Contenders at the Weymouth Regatta

The 11th of July saw 21 Contenders descend on Castle Cove SC in Weymouth for the last Travellers Trophy event before the Worlds in Medemblik. As the Open was to be part of Weymouth Regatta the course was shared out in the bay with the Ospreys and Fast Handicap with three races per day on a trapezoid course.

In breezy sunny conditions the first race got away cleanly (as did all six races which must be a record for the Contender fleet) with Stuart Jones leading form start to finish followed not that closely by Graham Scott and local boy Nick Grace.

Race two saw the wind building slightly and this time Gary Langdown got the first beat just right and led from Scott and the flying Nick Noble fresh from his supposedly secret training camp with Carl Tagoe. On the short run Scott capsized and Grace shot through to second which he held to the finish ahead of Noble.

The third race saw the closest racing yet with six boats going down the first short run bunched tightly together with Langdown emerging to lead followed by team Tagoe-Noble, Grace and Jones but not Scott who had yet again managed to chuck it in. Somehow Langdown managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory with an appalling last tack so the finishing order was Jones, Langdown and Noble, putting Jones in the overnight leaders spot.

A very sociable evening was followed by a miserable Sunday morning with rain and 20ish knots the order of the day.

With race four away first time Scott and Tagoe sailed clear of the fleet and after an epic tussle Scott just got away on the last lap to take the win with Noble up to third (these training camps must really work!).

Race five saw Noble storm away using all his newly acquired skills to lead in the ever increasing breeze. This is when boats started breaking with Grace suffering a broken shroud while lying second and Jones found himself at the back of the fleet after his new traveller came undone. Scott took second with Langdown third.

The last race started with Jones, Langdown and Noble all in with a chance of overall victory but it was Scott who led all the way round while Noble blew his chance with a capsize on the run and then Jones blew his shroud on the next lap when lying second. Langdown took his chance to finish behind Scott with Tagoe in third.

So, overall after some intense close racing in excellent conditions, Gary Langdown won by one point from Nick Noble with Stuart Jones slipping to third.

Big thanks to Castle Cove for a great event and Nick Grace as always for his hospitality.

Overall Results: