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GAC Pindar British Finn Championship at Mengeham Rythe Sailing Club - Overall

by British Finn Association 2 Jul 2018 11:28 BST 29 June - 1 July 2018

Henry Wetherell clinched his first Finn national title at Mengeham Rythe SC on Sunday after only one further race was possible. British Sailing Team member Wetherell also took the U 23 title, ahead of GAC Pindar U 23 Cameron Tweedle in second with Grand Master Graham Tinsley third.

After a wonderful 4 course championship dinner served up by the club on Saturday night, the final day of the GAC Pindar British Finn Nationals was even more tricky for both race committee and sailors than the previous two days. The first attempt at race 5 was abandoned on the second leg after the sea breeze shifted the wind through more than 100 degrees on the first beat. In a similar scenario to Saturday's race the leading boats were all on the left of the upwind leg, heading towards the stronger pressure off the Hayling seafront. They then tacked onto the Port lay-line and when the leaders were 500m from the mark found themselves becalmed and forced to watch the back end of the fleet reaching into the mark with the sudden southerly sea breeze. At that point Tweedle was in a winning position with Wetherell near the back but the abandonment saved him from a high points score.

After a wait for the feeble sea breeze to establish the restart under a black flag was all about getting out to the right hand side of the course. Pressure came in half way up with double champion Allen Burrell leading the group on the right round the top. Starting just down from the Committee boat he tacked off to the right and headed for the Isle of Wight. Keeping his conviction that the sea breeze would build to the south, Burrell went furthest right, ignoring the temptation to tack back on the feeble shifts to the left. He just held on downwind and then extended up the second beat by again heading hard right as the wind died to almost nothing. The course was shortened at the second top mark with Burrell taking the gun, Finn newcomer but top singlehanded sailor Andy Couch claimed second and Wetherell third - fighting back from an average start, which turned out to be enough to win the championship.

It was impressive to watch Wetherell's technique downwind in the fickle breeze. With the tide taking the fleet right to left and with the stronger pressure on the left there was a danger of being swept too far left of the downwind gate. As he approached the gate, Wetherell somehow managed to slide his boat to the right, seemingly sailing by the lee, whilst still managing to stay on the favoured port gybe.

The fleet waited afloat for another hour in the hope that the sea breeze would return but it was to no avail and at about 1600 the fleet was finally towed home.

Graeme Macdonald of the host club had done a wonderful job in coaxing a huge array of Finn sailors' goodies for a generous prize giving that saw every entrant go home with a shiny new piece of kit. Drawn by lots, prizes included a Raymarine compass, Ronstan race watch, Musto hikers, Marlow mainsheets, Harken blocks & towlines, Petticrow boat covers, Hawk wind vanes and Finn equipment from Suntouched Sailboats. The top three also took away sizeable cheques to spend on their sailing campaigns, presented by MRSC Commodore Joanna Lewis.

Henry Wetherell only took one race win across the championship's tricky weekend, but his consistent scoreline of 1,2, (12) 2, 3, saw him take the title by an impressive 13 points, Everyone had one nightmare result when the race went inside out but it takes maturity to keep a calm head and recover as much as possible. With the high temperature and thermal instability it was always going to be a tough job for the race team, but PRO Robert Macdonald did a sterling job in getting as many races as were humanly possible out of the weak and un-predictable breeze.

Race winners Wetherell, Simpson, Smith and Burrell can now add their names to the famous lists inscribed on the historic perpetual trophies, alongside the likes of Vernon Stratton, Ian McDonald-Smith, Chris Law, Ben Ainslie, Andrew Simpson, Giles Scott and Ben Cornish. Henry Wetherell can also add his name to the elite group etched onto Sunday Times Gold Cup.

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

PosSail NoHelm nameCategoryClubR1R3R4R5R6Pts
1st71Henry WetherellUnder 23Beaver Sailing Club12-12238
2nd98Cameron TweedleUnder 23WPNSA24-1851021
3rd73Graham TinsleyGrand MasterYorkshire Dales Sailing Club6837-1324
4th81James SkulczukUnder 23WPNSA MYC31148-1426
5th49James Downer Gurnard Sailing Club135-403829
6th2Allen BurrellGrand MasterThorpe Bay Yacht Club11-171013135
7th21Michael de CourcyGrand MasterMengeham Rythe Sailing Club16(BFD)211635
8th96Hector SimpsonUnder 23Yorkshire Dales Sailing Club(DNF)1331742
9th28Jack ArnellUnder 23Christchurch Sailing Club107274(BFD)48
10th703Markus BettumUnder 23Gurnard Sailing Club46-35211849
11th774Andy CouchClassicLeigh and Lowton72321(DNS)253
12th33Kieron HoltMasterWarsash Sailing Club1412-49181155
13th74Lawrence CrispinGrand MasterStone Sailing Club8191515-2357
14th88Jonathan TweedleMasterOxford Sailing Club / RAFSA2310-5161958
15th38Callum DixonUnder 23Docklands Sailing & Watersports Centre9131323-2758
16th14Stefan NordströmGrand MasterKKF2226-459461
17th718Graeme MacdonaldLegendMengeham Rythe Sailing Club19-419122262
18th55Henry Bagnall Gurnard Sailing Club(DNC)322241665
19th53Rodney CobbLegendMengeham Rythe SC Bosham SC(DNC)275221266
20th17Simon PettitGrand MasterMengeham Rythe Sailing Club17168-373273
21st61John HeyesGrand MasterMengeham Rythe Sailing Club15-3029102074
22nd750Ivan BurdenGrand MasterBurridge2015-5335979
23rd100Matthew WalkerMasterMengeham Rythe Sailing Club301424(DNS)1583
24th635Simon PercivalMasterChristchurch Sailing Club5(BFD)20303085
25th82Simon GreenGrand MasterDowns Sailing Club24-4014321787
26th52Will PattenGrand MasterRHYC21-2826172589
27th581Alex AtkinsMasterChristchurch Sailing Club3318-42192191
28th80Ray NewLegendChristchurch Sailing Club2721-48143799
29th93Tim SimpsonGrand MasterYorkshire Dales Sailing Club-452517312699
30th41Paul Childs Hayling Island Sailing Club122011(DNS)DNC102
31st720Julian SmithGrand MasterMengeham Rythe Sailing Club3891(DNS)DNC107
32nd701Dugal WilsonUnder 23-28243127-40110
33rd564Peter VintonGreat Grand MasterWarsash Sailing Club-3922381635111
34th83George ColesUnder 23Carsington Sailing Club3133-432029113
35th10Robert DeavesGrand MasterWaldringfield Sailing Club-462944365114
36th679James ColeMasterWarsash Sailing Club1839-472631114
37th76Fred van ArkelGrand MasterChew Valley Lake Sailing Club34356(DNS)41116
38th22Andrew WylamGreat Grand MasterMengeham Rythe Sailing Club25-51233338119
39th68John MackieGrand Master-32-43342528119
40th707Iona DixonUnder 23Docklands Sailing & Watersports Centre(DNC)37322924122
41st1Sander KooijGrand MasterThorpe Bay Yacht Club29-38253436124
42ndNED1Peter BarrMasterMengeham Rythe Sailing Club4734740(DNF)128
43rd745John ColegraveGreat Grand MasterAberdeen & Stonehaven Yacht Club-4231392834132
44th595Edward ThorburnGrand MasterNewhaven & Seaford Sailing Club37421945-47143
45th77Stewart MitchellGrand MasterAnnandale Sailing Club40452838-46151
46th34Peter BlickGreat Grand MasterKeyhaven Yacht Club41323741(DNC)151
47th42Richard PhillipsGreat Grand MasterChristchurch Sailing Club-4949164444153
48th13Roman KhodykinMasterMengeham Rythe Sailing Club2647-504339155
49th40Russell NewMasterChristchurch Sailing Club-4844363942161
50th619Richard CraneGrand Master-50-52304649175
51st666Ian JayMasterSutton Bingham Sailing Club353646(DNS)DNC176
52nd30Ian FrayneGrand MasterMengeham Rythe Sailing Club(DNC)48414245176
53rd658Robin GrangeGreat Grand MasterMengeham Rythe Sailing Club515352(DNS)43199
54th4Russ WardGrand MasterMengeham Rythe Sailing Club4446(DNF)DNSDNC208
55th48Ant WalkerLegendMengeham Rythe Sailing Club(DNC)DNCDNCDNC33210
56th771Paul SmithGrand MasterWarsash Sailing Club(DNC)5054DNS48211
57th69Cy GrisleyMasterKeyhaven Yacht Club36(DNC)DNCDNCDNC213
58th89Andy GrayGreat Grand MasterMengeham Rythe Sailing Club43(DNC)DNCDNCDNC220

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