Noble Marine Supernova Travellers at Bowmoor Sailing Club

by Chris Hobbs 5 Sep 2018 06:23 BST 1 September 2018

Gavin Young wins the Noble Marine Supernova Travellers at Bowmoor © Chris Hobbs

32 Supernovas entered the Noble Marine-sponsored Supernova Travellers Open at Bowmoor SC – 17 had expert training on gybing and rules clarification the previous day at the Class training day. It was good to see such a strong turnout in pleasant sunny conditions with a light and shifty south easterly.

After bacon rolls and breakfast tea, Tom Whittingham, the race officer for the day, set a course with a variety of windward legs and some long reaches from a Committee boat start. Two back to back races in the morning gave tight battles throughout the fleet. In R1 after a clean start, boats constantly changed positions as the wind fluctuated in direction and strength. It was Cliff Milliner who eventually established a lead and went onto to win with fellow Cotswold sailor Gavin Young 2nd, Mike Gibson ('Mr Consistent' from Bartley) in 3rd followed by fellow Bartley sailor and Class Chairman Chris Hawley 4th, and Comet Trio National Champion Bob Horlock (Exe) in 5th.

Race 2 got underway with a very similar feel apart from this time top spot went to Alex Horlock (2017 National Champion) from Exe SC and Mike Gibson (Bartley) taking 2nd with Gavin Young from Cotswold SC 3rd. Race 1 leader Cliff Milliner made a 6th place. At the end of Race 2, six sailors could theoretically take top prize, so all to play for.

This was the last Open after 40 years that the Bowmoor 'Pat and Stan galley' was going to service (due to retirement) so we all enjoyed a 'last supper lunch'. Race Officer Tom reset the course as the wind shifted Southerly (still shifty though). At the front an epic tussle between Gavin Young and Cliff Milliner finally gave Gavin his 1st, Cliff 2nd, and Steve Hawley (Bartley) 3rd, followed by Mike Gibson 4th and Alex Horlock 5th.

Overall Results:

Pos	Helm	Sail No	Fleet	Club	R1	R2	R3	Pts
1	Gavin Young	1192	Standard	Cotswold	2	‑3	1	3
2	Cliff Milliner	1190	Standard	Cotswold	1	‑6	2	3
3	Mike Gibson	1127	Master	Bartley	3	2	‑4	5
4	Alex Horlock	1060	Standard	Exe	‑6	1	5	6
5	Steve Hawley	1133	Standard	Bartley	‑11	4	3	7
6	Chris Hawley	1224	Standard	Bartley	4	5	‑6	9
7	Bob Horlock	1079	Veteran	Exe	5	‑13	8	13
8	Steve Johnson	1203	Veteran	Cotswold	8	‑15	7	15
9	Chris Hobbs	1179	Master	Bowmoor	7	9	‑17	16
10	Paul Undrell	1160	Master	Cotswold	10	7	‑14	17
11	Ellen Clancy	1141	Lady	Cotswold	12	8	‑13	20
12	Brian Smith	1069	Veteran	Bowmoor	‑16	11	10	21
13	Serena Stewardson	1083	Lady	Emberton Park	13	12	‑20	25
14	Rob Corner	1156	Master	Attenborough	‑21	18	9	27
15	Mark Meadows	1171	Veteran	Barton	17	10	‑21	27
16	Lesley Jeanes	1109	Lady	Cotswold	‑24	17	11	28
17	Ian Casewell	1057	Veteran	Cotswold	14	‑16	15	29
18	Andy Gould	1137	Veteran	Cotswold	15	14	‑22	29
19	Pete Bingham	1177	Veteran	Bowmoor	9	21	‑23	30
20	Mke Walker	1087	Master	Bowmoor	18	‑25	12	30
21	Chris Watts	1163	Veteran	Bough Beech	20	‑26	18	38
22	Mark Hitchmough	561	Master	Bowmoor	19	19	‑26	38
23	David Stephen	1180	Standard	Bartley	25	‑30	16	41
24	Robert Hills	1216	Veteran	Cotswold	22	‑23	19	41
25	Andrew Goodman	1062	Standard	Attenborough	23	22	‑29	45
26	Peter Housley	1099	Master	Sutton‑in‑Ashfield	‑29	20	27	47
27	Nick Whiles	1130	Master	Attenborough	‑26	24	24	48
28	James Adair	1227	Veteran	Hykeham	30	‑32	25	55
29	James Relph	483	Standard	Bowmoor	‑32	27	28	55
30	Rachael Vaughan‑Johns	1191	Lady	Bowmoor	27	29	(DNS)	56
31	Peter Woods	1144	Master	Bowmoor	28	28	(DNF)	56
32	Ben Viggars	1085	Standard	Bowmoor	‑31	31	30	61