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Fireball Inlands at Chew Valley Lake Sailing Club

by Jonathan Bale 3 Nov 2004 10:12 GMT 30-31 October 2004
Action from the Fireball Inlands at Chew Valley Lake © Mike Rice / www.fotoboat.com

Forty-five Fireballs descended on Chew Valley Lake, one of the South West’s premier inland sailing venues, for the 2004 Fireball Inland Championships. The weather forecast was for light winds all weekend, which looking on the bright side would mean at least a sporting chance of Race Officer George Simpkins completing the six race series, especially bearing in mind the sixty knot gales that had been battering the country during the preceding week.

Race 1 started in a force 1 breeze. Mark Maskell and Vic Gomez were first round the windward mark, followed by Adam Whitehouse with Mikey Woodward then Dave Wade with Richard Wagstaff. However it was Vince Horey with Gavin Tilson who gybed away on the run to pick up more pressure, gaining water on Whitehouse at the mark and securing second place. Maskell & Gomez held the lead until the last reach when Horey and Tilson slipped passed and went on to win.

With the wind increasing slightly for race 2, Horey and Tilson rounded the windward mark first followed by Malcolm Davies with Ian Cadwallader. Both boats pulled away from the fleet whilst having a personal battle. Horey & Tilson held on to win from Davies and Cadwallader.

Race 3 and the wind was dying again. This time Andy Smith & Jonny Mildred lead from start to finish. Angus Hemmings and Steve Chesney sailed some superb down wind legs avoiding the many holes to finished 2nd with Horey & Tilson in 3rd. Over night Horey & Tilson had a 5 point lead over Smith & Mildred with Maskell & Gomez a further point behind.

Sunday dawned and there was more wind than the weather man had predicted. The boats that started right at the pin end were first to show and it was Horey & Tilson who lead at the windward mark just tacking under Debi Gibson and Simon Forbes. Horey sailed away to win his 3rd race, Maskell & Gomez sailed though the fleet to claim second with Hemmings & Chesney just beating Gibson for third place.

In Race 5 at the windward mark 6 boats rounded together with, Penny & Ian Gibbs just leading. By the end of the second beat Whitehouse and Woodward just lead the Gibbs’s. Rounding just outside the Gibbs’s at the windward mark were Sam Mettam and Jonathan Bale who were able to gain just enough of an advantage to roll the Gibbs’s on the reach to take second spot. Horey & Tilson managed to beat Smith & Mildred, keep them out of the top 5 and in the process securing Vince Horey and Gavin Tilson as 2004 Fireball Inland National Champions with a race to spare.

With Horey & Tilson sitting out the last race the battle for second commenced. Mettam & Bale lead the race at the windward mark. It was on the second beat that Smith & Mildred managed to call the shifts correctly and jump from fourth to first. Wade and Wagstaff out gybed Mettam & Bale at the final gybe mark to take second spot. However fourth place was enough for Maskell & Gomez to take second place over all.

The winners took take away some impressive Rooster kit which included their latest Aqua Fleeces and Aqua Skins.

Overall Results:

PosSail NoHelmCrewClubR1R2R3R4R5R6Pts
114870Vince HoreyGavin TillisonFishers Green113184614
214805Mark MaskellVic GomezFishers Green454214419
314801Andy SmithJonny MildredNotts County631139120
414725Adam WhitehouseMike WoodwardRYA27891624
513945Malcolm DaviesIan CadwalladerPaignton521275827
614880David WadeRichard WagstaffNorthampton3116107228
714791Angus HemmingsSteve ChesneyStokes Bay7122361028
814789Penny GibbsIan GibbsBrightlingsea8417531535
914628Simon MaskellJon WatkinsHunts11656461240
1014820Andy PearceAdam BroughtonPortishead9815154541
1114821Sam MettamJon BaleCVLSC221019462356
1214771Debi GibsonSimon ForbesStaunton Harold1014314151356
1314853Derian ChandlerOlly GoldsmithCVLSC121771813756
1414798Martin ScarthNigel SheppardBlackwater17131111112363
1514780Alex PiggottJohn RowellNotts County149921171665
1614877Philip PoppleDon WhiteShoreham1515162719974
1714775Noel ButlerHugh ButlerDun Leary24211019121476
1814804Elaine TudorWarren TudorBrightlingsea4016148221979
1914574Helen CarrollBryan MobbsBlackwater26193014101180
2014100Colin JarvisDerek JarvisPortishead16222012183088
2114584Rhys LankesterChris BishopBristol Corinthian19271324231796
2214857Becky PriestTim SaundersStaunton Harold253218162618103
231486Jeremy WhiteEd AyreDraycote131822342133107
2414410Bill ChardKen ComrieCVLSC182025202825108
2514249Nick CameronCaroline StillDatchet232326232020109
2614391Jo LineJenny LinePortishead422521323021129
2714448Alex ShawAndy ScottPortishead213637172732133
2814737Vic PadgettNigel ByrnesWier Wood323439291628139
2914294Jeremy HurstNick HurstParkstone204638303124143
3014454Samantha BunnOwen HughesChelmarsh373134262926146
3114881Chris PantingAndy MarshCVLSC283324372546147
3214809Daniel HareJamie HareBlackwater312629333631150
3314313Sandra DavisMike DavisCVLSC342828283536153
3414614Jemima LinePaula SymonsDraycote413740312422154
3514882Rob WatsonSimon KelsallStaunton Harold304033403329165
3614822Mike GoldbyKim GoldbyNotts County383836223934168
3714873Keryn Henwood-FoxGary Henwood-FoxThournbury292423464646168
3813246Matt ButlerMarisa FosterLlangorse433043254035173
3914387Steve PoppleSeb RogersShoreham462935383437173
4014328John PiattRich DeyesPlymouth Uni444232363827175
4114178Mark ElliottAlison ElliottCVLSC393927353738176
4211054Jon CowperLucy LingardHunts274142463246188
4314598Peter GiffordDavid NashCVLSC354344394239198
4414625Steve GreenhalghGabrielle SellickStaunton Harold364441414140199
4514116Mark DinwoodieHelen DinwoodieCVLSC333546464646206

1st Silver Fleet, Elaine Tudor & Warren Tudor, Brightlingsea
1st Bronze Fleet, Vic Padgett & Nigel Byrnes
1st Classic Boat, GBR14249 Nick Cameron & Caroline Still

1st Lady Helm, Penny Gibbs
1st Lady Crew, Caroline Still
1st Under 21 Helm, Debi Gibson
1st Under 21 Crew, Simon Forbes

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