International Canoe National Championships at the WPNSA - Day 1
by Gareth Caldwell 15 Jun 2014 10:27 BST
14-16 June 2014
This was most certainly a day for those tuned and bronzed athletes with strategic vision, their ability to find a gap in a congested area whilst maintaining hydration levels, knowing where the competition was... and that was only the 'trolley dolly' ladies who were frequenting the bar!
Meanwhile, out on the course the sailors waited patiently for Al Warren's birthday breakfast hangover to cure, and also for the sea breeze to win its battle with the gradient breeze.
A little later than planned the racing commenced in a light fluctuating breeze. Whilst most of the fleet did its best to decimate the local jelly fish population, causing a few unscheduled stoppages not unlike the whims of a certain F1 team, Robin Wood showed excellent boat speed that others couldn't match.
Place changes were not only at 'wind shift' level, but also at 'seaweed trawl' level - removing a rudder down wind to remove the weed is a skill not necessarily needed in other classes.
Three races in the light breeze were completed. Two races are planned for Sunday morning with the Long Distance race in the afternoon.
Results after Day 1:
Pos | Sail No | Helm | Club | R1 | R2 | R3 | Pts |
AC Fleet |
1st | 306a | Tony ROBERTSHAW | Weston SC | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
2nd | 310 | Stephen BOWEN | Aberaeron YC | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
3rd | 288 | Andy GORDON | Stokes Bay SC | 3 | 4 | 3 | 10 |
4th | 300 | Roger HOWELL | Royal Plymouth Corinthian YC | 4 | 3 | 4 | 11 |
IC Fleet |
1st | 329 | Robin WOOD | Tata Steel SC | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
2nd | 317 | Alistair WARREN | Aldeburgh YC | 3 | 3 | 2 | 8 |
3rd | 319 | Colin BROWN | Ullswater YC | 2 | 4 | 6 | 12 |
4th | 334 | John ELLIS | Scaling Dam SC | 9.5 | 2 | 3 | 14.5 |
5th | 323 | Max REID | Oxford SC | 8 | 6 | 4 | 18 |
6th | 278 | Simon ALLEN | Hayling Island SC | 4 | 11 | 7 | 22 |
7th | 311 | Perham HARDING | Swanage SC | 9.5 | 5 | 8 | 22.5 |
8th | 328 | Phil ROBIN | London Corinthian SC | 5 | 8 | 11 | 24 |
9th | 327 | Rob BELL | Emberton Park SC | 6 | 9 | 13 | 28 |
10th | 330 | Steve CLARKE | Tata Steel SC | RET | 7 | 5 | 29 |
11th | 275 | Hugh de IONGH | Castle Cove SC | 11 | 14 | 10 | 35 |
12th | 326 | Colin NEWMAN | Draycote Water SC | 7 | 15 | 14 | 36 |
13th | 308 | Chris HAMPE | Royal Plymouth Corinthian YC | DNC | 10 | 9 | 36 |
14th | 250 | Chris DUFFIN | Stokes Bay SC | 13 | 12 | 12 | 37 |
15th | 320 | Robert STEBBING | Chichester YC | 12 | 13 | 15 | 40 |
16th | 233 | Mike SHREEVE | Northampton SC | 14 | 16 | 16 | 46 |