Sharpie Nationals at Brancaster Staithe Sailing Club

Sharpie nationals at Brancaster Staithe © Pam Farrell

Sharpie nationals at Brancaster Staithe © Pam Farrell

Sharpie nationals at Brancaster Staithe © Pam Farrell

The British Championships were given an International flavour with two Dutch and one German boat, boosting the entries up to 24. A little early practice, in anticipation of next year’s European championship at this venue.

Brancaster bay provides relatively sheltered conditions for most wind directions, except from the North. As it transpired Friday was the only day when sea sailing was possible, with a N/ NE 2 building to a brisk force 4 & lumpy sea, giving an indication of what was to come over the weekend.

With strong cross tide beats, and the pin end start buoy in a different postcode to the committee boat, starting tactics & getting the first beat right proved crucial.

Dennis Van Vliet & Marcel Verlaan in NED135 did exactly that, combined with some impressive windward boatspeed, to win both races. Defending champions Chris & Tim Gibbs scored two seconds for the day, but only after a last ditch overtake of Richard Major & Bob Curtis during the short beat to the finishing gate in race 1. Paddy Spink & John Ellison rounded out the top 3 in race 2.

Overnight, the wind continued to build in strength, the sight of white water out to sea, & even in the harbour entrance gave an early indication to the Wells crews travelling the coast road, of the inevitable. The Race Officers decision to cancel met little resistance from even the hardiest of crews.

This led to the possibility of not completing the Championships. No doubt, after consulting every available forecast, PRO Malcolm Collins decided to race within the confines of the harbour on Sunday, with Sea sailing impossible in the Northerly 5-6.

The relatively congested start & first beat led to many a racing incident, with NED135 the most unfortunate. Having clipped a port boat they were dipping, during penalty turns they broke their boom and capsized. Back in the race, the Gibbs brothers just made the windward buoy ahead of the pack, to then open up a comfortable lead to win from James Case & Jimmy Goodley, with the German champions posting a third.

With the tide pushing out, the final race got away at the second attempt, with the black flag deterring the over keen. The ebb tide foreshortened the first beat, giving the only safe seats, & a grandstand view to the rescue boat crew stationed there. Pleasantries were forthrightly exchanged, with more near misses than a busy year at Heathrow, but remarkably all escaped with minor damage & continuing debate as to the rights & wrongs! While the fleet were distracted, the Gibbs quietly rounded first & held it to the finish, followed by Spink & Ellison 2nd, & father & son team Eric & Patrick Verkaik in third.

With a discard brought into play, NED135 managed to hang on to second overall, after bailing out & borrowing an ancient spare boom to complete the last race. Having written the last few reports, I have run out of superlatives, this marks a seventh consecutive title for Chris & Tim Gibbs.

Our thanks go out to the Race Officer & his team for completing the championship in testing conditions, and to BSSC under the watchful direction of Cliff Nye, for looking after the needs of the Sharpie fleet so efficiently.

Overall Results:
If you finished in the top ten then fill in your Gear Guide information here