2000 Millennium Series Open at Chichester Yacht Club

Rob & Sarah Burridge during the 2000 Millennium Series at Chichester © Nigel Cowan

Steve & Sarah Cockerill during the 2000 Millennium Series at Chichester © Nigel Cowan

Once again, Chichester Yacht Club provided some superb weather for the first 2000 Millennium Series meeting of 2017. Warm, sunny and gentle winds - while on the shore!

Having launched, and sailed the 5 minutes out to the start, we found a good 12-14 knots from the south-west - straight up the channel, allowing some great windward / leeward courses to be set.

The first start, with the tide holding the 20 boats back from the line, was clean, with Chris and Gill Jordan the first to tack to the right hand side out of the flooding tide. However, when the two sides of the fleet met near the windward mark, it was Steve and Sarah Cockerill who were first around having crossed the tide early, followed by Chris / Gill and Rob and Sarah Burridge.

Rob didn't like being back in 3rd place, so planed through into the lead by the leeward mark, and held the lead to the finish. Miles Wade and Simon Horsfield sorted out the issues of 2-helms-in-a-boat and over took the Jordan's down the final run to take 3rd.

2000 Millennium Series at Chichester - photo © Chichester Yacht Club

The second race saw a tighter start, with 2 boats over. Miles and Simon cleared themselves, but Chris Brown didn't. Chris / Gill again tacked out to the right, out of the (now slacker) tide, but with the wind rising to 16 steady and gusts to 21 knots on the beat it was Steve and Sarah Cockerill who were first around the first mark having again beat up the left hand side. Steve and Sarah made no mistakes this race, extending their lead to the finish, with Rob / Sarah shaking off enough weed to hold on to second with the ever-present Chris / Gill taking 3rd.

For the third race the tide was now ebbing and driving the fleet over the line. However, the well-behaved fleet all started cleanly - although the Race Officer reported that most of the fleet crossed the line under 1 second after the start gun. Once again, the first two around the first mark were Steve / Sarah and Chis / Gill. But it was Rob / Sarah who led the charge down-wind. Except that Miles and Simon gybed early, crossed the tide, and went from around 10th to 100 yards in the lead. By the finish 4 laps later Rob / Sarah were back in the lead, followed by Steve and Sarah.

2000 Millennium Series at Chichester - photo © Chichester Yacht Club

A tough day for the first meeting, with the wind rising all day. But everyone came off the water weary and smiling. The Race Officer did a great job, with accurate start lines, a good length of course all day, and just the right gap between races. The closeness of the racing was well demonstrated by the large number of boats within the fleet finishing within 1 or 2 seconds of each other after 4 laps of racing in 18-20 knots. An example was the leeward gate: The left-hand buoy was definitely favoured - except the tide away from the gate meant the right hand buoy was just as quick! A number of people were racing to make the best use of the tide and doing very well out of it, and then five minutes later the others who were ignoring the tide and tacking on the wind shifts were doing better.

The second day was more of the same - except instead of gusting up to 20 knots, it seemed to be 20 knots as a minimum. The first beat was slightly shorter for the fourth race. Steve and Sarah Cockerill continued their good starts to lead around the first mark by 3 or 4 yds from Rob and Sarah Burridge. Steve and Sarah then turned on the go pedal and disappeared down wind - eventually winning by 200 yds or more. Rob / Sarah held off the rest of the fleet, partly because the Jordan's dropped the mainsheet and capsized to windward. Boats 3rd to 6th all finished within 5 seconds of each - demonstrating the close racing that was taking place everywhere.

Rob and Sarah Burridge sparkling in the sunshine during the 2000 Millennium Series at Chichester - photo © Chichester Yacht Club

The fifth race was Rob / Sarah's turn to turn on the speed down wind and to lead around comfortably - helped by the Cockerill's having to return after pushing the start line just too much.

By the sixth race, the fleet was diminished to just 11 boats as a number of people were finding it just too much to handle for the first Open of the year. For the Burridges and Cockerills it was all on the last race. Steve / Sarah led around the first mark and gybed off, leaving Rob / Sarah to stay in the pressure and take the lead - closely followed by Miles and Anderley Wade who had some great runs in the final race. Rob / Sarah looked as though they had the meeting sown up, until they generated some excitement all on their own. Half way down the run, Rob looked down and saw a knot in the spinnaker halyard. He took the spinny sheet allowing Sarah to untangle the knot - while planing flat out towards the bank. A quick gybe before running aground, and now they were heading for the leeward mark - with the knot still in place. This time Sarah had to take the tiller and sheet, while Rob untied the knot - getting it sorted just in time for the final drop.

Overall, Rob and Sarah Burridge from Weir Wood SC won the event, with Steve and Sarah Cockerill in 2nd place from Stokes Bay SC. Miles and Anderley Wade from the Army Sailing Association took 3rd place, while Kev O'Brien and Gemma Burridge from the RAF Sailing Association slipped into 4th place.

Rob & Sarah Burridge win the 2000 Millennium Series at Chichester - photo © Nigel Cowan

Overall Results: