Burnham Week 2018 - Day 3
by Sally Harbott 28 Aug 2018 10:49 BST
25 August - 1 September 2018
The final day of the Bank Holiday Weekend had sunshine to start the day with a strong westerly breeze blowing straight down the river. The starts were up at West Quay today so that the town on Quay Day could all enjoy the fantastic spectacle of watching the fleets run down through the town.
It was also the final day of the regatta for all dinghy classes today and so it was an important day afloat for those in contention. In the handicap fleet, James Hutton-Penman in his Aero 7 won with Karenza Newcombe in her Laser 4.7 second overall.
The Ospreys set off early for their race this morning, and had a fantastic spinnaker leg down through the town. This was their last day of racing and Alex Mamwell won in 'Warning may contain nuts' with a score of 1,4,1,3.
The Phantom class had a good turnout over the weekend generally, and were competing for their East Coast Championships as well as Burnham Week trophies. They started at the West Quay line and ran off down river, with helms in their traditional kneeling position, keeping weight more forward. Bob Portway in Mandy took the weekend trophy and championship.
Havana Papa, the second committee boat, started the multihulls down river and they headed off down wind against the remainder of the flood tide. They had a quick leg out to the turning mark, and like most fleets ended the day with a very long beat against a strong ebb tide. Nick Wood's Origami won the weekend.
In Class One, the fleet were careful to stay upriver of the line before the gun. Duncan and Beccy Haley's Corby 29 Double Trouble were first to hoist their kite, their colourful AP2; Glorious Fools went for their smaller bright green spinnaker, reaching up towards the South Shore before heading down river. Next to hoist was Mantra, who flew her red asymmetric. She headed towards the North Shore and sailed through the moorings, while Double Trouble sailed more in the middle of the river. Lucy Lee sailed down the Fairway under white sail, and Ant Law's Tifano, also under white sail went North Shore. Digger Harden's Glorious Fools helmed by Doug Duce took the lead and led the fleet down towards Inner Crouch. The lead soon changed and Double Trouble, the highest rates in class, rounded Inner Crouch first, followed by Mantra and then Glorious Fools. Tifano had retired by this point in the race. On corrected time Double Trouble won, with Glorious Fools second and Mantra third. This gave Glorious Fools the Bank Holiday series win, with Mantra runners up.
In Class 5, The Hunter 707s were very quick to hoist their distinctive pink and blue spinnakers and headed the fleet. Clive Cherry and Daryl Mylroie's Eclipse put up their red, white and blue AP in pursuit. Spring Chicken owned by Richard Moore, an MG Spring, took some time to set her kite, but when the kite filled, she ran off quickly down the town shore. Ophelia ran down the middle of the river staying white sail until past Priors, where she struggled to get her AP set and pulling. Grace and Danger started at the pin end and reached hard up towards the South Shore before bearing away onto more of a run. On the final leg, a long foul tide beat, Stephen Gosling went bare headed in Grace and Danger in order to change from a very small blade headsail to a larger one as the wind was easing off slightly. Within the 707 division, Baby Beluga owned by Debbie de Boltz and helmed by Nic Tolhurst won the weekend with a second and two firsts; Paul Gray's Beaver Hunter was second. In the NHC Stephen Gosling and Andrew Courts in SJ27 were weekend winners and Clive Cherry and Daryl Mylroie's Eclipse runners up.
Class 6 had three starters again today, with John Saunders in Jeannie leading from the gun. Sailing down river they stretched out their on the water lead from Seraphina and Spangle and by the long foul tide beat had gained a substantial lead, shaking out her reef on this leg, she made the most of the wind. John Saunders won the weekend, with Seraphina, the Nauticat 42 second.
The day boat classes have all enjoyed close competitive racing, with good fleets every day. The Dragons all set their spinnakers before the starting gun, and the fleet were spread across the width of the start line. The majority reached towards the pin until the gun and then headed off down towards their first mark. They enjoyed a fast down wind leg surfing down the waves caused by wind over tide. Overall, Daniel Wastnage, joining the Dragon fleet this year after many years in RBODs, won in his Dragon 558 Sabbatical.
The line was again busy for the ever popular squib class. It made for a colourful spectacle for all the visitors who were by now lining the seawall enjoying the racing. As always, the fleet split, with many diving to the town side, whilst others went up to the South Shore. Even on the long foul tide beat home, Humphrey, Spoof, Guy Fawkes and Lady Penelope amongst others followed by the majority turned up the North Shore, whilst several others tried their luck along the South Shore, tucked up under Foulness. Overall, Humphrey, owned by Robert Coyle won, with Mickey Wright in Spoof second.
Next off were the RCODs again many reefed in the gusty winds. The pink RCOD belonging to Justin Waples had some spinnaker issues at the start, losing a sheet and a crew member went onto the foredeck to rectify this. By the time they got to the blocks they hadn't lost out a great deal to the other two RCODs who were also on the Town Shore. The others had chosen to go further South. The fleet endured a long hard foul tide beat up, and were the last day boat fleet to finish, having short tacked all the way up the North Shore from Holliwell. RC 12 Cormorant won the weekend by a point.
In the RBOD class, all were on the line and hoisted kites quickly to enjoy a sleigh ride run down river. Mandarin, who had won the first two races of the weekend were looking to make it a clean sweep. They won today picking up four trophies at prize giving.
Prize giving followed for all classes in the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club. The club was full and the presentations took place in a fantastic atmosphere. The week continues for cruisers and day boats with a midweek series. On Wednesday night the Burnham Sailing Club are again hosting the John Torrance Memorial Race for dinghies as part of the Burnham Week dinghy programme.
Full details as well as all the results and further pictures can be found on the website www.burnhamweek.com