Thames A Rater Yates Cup and Braganza Bowl at Tamesis Club
by John Dunkley 22 Sep 2010 18:41 BST
18-19 September 2010
Martin Hunter wins Yates Cup and Braganza Bowl on tie break
Martin Hunter won both the Yates Cup and the Braganza Bowl in Spindrift (14) in the annual open meeting for Thames A Raters at Tamesis Club on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 September. He was crewed by Alex Jackson and Jeremy Kearns on Saturday and Roger Stafford and Jeremy Kearns on Sunday. Atlantis (15), helmed by Julian Smith of Mengham Rythe SC and crewed by Jonno Warren, Ted Cocker and Patrick Rayner, actually finished the six race series with a better points total than Spindrift but, after allowing for one discard, both boats had seven points from three firsts and two seconds. Hunter, of Thames SC, claimed victory on a tie break as winner, by a couple of seconds, of the final race. Eight Raters competed in the event.
A good NW breeze gave a beat down river to Lensbury in the first race on Saturday, when Spindrift finished fourth, with Hunter complaining that the wind was "swinging all over the place", but changed to a westerly for the second, giving more reaches and fewer tacks. An east-west dogleg opposite the club lawn was set for the Yates Cup, Saturday's third race, held in cold but sunny weather, and the course was extended beyond Steven's Eyot with an upstream start. Spindrift had won the second race by five minutes and built up a large lead in the third to take another win by about four minutes.
On Sunday Atlantis won the first two races under cloudy skies in slightly more windy weather and looked well placed to become the overall winner. Both Atlantis and Spindrift were neck and neck throughout the final race and were so close crossing the finishing line that Race Officer John Harris found it hard to count the seconds between them. Vagabond (13), sailed by Miles Palmer, Tom Wilson, Louise Wilson and Mark Ampleford, was third overall with two seconds, two thirds and a fourth.
The Prizes were presented by Tamesis Commodore John Adams, and the racing was organised by Carolyne Vines, Rear Commodore Sailing, with help from John Harris and Margaret Stokes on Sunday and Jeremy and Max Vines on Saturday. Thanking Tamesis for an excellent week-end's sailing, Martin Hunter gave special thanks to Nicola Chavasse and her helpers in the kitchen and bar and for cooking the Rater Supper on Saturday.
Overall Results: (counting the best five of six races)
Braganza Bowl
1st (on tie break) Spindrift (14), Martin Hunter, Alex Jackson, Jeremy Kearns, Roger Stafford (Thames SC) 7pts
2nd Atlantis (15) Julian Smith, Jonno Warren, Ted Cocker, Patrick Rayner (Mengham Rythe SC) 7pts
3rd Vagabond (13) Miles Palmer, Tom Wilson, Louise Wilson, Mark Ampleford (Thames SC) 14pts
Yates Cup
1st Spindrift (14) Martin Hunter, Jeremy Kearns, Alex Jackson
2 Atlantis (15) Julian Smith, Jonno Warren, Ted Crocker
3 Wings (19) Chris Martin, Peter Cuckow