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Selden 2020 - LEADERBOARD

Finn Open at Bosham Sailing Club

by Dick Pratt 23 Apr 2018 13:48 BST 21-22 April 2018
Bosham Finn Open © Viviene Morga

Bosham Sailing Club hosted a two-day International Finn Dinghy Open Meeting. On 21st/22nd April The club's brief was to lay on three races per day around traditional marks across the eastern half of Chichester Harbour. This they did and the seventeen boats that entered raced from Itchenor Reach in the east, as far as the Winner Bank in the south, Prinsted Rythe in the north and Stocker Lake in the west.

The sun shone some of the time and the wind was easterly (5-10kts) on the first day and southerly (10-15kts) on the second making for a great variety of courses. Race Officer, Mike Brooke, completed the schedule but had to invoke the black flag twice on the first day with a flood tide pushing an eager fleet to premature starts. With only one discard, it brought the fleet largely into compliance.

Despite the mixture of very long and very short beats and runs, the racing remained very close. The oldest Finn was a Fairey (with carbon) and the newest were the latest models with a range in between.

The youngest helm was twenty-one and the oldest were three over 70yrs ("Legends"), but they all mixed it and complained equally of aching knees after one of the mega short tacking battles. Helms came from Essex, Chew Valley, Warsash as well as other Chichester Harbour clubs. Teas were provided each day and the club hosted a dinner on Saturday evening. The club made visitors from further afield welcome with offers of accommodation over night.

Bosham's association with the Finn class goes back to the early 1950s when Charles Currey, Martine Beale and Vernon Stratton introduced to them club, since when there has been a continuous Finn Fleet. The winner overall this year was Julian Smith with Mike de Courcy and Fred van Arkel second and third respectively. Julian received the Bosham Silver Plate, the others glass tumblers and all the competitors received product prizes provided by event sponsor Suntouched Sailboats (Sue & Rodney Cobb).

Overall Results:

PosSail No.HelmClubR1R2R3R4R5R6Pts
1720SMITH JulianMRSC(OCS)1251110
221DeCOURCY MikeMRSC12335‑714
376VAN ASKEL FredBarry YC5‑7614521
453COBB RodneyBSC2(RTD)782221
5100WALKER MatthewMRSC(OCS)4446422
6548CHAPPLE KitBSC‑98127927
713KHODYKIN RomanMRSC(OCS)35731129
8545PRATT DickBSC75‑131010840
9679COLE JamesWarsash668(OCS)DNF341
1022WYLAM AndrewMRSC(OCS)111268643
1115SYMONS JamesBSC11101199‑1250
12772WYBURN JamesMRSC8121411(DNF)1055
13605EVANS ColinChew Valley Lake SC4910(DNC)DNCDNC59
1474CRISPIN Lawance 3139(DNC)DNCDNC61
15578STRINGER MikeBSC1214‑1513111363
1654BUCHANAN Andew 1015(DNC)12DNF1469
17454BRANSON DougBSC13161614(DNC)DNC77

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