-digit finish in the course of the series.

Day one: Races 1 & 2

Seventy years on, the outbreak of World War limited the fleet to two races, as use of Plymouth Sound was handed over – in commemoration – to the Red Arrows for the latter part of Thursday afternoon. Despite being the only member of the fleet with memories of that historic day, Stuart Jardine helmed “Stouche” to second place in both races, which were sailed in a robust WNW wind in the choppy waters of the Sound, avoiding the big seas outside the breakwater. Both races really belonged to Nathan Bachelor, sailing Bob Turner’s “Serco”, who ended the day with a perfect score, reflecting the perfect tactical execution of this very experienced crew. Watson made a quiet start to his title defence, tacking away too early from the favoured left side of the first beat and finishing in third. A brave call to change up to Genoa for the second beat enabled “Reloaded” to salvage fourth place from race two. Nick McDonald and Johnny Allen, on board “Legal Alien” took the first of three 4th places that would help see them take fifth place overall. McCarthy & Phelps in “Madeliene” scored a sixth in the first race, that they were later able to lose as one of their two discards – the lowest score discarded by any boat in the event, and evidence of the consistency that made them the form crew in the first half of the season. More remarkably, they sailed half of race 1 and the whole of race 2 – in which they were 5th – with no spinnaker.

Day two: Races 3 to 5

With even stronger winds on Friday, racing again took place in Plymouth Sound. Making a welcome return to domestic competition were the artists formerly known as “Hegehog”, Southworth, McLelland and McLaughlin now joined by Mike Kyte and Gary Denning on “Writing Instruments”, a former Worlds and double Europeans winning boat. Returning their newly acquired mount to championship fettle was proving a tough task and this top crew had managed only 8th and 3rd the previous day. Worse was to follow on the first beat of race three, with a broken boom calling a temporary halt to proceedings. The top four overnight broke away from the pack and Jardine consolidated his challenge with a race win. McCarthy closed the gap with a second place, while Watson rued a fluffed spinnaker recovery that left “Reloaded” fourth of four behind “Serco”. These boats again shared the top places in race 4, but this time it was Serco who took the honours, from “Reloaded” – which this time overtook both“Stouche” (third) and “Madeleine” (fourth) – showing good downwind technique and tactics, favouring the right hand side of the run, where the pressure was consistently best.

This was even more in evidence in race 5, as the wind freshened still further to create prolonged flat-water planing conditions. With the wind again filling from the right on the run, Watson’s skillful helming on the final run took Reloaded past “Writing Instruments” (back on the water with a replacement boom), and to a first race win despite a tense few moments as “Madeleine” caught up following an early spinnaker recovery in order to ensure a safe gybe for the finish. But the real drama was further back, where Thijs Knapper’s “Phoenix” had capsized leaving four of the crew in the water and away from the boat. With the race organiser’s RIB some distance away, there was a halt in proceedings while a number of boats turned or stopped to stand by and offer help. When the RIB arrived, the crew were safely recovered and racing continued – final placings being sorted out through redress hearings that evening. The wind was continuing to build, so Race Officer Mike Pearson sensibly called a halt for the day with Bachelor and the “Serco” team with 9 points leading by four from Jardine and “Stouche”. Watson and “Reloaded” were a further point behind, with McCarthy’s “Madeleine” five points back on 19.

Day three: Races 6 to 9

With four races, big shifts and plenty of high scores, day three – with racing outside the Plymouth breakwater – might have been decisive. Instead, the bad luck and good judgement seemed to spread itself fairly evenly across the leaders. Fifth placed McDonald’s “Legal Alien” scored 4th in race 6 and 1st in race 9, with two discards in between! For “Reloaded” it was the opposite story, with discards in the first and last races of the day and two 1st places in between – briefly giving Watson the lead overall. The day’s other race winner was Jardine, who began the day promisingly, only to pick up his two discards in races 7 and 9. For “Serco” race 6 provided their high score for the day, though 3, 6, 2 in the remaining races gave Bachelor the best total for the day. Even the consistent McCarthy picked up a 17th, but none the less closed the gap with Jardine to just 3 points. Paul Toms’ “Joya” scored well, to consolidate his 6th place. Southworth had three good results, spoiled by a 17th place, that meant he could only move up to 7th having run out of discards. Rob Clark, in his newly acquired “Ju-Ju” picked up 2nd in race 6 and 4th in race 9, to move into the top half of the fleet, whilst Brian Downing scored his best result of the week with 4th in race 7.

Day four: Race 10

With a single race on Sunday morning, the arithmetic at the top of the fleet was fairly simple. Bachelor and the team on “Serco” would win the Championship with a top three finish, or a better result than “Stouche” and “Reloaded”. Jardine needed first and Watson a top three finish and for the others to falter. The course was set on the eastern side of the Sound, with a southerly wind and a beat to the eastern end of the breakwater. And as if things were not tense enough, the ebb tide brought a general recall and out came the Black Flag. With three boats in contention, there was no scope for match racing and the restart saw the fleet away cleanly. Watson and Jardine started in the Committee boat half of the line, Watson judging that the mid channel ebb tide would be a bigger advantage than any wind effect of the headland on the left of the course. “Serco” chose the pin half of the line, as did “Madeleine”, whose start was the best of the day. But it was “Reloaded” that edged ahead of the right hand group and whose decision to opt for the channel proved correct, holding the lead for most of the first beat. With “Stouche” and “Serco” back in the pack, things looked fairly straightforward, but a mistake near the top mark gave McCarthy the opportunity he needed to get “Madeleine” ahead. Southworth’s “Writing Instruments” passed “Reloaded” on the run, but Watson held onto 3rd place, to give himself a chance of the title, provided “Serco” finished no better than 5th. With “Legal Alien” and “Stouche” occupying the next two places, this was too tall an order for the Weymouth team, who had to settle for second overall.

The Reloaded team was; Gavin Watson (Helm), Dan Watson (Cockpit), Mark Penfold (Spinnaker and your correspondent), Damian Thomson (Tactician), “Bam-Bam” Barnicoat (Bowman). On behalf of all the competitors and the UK Class Association, we would like to thank the RWYC for their hosting of the event and the Plymouth J/24 fleet for organising a cracking Championship in these frugal times! Mike Pearson ran a teriffic series, giving the fleet some of the best racing ever and achieving a record 10 races in four days – with very little time spent waiting around on the water. Thanks also to our sponsors, especially to F.S Composite Design Ltd and Lynbridge Dental Surgery – the alter egos of Stig McDonald and David Cooper, for their lead sponsorship of the event.

Event Photos:

Many, many more photos available by Robin Price on his website - www.rpsphotos.co.uk

Overall Results:
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