National Squib Inland Championship at Rutland Sailing Club

Squib Inlands at Rutland © Martin Hollingshead

Squib Inlands at Rutland © Martin Hollingshead

33 Squibs entered the last major regatta of the UK Squib year at Rutland Sailing Club where the Inland Championships have been held every year since 1995. The entry list contained the winners of every championship to date.

The fleet was welcomed by dreary skies and rain for rigging on the Friday but on Saturday the racing started in bright sunshine and a light but sufficient wind of 4-6 knots, shifting between ESE and SW.

Dave Best (champion 1998, 1999, 2002 and 2003) and Peter Richards (champion 2002, 2003) led the first race but were overtaken by Alan Johnson (champion 2009) and his son Matt who pulled through to win from Bryan and Jenny Riley (champions 2007) who had been back in 7th earlier. Boats had to beat for the short leg to the finish as the wind had veered sharply, and several places changed in the final 200 metres.

In race two with a Black Flag start, Iain Jones found his boat re-named as a board appeared on the stern of the committee boat with the legend, “153 Rest Obscured” – puzzling as Iain’s boat is usually named “Speculator.” The wind continued to flick around causing difficulty to get clean fair start but, excelling in these lighter winds and flat water, the Rileys pulled out a 100 metre lead ahead of Chris and Mark Hogan (champions 2001, 2004, 2006, 2008) and the Johnsons.

For the third race of the first day, the course switched to windward - leeward and the windward leg was shortened in the lighter winds. Mike Budd and Rob Larke, known better for their exploits in the SB3, RS400 and Melges 24, won the pin end and started right on the gun, (“That was closer than I planned!” Mike said later) and led from start to finish. Behind them the Johnsons jostled with the Rileys but the latter pulled through to close on the Budds and take 2nd.

Now, as far as one can tell, there were no fast bowlers around, nor any shifty looking figures dressed with white pullovers around their necks, waving their arms about. However, the PRO had been heard to say, in public, that his money was on the Rileys and sure enough, at the end of Day One, Bryan and Jenny Riley in Brimstone 73 were in the lead, with two 2nds and a 1st. Suspicious minds? Well, at the other end of the fleet, the Secretary of the Mid-Fleet Club had done in the first race what every Mid-Fleeter does - on finishing had looked back and started counting. Have got to ten, he assumed that he was placed 22nd or better. (After all, 32 actual starters less ten = 22.) However, perhaps by a sleight of hand perhaps similar to that exhibited by bowlers of no-balls, he found himself placed 25th. The plot thickens!

The next day, after a splendid Championship Dinner, the fleet woke to light rain but a good ESE breeze of 12-14, gusting 18 knots, which held throughout the racing. The fourth race of the championships was a general recall and the second saw the Black Flag with Chris Hill and James Pritchard from Royal Dart in Chaos 693 OCS. Nigel and Jack Grogan led after one lap, ahead of the Hogans but on the next lap the Johnsons read the shifts correctly and pulled through from 10th to take the lead. However on the next beat the Grogans came back, now ahead of Gerard Dyson and Tony Saltonstall (champions 1995, 2005) and both held on to the end, ahead of the Johnsons.

The fifth race got clean away on a Black Flag. The Budds and Grogans swapped the lead over the first 2 laps and together with Dyson/Saltonstall and Nigel Harris/John Stephenson (champions 2000) were well clear of the fleet. Grogan and Dyson got involved in a luffing battle on the last downwind leg so the Budds pulled away to win. At the last leeward mark Dyson got an overlap on Grogan and rounded cleanly, to take 2nd place. At the back of the fleet Edward and Roger Harvey pulled up 4 places and looked good for their best result, but sadly their spinnaker hoist gear failed and they fell back, to finish last by only half a length, but still grinning.

Alan Johnson won overall for the second year in succession, this time with his son Matt crewing. Matt usually whizzes about in a B14 and found the Squib quite a different beast.

More photos can be found on the Rutland Sailing Club website.

Overall Results: