Impala 28 National Championships at the Royal Western Yacht Club
by Ben Meakins 16 Jul 2012 11:44 BST
13-15 July 2012
The Impala 28 class headed to Plymouth for three days of racing for its 2012 championships. 12 boats came from as far away as Chichester and Milford Haven to make up the biggest entry for many years. Day one saw a coastal race, taking the long way around the breakwater for three laps, while the following two days had four tight windward-leeward races each. Conditions were varied, but Plymouth Sound threw up some intriguing challenges in the form of challenging tides and quirky windshifts to keep the fleet close and on its toes.
Local boat Imelda put in a great performance – never dominating the races outright, but always climbing their way stealthily through the fleet, mercilessly picking off any boats ahead. Positions changed constantly throughout the races – one-design racing at its finest! Brixham boats Fearnought and Impulsive put in a good performance, always close to the top, while Zulu, Polly, Imptish and Jiminy Cricket swapped positions throughout each race of the series. Day two saw a different winner in every race, which goes to show how competitive this 33-year old class remains.
After three days of close racing, Robert Boalch and crew on Imelda took home the 2012 Impala Nationals trophy. They sailed a consistently good series, never finishing outside the top four boats and making few mistakes to take the top spot. Matt Dodd’s Fearnought came in second overall, with Barney Smith’s Imptish sailing a blinding final day to gain three places, taking third. Kevin Palfreeman’s Zulu came fourth, and Ben Meakins and Adrian Cudmore in Polly were fifth.
Martin Perry’s Vlad the Impala received a well-deserved trophy for the worst delivery trip after their epic trip which saw 50 knots off Berry Head, with John McQuillan’s Happy receiving an honourable mention after they beat into 25 knots and heavy rain for 26 hours to make the start.
Thanks go to the event’s supporters – Westaway Sails, Wight Vodka, and Coast Graphics – and to the Royal Western YC for running a fantastic 3 days of racing. Yacht Haven Quay, where boats were based, provided a fantastic service too. But the biggest thanks go to Kevin Palfreeman and Robert Boalch for their tireless organisation of the event.
The venue for next year's event has yet to be decided - but we'll see you there!
Overall Results:
If you finished in the top ten at the Impala 28 nationals the fill in your Gear Guide information here
| Pos | Sail No | Boat Name | Owner | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | R8 | R9 | Pts |
|---|
| 1 | 9510 | Imelda | Robert Boalch | -3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 11 |
| 2 | GBR9571 | Fearnought | Matt Dodd | 1 | 3 | -6 | 1 | -8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 15 |
| 3 | NED9616 | Imptish | Barnaby Smith | 5 | -7 | 4 | -7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 24 |
| 4 | 9609 | Zulu | Kevin Palfreeman | -6 | 5 | 1 | -6 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 26 |
| 5 | GBR9500 | Polly | Ben Meakins/Adrian Cudmore | 4 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 6 | -7 | 7 | 7 | (BFD) | 33 |
| 6 | GBR9594 | Impulsive | Allan Bancroft | 2 | 4 | 7 | 9 | 3 | 4 | 5 | -11 | (DNS) | 34 |
| 7 | GBR9599 | Maverick | Frank Ellwood | (DNF) | -12 | 8 | 5 | XPA 20% | 8 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 44 |
| 8 | 9542 | Wisecrack | Roger Stanbury | -11 | 6 | 10 | 2 | 1 | -11 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 48 |
| 9 | GBR9507 | Jiminy Cricket | John Williams | 7 | -10 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 9 | 6 | (DSQ) | 54 |
| 10 | GBR9518 | Happy | John McQuillan | 8 | 8 | 5 | -10 | -11 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 56 |
| 11 | GBR9564 | Atalanta | Stuart Higgins | 9 | -11 | 11 | 11 | -12 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 63 |
| 12 | GBR9548 | Vlad the Impala | Perry Martin | 10 | 9 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 12 | (DNF) | (DNS) | 77 |
More information on the Impala 28 website