Flying Fifteen Southern Championship at Datchet Water Sailing Club

by Michael Clapp 12 Apr 2019 13:07 BST 6-7 April 2019

Andy McKee and Richard Jones with DWSC Commodore Mike Beckett after winning the Flying Fifteen Southern Championship © Michael Clapp

Incorporating Southern Travellers' Event 2 and Mercedes Trophy

Twenty visitors from as far afield as Cumbria, Poole and Ireland, joined a nine-strong local fleet at Datchet Water Sailing Club to compete for the Southern Championship in the first Flying Fifteen open meeting of the year over the weekend of 6th & 7th April.

The weather on Saturday was overcast, but with an ideal wind of Force 3 to 4 from the East, allowing for a long beat up the full length of the reservoir and a Q course to be set. Racing was close throughout the fleet with many place changes and gains to be made by sailing either side of the beat. Andy Mckee and Richard Jones showed consistency at the front of the fleet ending the day with a six point lead over Jeremy Davy an Martin Huett.

Sunday brought lighter conditions, but with more than predicted by some forecasts. The PRO switched to a standard Windward/Leeward course for the final three races. Unfortunately the fleet was very eager to start next to the committee boat so a series of general recalls were necessary for the first race. Eventually the fleet was calmed down by allowing the smaller Wayfarer fleet to demonstrate how it could be done. The wind was very shifty so even more place changing was the order of the day.

Nathan Batchelor and Richard Rigg managed to take their brand new boat to victory in the first race while Datchet veterans Charles Apthorp and Allan Green won the second. David Mckee and Mal Hartland took the final bullet. This left the two first boats equal on points but Andy Mckee and Richard Jones securing the Southern Trophy by virtue of having most firsts.

At the prize-giving thanks were expressed to Ian Bullock and his race team for their excellent work, especially in the testing conditions on Sunday morning. Thanks also went to the shore team at Datchet Water Sailing Club.

Overall Results:

Pos	Sail No	Helm	Crew	Club	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	Pts
1st	4005	Andy McKee	Richard Jones	Dovestone SC	1	3	1	‑12	2	4	11
2nd	3760	Jeremy Davy	Martin Huett	Draycote Water SC	2	1	‑8	2	3	3	11
3rd	4065	David McKee	Mal Hartland	Dovestone SC	‑8	2	2	7	5	1	17
4th	3957	Charles Apthorp	Allan Green	DWSC	3	6	5	‑10	1	5	20
5th	4059	Hamish McKay	Anrew Lawson	DWSC	6	4	3	3	‑13	10	26
6th	4033	Justin Waples	Jackie McKellar	Walkdringfield YC	5	‑11	7	8	8	2	30
7th	4070	Nathan Batchelor	Richard Rigg	Royal Windermere	12	‑13	10	1	4	6	33
8th	4055	Ian Cadwallader	Steve Graham	Chew Valley Lake SC	10	7	‑12	5	6	8	36
9th	3899	Andy Bones	Josh Prater	CVLSC	13	10	4	4	‑14	7	38
10th	4060	Ian Pinnell	Jez White	HISC	7	8	‑21	9	7	9	40
11th	3889	Pip Hudson	Mick Musgrave	Broxbourne SC	(DNC)	9	9	14	12	17	61
12th	3875	Brett Dingwall	Grason Ecot	Aldenham SC	17	15	11	‑19	10	12	65
13th	4024	Simon Kneller	Dave Lucas	GWSC	4	5	15	15	(DNC)	DNC	68
14th	3902	Richard Hope	Mike Stenson	Draycote Water SC	15	12	‑19	13	15	15	70
15th	2260	John Hanson	Michaela Shead	DWSC	18.5	‑19	14	11	9	18	70.5
16th	4052	David Tabb	Chewey Sherrell	Parkstone	14	14	6	18	20	(DNF)	72
17th	3954	Barry Hayes	Helen Selden	DWSC	9	16	18	20	‑21	11	74
18th	4027	Mike Clapp	Peter Morris	DWSC	11	21	17	‑23	16	13	78
19th	3563	Alastair Stevenson	Jeremy Valentine	DWSC	20	18	16	‑22	11	22	87
20th	4056	Andy Goddard	Tom Goddard	Dovestone SC	18.5	17	13	16	(UFD)	23	87.5
21st	3904	Mervyn Wright	George Caspall	DWSC	16	20	‑22	17	17	19	89
22nd	4011	Richard Jones	Howard Shawyer	DWSC	21	25	(DNC)	6	22	16	90
23rd	3514	Graham Darvill	Myke Bowers	DWSC	‑27	23	20	21	18	14	96
24th	3583	Mike Wilczynski	Jean Wilczynski	RORC	23	24	‑25	25	19	21	112
25th	4041	Simon Cooper	Alastair Cooper	Bewl S Assoc	26	22	23	(DNC)	23	20	114
26th	4042	Tim O'Brien	Keith Jamieson	RWSC	24	26	24	24	(DNC)	24	122
27th	4069	Bill Chard	Amy Chard	Chew Valley Lake SC	22	(DNC)	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	138
28th	3341	Mike Firth	Philip Tinsley	DWSC	25	(DNC)	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	141