Blaze Inland Championship at King George Sailing Club

Blaze Inland Championship 2018 © David Wilkey

Day one

Arriving on Saturday morning at King George Sailing Club we were welcomed by hot brews and bacon butties.

The forecast was looking wild and we certainly were greeted by a chilly northern wind which was between 20-25mph. In total there was 26 entries which included 2 sailors; Gareth Hyland and Simon Beddows, that opted for their smaller Fire sails due to the storm that we were advised by the Race Officer, was to blow through later in the afternoon.

The Race Officer had done his research on what Blaze sailors like and race 1 got under way with four-mark course which offered some great reaches. Hugh Kingdon gained a good lead to start the Inlands off but then the strong wind got the better of him and he to put it on the gybe (he wasn't the only one!). This left David Angwin and Josh Hyland to battle for the bullet in some tough conditions. David finished in first with Josh closely behind to take second and Hugh came in third.

Race 2 and the wind had stepped up a gear as predicted, with some very strong gusts blowing down the race course. It did seem like we were sailing in survival conditions or maybe just a shock to the system after a summer season of light winds. Andy McIvor led for most of the race with Eden Hyland behind. On the last lap Andy capsized on the final gybe mark which left Eden to take the win with Andy recovering the boat in time to finish second with Josh Hyland coming in third.

Race 3 and Hugh Kingdon led the fleet round the race course for the first two laps closely followed by Nick Ripley. However Eden Hyland managed to squeeze in on the leeward mark and take the last win of the day.

The fleet returned to shore tired from a hard day's racing, but feeling elated from having had a good breeze for this championships opening day.

Day two

There was a sigh of relief in the Blaze fleet when we woke up to blue skys and a steady 10–12 mph for the last day of the event.

Race 4 soon got under way with perfect sailing conditions with the majority of the fleet starting towards the pin end. Andy Mcivor gained a healthy lead by the windward mark and looked hard to beat as the wind began to drop even more. After three laps the results followed with Andy taking the win, Eden securing second and David taking third. Bob Cowan also having a great race finishing in fourth place.

Race 5: The wind had dropped to a force 2 now and choosing the right way up the beat was key to secure a good position. The Fleet got away on a clean start with some big shifts across the course which began to separate the fleet. Andy and Eden had a photo finish with Andy taking the win which now put them on equal points. Alan Goule finishing in third and Lawrence Fernley from Kind George SC finishing in fourth. This was a great result given he hadn't sailed his Blaze for at least a couple of years and had to kick off moss and whatever else had taken refuge in his boat whilst it laid in its berth, eagerly waiting to be taken out!

Race 6 was the lightest race of the Inlands with some real snakes and ladders beginning to happen across the race course. With Eden and Andy on identical points it was all down to this last race. With a "pin-end" bias, there were a large number of boats crowding this area, unfortunately Andy was pushed over the line and therefore this left the gate open for Eden, although Andy gave him a competitive race until Andy discovered he had been over the line as he passed the Committee boat on their first lap.

Andy retired for an early shower and this left Eden to sail his own race, without any pressure. A lengthy debate took place in the pub on Saturday evening whether heavier sailors benefited in the light winds due to the momentum they can bring into play; on Saturday, Pip Warner, one of those with "momentum potential", certainly backed his argument by taking the race win.

A rather less-tired Blaze fleet returned to shore, satisfied that there had been conditions to suit most of the fleet, with a mixture of heavy, medium and light winds. We then took advantage of the new showers that had only been completed that week – very grand they were to, the envy of many a home!

The Prize ceremony was hosted by Hugh Kingdon, the Blaze Class Association Chairman and Richard Botting the Secretary. First place of the Blaze Inlands Championship was awarded to Eden Hyland, who also collected the Youth Inlands Trophy as well. Our Race Officer delivered a great championship and was duly thanked for his official yet pragmatic approach to the racing.

Overall Results: