VX One UK National Championship at Royal Torbay Yacht Club
by VX One Association 3 Sep 2018 15:29 BST
25-27 August 2018
2018 VX One Nationals in Torbay © Jean Border /
www.borderphotos2010.com
The VX One UK National Championship was fantastically hosted by Royal Torbay Yacht Club over 25-27 August, and it had a bit of everything both on the water and socially. It started with a Commodore's welcome reception from previous VX One National Champion Adrian Peach which was much welcomed by all before racing commenced.
With the wind blowing off the land to the west the most prominent features were the 40 degree shifts and gusts ranging from 10-20 knots which made for very significant gains and losses and lots of place changing in this growing class of high performance boats. Get it right and you could add 10 knots of boat speed and go 40 degrees lower... get it wrong and.... well we all know that feeling.
The opening day saw 2 races completed (and one canned) in c10k of breeze. Fast out of the traps in race 1 was Nathan Batchelor of Ovington Boats with Mike Tustin followed by David and Edmund Clarke from Ullswater YC.
In Race 2 Jono Shelley, Graham Priestley and Chris Blackburn worked through the fleet to take the win on the last gybe from reigning Champion Dave and Charlie Chandler sailing with Jamie Hall. Shelley and crew led overnight, but it was all very close.
Sunday was unfortunately blown off with 30k+ and a confused sea state but Monday dawned to an early start, some sunshine and 10-20k of 'oscillating' breeze for some focussed gear changing upwind and fast planing downwind.
John Robson and Tom Giles led for much of race one but were overhauled by Harry and Simon Briddon who took the win from Keith Lockey, Andy Weatherspoon and Richard Watson. It was still anyone's championship.
As the breeze built the next two races followed a similar pattern with Shelley, The Briddon's and Neal Piper sailing with Mel Landamore and Phil Murray taking to the front of the fleet. Shelley showed his downwind form from sailing the Musto Skiff taking victory in both races. Very narrowly in the final race when Mel decided to water ski off the back on the final gybe, remarkably recovering to take second.
Counting three firsts and a fourth Jono Shelley, Graham Priestley and Chris Blackburn from Ullswater were national champions followed by Harry and Simon Briddon and Neal Piper's team.
Garda is next for the class in September. With good second hand boats like the national championship winning boat and new ones from Ovington Boats available for sale, 20 knots plus downwind and very close sailing what's not to love...
Overall Results:
| Pos | Sail No | Boat Name | Owner | Crew | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | Pts |
|---|
| 1 | 181 | Robbers Dog | Jono Shelley | Graeme Priestley
Chris Blackburn | 4 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| 2 | 274 | | Harry Briddon | Simon Briddon | 5 | 15 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 14 |
| 3 | 191 | Vixen | Neal Piper | Philip Murray
Melanie Landamore | 8 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 15 |
| 4 | 193 | Midsummer nights dream | David Chandler | Charles Chandler
Jamie Hall | 7 | 2 | 15 | 5 | 3 | 17 |
| 5 | 189 | House of Fun | David Clarke | Edmund Clarke | 2 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 17 |
| 6 | 179 | Abracadabra | Nathan Batchelor | Mike Tustin | 1 | 8 | 11 | 4 | 8 | 21 |
| 7 | 202 | | Steven King | James Wanless | 3 | 5 | 6 | 13 | 7 | 21 |
| 8 | 149 | Group Therapy | Keith Lockey | Andy Weatherspoon
Richard Watson | 9 | 6 | 2 | 14 | 11 | 28 |
| 9 | 180 | | John Robson | Tom Giles | 6 | 11 | 3 | 10 | 15 | 30 |
| 10 | 273 | Rob's floating house of fun | Geoff Tait | Lisa Tait
Rob Kelly | 11 | 9 | 7 | 12 | 4 | 31 |
| 11 | 203 | Battlecruiser | Tony Lewis | Andrew Cutting
Rhys Lewis | 12 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 33 |
| 12 | 190 | Full English | Neil Harris | Steve Huish | 15 | 10 | 12 | 6 | 10 | 38 |
| 13 | 272 | | Simon Hawkes | Paul Birbeck | 15 | 15 | 8 | 9 | 12 | 44 |
| 14 | 173 | Beep Beep | Tim Knight | Pete Bell
Andy Maskel | 10 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 46 |