Harken Miracle Nationals at Weymouth & Portland Sailing Academy Overall

Miracle nationals at Weymouth © Mike Rice / www.fotoboat.com

Miracle nationals at Weymouth © Mike Rice / www.fotoboat.com

With the top 2 places already secured, the focus shifted to who would fill out the rest of the top 10. On Thursday evening, Ross Fleming and Dave Butler won the crews' race and before the final race a combined non-spinnaker, single-handed and Youth race took place, with Ally & Phoebe Jones winning the non-spinnaker races, Jon Willars winning the single-handed race and James & Paul Robinson winning the youth race.

The final points race started in around 20 knots of wind with national champions Sam Mettam & Geoff Phillips leading to the windward mark followed by former national champions David & Michelle Raines and Ally & Harry Jones. Once again second overall Jeremy Davy & Ethan Plank showed their ability to pull through the fleet and managed to catch the Raines and the Jones. Some very tight racing ensued with Davy & Plank taking second from the Raines and the Jones. 3rd place was enough to give the Jones 3rd overall from Martin & Abby Huett.

In the evening the class got together for a prizegiving dinner with some excellent food and prizes donated by sponsors Harken, Gibson Sails & Butler Boats. Prizes were presented by John Robertson & Hannah Stodel from the British Paralympic Sailing Team to add to what felt a very special occasion.

Overall the class has been staggered by the facilities, professionalism and friendliness on the team at WPNSA. Hopefully the class will be back again in the future!

Next year marks the 40th anniversary of the fleet and a special Nationals at Hunstanton. The class is aiming for 40 new boats and maybe even 100 at the Nationals with as many former Miracle sailors as possible. If you want to get involved, please contact registration.queries@miracledinghy.org.

Overall Silver Fleet report by Jon Willars

Bright sunshine greeted the Miracle fleet to the sailing academy in Portland Harbour for what turned out to be a fiercely contested event right through the fleets in a variation of conditions. Many of the top sailors from each fleet made the journey to Weymouth and the silver fleet particularly looked like it could go to anyone.

At the onset it was close between Brian Jones with John Green, Ashley Southwell with James Wilkinson, Simon Reddicliffe with Mark Atherton and Jon Willars with Rachel Day, all fighting for positions and even after going to opposite sides of the course on the beat seemed to keep greeting each other at the windward mark and trading places throughout the reaches/ runs.

New additions to the association this year saw Yvonne and Brian Mumford join the silver fleet which proved to raise the standard further and they began their nationals campaign by dominating Silver and having several top 10 finishes. As the wind and chop increased later in the week the fleet started to spread out a little more although the conditions appeared to favour the Mumfords and Jon and Rachel, with both teams giving some of the Gold fleet something to think about.

The Mumfords however did enough early on to secure the title in the Silver fleet and sailed the remaining two days in comfort while remaining consistent with their results.

The race organisers did a first class job setting some of the best start lines many of us have seen and gave us plenty of room which helped in keeping the black flag from making an appearance and the rescue teams where quickly on hand when any team decided to show off the underside of their hull which created some well needed reassurance when the weather changed.

It was great to see the event organiser Sam Mettam and his crew Geoff Phillips displaying some top class sailing at the front of the fleet and maintaining the standard that was always expected of them in the run up to the event. Sam has put many months of hard work into getting this event organised and together with the staff at Weymouth and Portland Sailing Academy provided the Miracle fleet with something really special to remember.

Overall Bronze fleet report by David Herbstritt & Josie Airns

Wow! What a week at WPNSA for the Miracle Nationals. Everyday full on 'sailing' weather of Force 4 to keep us all on our 'tippy toes straps'! I was delighted to see such a broad age range in both helm and crew competing. Very inspiring indeed.

What a privilege too, sailing on the same waters as the Olympic teams and being led by the same Race Officer too! Start lines spot on and the course, safety RIBs and tally system so well managed. Many thanks to the whole team. Excellent tight reaches, flying the spinnaker for over a kilometer planning all the way – what an experience, and a luxury we don't get on our puddle at Shotwick lake!

Bronze racers are no less brave than the top guys. The most memorable being a start registering 32 knots and near abandonment. An adjusted line and restart sent us off to sailing a strenuous but exciting 2 traces. Only 4 of the 15 Bronze racers stayed ashore. The rest went for it including our eldest helm at 73 (Rene Savelli) and 2 younger crews at 11 and 12 (Giulia Neuteboom and James Robinson).

Young Robinson went on to enter the youth race in even stronger conditions the next day – well done James – a future Gold in the making!

The week saw our first ever international entrants from Holland, father (airline pilot) and daughter 'dubbed' the 'Flying Dutchman' Marcel & Giulia Neuteboom. With our association's family ethos I hope we will see them again next year. Giulia will be going home to tell the tale of her first capsize!

Thanks too to Gemma Gibson for the training nights – fun and very valuable. Gems of tips from video footage taken of the racing that we will take away and keep practicing with. We will be back for more!

Having competed in 3 consecutive nationals now, we appreciate the camaraderie and bond, both on and off the water from the Bronze to the top sailors who always make time and space to give you tips or a helping hand. We are now moving up to the silver fleet, but we will be watching our tail and look forward to next year's 40th anniversary nationals.

Overall Results:
If you finished in the top ten at the Miracle nationals then enter your Gear Guide information here