GJW Direct Firefly Nationals at Royal Torbay Yacht Club

GJW Direct Firefly Nationals at Royal Torbay Yacht Club - Overall

by Caroline Edwards 2 Aug 2013 16:20 BST 27 July - 3 August 2013

Jono and Sarah Pank win the GJW Direct Firefly Nationals © Firefly class

The final day of the 2013 Firefly nationals was all set to be the closest finish to the championships for many years with the top three boats all on the same points going into the last race of the competition.

Conditions were pretty much spot on for the final showdown with a good steady force 3-4 from the South West. 2009 National Champion Nigel Wakefield was the gate boat sailing with Emily Saunderson in Flo. The three tied overall leaders all went out early which didn't work out too well as yet again the right hand side of the first beat turned out to be favoured. Race 5 winners Barney Smith and Alannah Hebbert led around the top mark closely followed by Ben Lumby and Liz Evans. Lumby and Evans overtook Smith and Hebbert on the first reach and didn't look back stretching out a big lead to win the last race, as they did the previous year.

Alex Davey and Jamie Crossan sailing in Mustard pulled through to take 2nd with Andy Cornah and Kate Fairclough in Desperado finishing 3rd to cement their 4th place overall.

The real battle though was for who would be National Champions and as the three contenders came onto the final beat there wasn't much between them. Jono and Sarah Pank had been the front of the three all the way round and managed to hold on the finish 4th in the race and claim the overall victory. Close behind were Ben and Jenny Vines who over took Stuart Hudson and Jo Findlay on the last beat to finish 7th in the race and 2nd overall.

A delighted Jono Pank who last won the Firefly Nationals in 2001 said that he was delighted and surprised to have won after an incredibly tight week of racing.

The battle for the 2014 title will be fought at the Olympic sailing venue in Weymouth from the 16th to the 24th of August.

Overall Results:

Pos	Sail No	Boat Name	Helm	Crew	Club	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	R8	R9	Pts
1	1954	POGIE	Jono PANK	Sarah PANK	Imperial Poona YC	3	1	1	6	10	1	2	31	4	28
2	2144	FETHERLITE	Ben VINES	Jenny VINES	Imperial Poona YC	5	2	3	4	3	4	3	24	7	31
3	3850	FUSTY FERRRET	Stuart HUDSON	Jo FINDLAY	Keyhaven/Spinnaker	1	4	4	1	20	2	7	5	8	32
4	888	DESPERADO	Andy CORNAH	Kate FAIRCLOUGH	West Kirby SC	4	5	2	7	19	8	5	2	3	36
5	3615	SKIRMISH	Jamie McEWEN	Jo McEWEN	Tamesis SC	2	3	5	8	2	9	11	12	6	46
6	1867	CUMULUS	Steven GREAVES	Caroline EDWARDS	Rickmansworth SC	6	8	12	2	24	3	15	1	5	52
7	3674	FLO	Nigel WAKEFIELD	Emily SAUNDERSON	Newport BC	7	9	11	3	14	7	4	10	9	60
8	3318	LYNESTRA	Guy DAVISON	Izzy BRETHERTON	Llangorse SC	9	6	10	5	11	5	13	3	18	62
9	2659	KONG	Ben LUMBY	Liz EVANS	Restronguet SC	11	7	9	16	17	6	6	33	1	73
10	3690	MUSTARD	Alex DAVEY	Jamie CROSSAN	Royal Harwich YC	12	19	7	13	9	11	9	17	2	80
11	69	WALRUS	John GREENLAND	Ruth GUY	Imperial Poona YC	10	11	8	12	7	12	10	15	11	81
12	3550	WATER SPIDER	David SINCOCK	Betty WHEELER	Restronguet SC	13	13	16	9	6	13	1	22	23	93
13	3746	TICTAC	Dan VINCENT	Ella VINCENT	Stokes Bay SC	8	10	22	10	45	10	16	11	17	104
14	3023	FOURWOOD THINKING	Barney SMITH	Alannah HEBBERT	Hamble River SC	15	12	13	45	1	18	8	30	12	109
15	2282	NO NAME	David ELLIS	Evie SNEDKER	Keyhaven YC	23	21	23	21	4	37	12	4	20	128
16	3173	SOX	Tony THRESHER	Mike RADFORD	West Oxfordshire SC	17	15	14	11	32	17	23	21	22	140
17	3608	MOJO	Will SHEPHERD	Tessa HAMER	West Kirby SC	14	24	15	15	5	37	24	19	29	145
18	3671	DORIS	Frederick MAINWARING	James SHEPHERD	Red Wharf Bay SC	21	22	19	14	21	14	29	9	41	149
19	3747	GROWLER	David CHISHOLM	Libbie BURTINSHAW	Royal Naval SA	26	45	6	26	16	20	14	35	16	159
20	2542	FLYING TERN	Josh RICHARDSON	Tristan RICHARDSON	Ardleigh SC	32	26	26	27	13	24	20	8	15	159
21	3739	WILLOW	Lucy BOREHAM	Rachel CREBBIN	RYA	33	23	20	19	8	23	38	25	26	177
22	2587	CHI CHI	Richard WHITEFOOT	Jo MOORE	Hickling Broad SC	19	18	40	17	30	21	25	34	13	177
23	3809	SOUND CHIEF	Owain MATTHEWS	Jim BRAMLEY	West Kirby SC	18	16	45	45	22	45	17	6	10	179
24	3414	TIGGER	Alister BARKER	Nicky BARKER	RAFSA	20	20	40	18	45	15	18	36	14	181
25	3612	RED BARRON	Matt JOHNSON	Ginny HAMILTON BARNS	RYA	27	27	25	36	15	37	28	20	21	199
26	3610	TIFFANY	Richard THOMPSON	Emma HARVEY	Royal Harwich YC	28	35	27	25	35	19	33	14	31	212
27	3677	WIKI WIKI	Geof HALL	Hayley GOACHER	Restronguet SC	30	28	21	20	31	37	36	26	24	216
28	3921	FIZZ!	Mike STEELE	Chris STYLES	St Edmundsbury SCA	24	25	40	45	26	16	19	37	32	219
29	2223	BUMBLE	Bryony MEAKINS	Natasha LISTER	Hamble River SC	25	30	28	24	28	26	34	29	33	223
30	3957	MACCATOO	Ben BURROWS	Bea BURROWS	West Oxfordshire SC	34	33	33	29	27	30	22	27	25	226
31	2246	SCRUFFY	Oli BURROWS	Alex BAXTER	West Oxfordshire SC	42	45	17	22	33	22	27	38	27	228
32	2296	FALCON	Jack BRADLEY	Liz SNEDKER	Keyhaven YC	42	45	29	23	34	25	30	13	35	231
33	3841	GENESIS	Sophie SHEPHERD	Sarah LOMBARD	West Kirby SC	42	45	31	45	23	29	21	16	28	235
34	3098	RAT BAG	Steven CLAYTON	Ayesha LOBO	Royal Harwich YC	29	32	45	45	25	27	37	18	30	243
35	3033	TRINKET	Konrad WEAVER	Thea CRAWSHAW	Durham Uni SC	42	29	18	36	18	45	31	39	34	247
36	2803	GRENDEL	Edward SMITH	Lucy SMITH	Imperial Poona YC	16	14	40	45	12	45	45	45	45	262
37	3009	FILL YOUR BOOTS	Ross LONSDALE	Hugo BURROWS	West Oxfordshire SC	45	45	32	45	36	28	32	28	19	265
38	3616	TOP DOLLY	Jonathon BICKFORD	Penny HOOPER	Upper Thames SC	22	17	24	31	45	45	45	45	45	274
39	25	ISABELLA	Toni DUFFY	Matthew Jones	Birmingham Uni SC	31	31	30	28	39	45	39	45	38	281
40	29	MAISIE	Lizzie HUBBARD	Abigail GRIFFITHS	Birmingham Uni SC	35	45	35	36	37	45	26	40	36	290
41	3675	FLO	Mark FAWCETT	Nick HILL	Whitefriars SC	42	45	34	30	38	45	35	32	37	293
42	2925	TROUSERS	Peter SLIMMING	Imogen TAYLOR	Hamble River SC	45	45	45	45	29	45	40	7	45	301
43	2539	PALADIN	Andy WEIR	Dylan WEIR	Restronguet SC	45	45	45	45	43	45	41	23	45	332
44	123	GREMLIN	Michael BROWN		Royal Dart YC	45	45	45	45	45	45	45	45	45	360