Noble Marine UK MUSTO Skiff Nationals 2020 at Brixham Yacht Club - Day 2

by Ben Schooling 5 Sep 2020 06:59 BST 3-6 September 2020

On the second day of the Noble Marine UK MUSTO Skiff National Championships 2020, just three races were planned, but the experienced and impressive Brixham Yacht Club Race team assessed the wind and seized the opportunity to take advantage of the building breeze to give the eager fleet a fourth race to round off the day.

Race 3:

The day dawned bright with light breeze, 5 - 8 knots, as per forecast out the West. After a speedy launch racing got under way on time at noon with the lightweights enjoying the conditions.

Young Callum Escritt rounding the windward in first in GBR 075, showing old boats can still be quick with the chasing the pack including Ben Schooling, Ed Chapman, and Euan Hurter. It was Hurter who made the best of the second beat to pull through Escritt with Ian Trotter making strong gains on the right. At the finish, Hurter took his first Nationals bullet from Callum Escritt, with Trotter third and old man, Ian Escritt in 4th - a great result for the father and son.

Race 4:

In the second race of the day the breeze had increased slightly 7 - 9 knots. Jono Shelley got a great start near the pin end of the start line and tacked across on to port on a good line of breeze. In the Force 2 to 3 conditions, with small gusts fanning across the course from the Brixham cliffs, Shelley did a great job of holding off multiple attacks from different assailants. The Ullswater sailor defended the left side of the course but Rob Richardson, Andy Rice and Tom Conway were looking dangerous on the right hand side, which came good on the second beat. Shelley tacked to leeward of Rice on the final lay line to the windward mark and just held on to his lead, stretching away for the winner's gun while Richardson pipped Rice for second place across the line.

Race 5:

The breeze was still between 9 - 12 knots but with 20 degree shifts that were hard to predict. The leader came from the right and middle left up the first beat. Stuart Keegan tried the middle down the run but hard right was the place to go down the run, meaning Bruce Keen led at the leeward. The next 3 boats went around the left leeward mark. It was very shifty and gusty up the second beat, but the top 3 stayed the same. Keen held onto the lead to the finish, Keegan second and Sam Pascoe passed Trotter down the last run for third.

Race 6:

The breeze thankfully picked up a bit with some 15 knot gusts so the fleet were pleased they could stretch their legs. Danny Boatman led round the windward mark closely followed by Peter Greenhalgh and Bruce Keen.

Greenhalgh was able to roll Boatman and accelerate away, however, he over-stood the leeward gate a bit and this gave Keen an opportunity with his early gybe. Keen and Greenhalgh spilt leeward marks and Greenhalgh attempted to tack to cover, but fluffed the tack and reversed 3 boat lengths giving Keen the lead.

There were several bands of breeze coming down the course, which Keen and Greenhalgh did their best to work to their advantage, working independently and completely out of sync with each other, eventually it turned into a big drag race to the right. Keen did an early attacking gybe, which Greenhalgh matched and both were flat out all the way to the lay line, where Greenhalgh was able to have a little breathing space to manoeuvre to the finish. 3rd place went to Bill Maughan, having sailed a really solid race with current national champion Jamie Hilton hot on his heels.

A great day of racing and 6 hours on the water, the fleet returned for a well-earned pasty & pint!

Results after Day 2:

Pos	Helm	Sail No	Club	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	Pts
1st	Peter Greenhalgh	609	Warsash	1	5	8	‑20	8	1	23
2nd	Bruce Keen	534	Stokes Bay SC	11	1	‑16	11	1	2	26
3rd	Sam Pascoe	605	Castle Cove	5	3	‑27	7	3	19	37
4th	Euan Hurter	464	PYC / DBSC	9	12	1	10	9	‑17	41
5th	Jono Shelley	566	Ullswater YC	14	9	12	1	13	‑18	49
6th	Ben Clegg	614	Brightlingsea SC	2	15	‑43	19	10	7	53
7th	Stuart Keegan	619	DRSC	23	8	‑41	13	2	8	54
8th	Ben Schooling	544	Stokes Bay SC	7	14	6	9	‑37	21	57
9th	Mike Matthews	294	SYC	17	2	‑36	4	19	25	67
10th	Ian Trotter	546	Derwent Reservoir SC	26	17	3	18	4	(RET)	68
11th	Andy Tarboton	525	Henley Midmar YC	12	4	11	25	‑30	16	68
12th	Rob Richardson	303	Royal Windermere YC	34	‑37	18	2	7	10	71
13th	Paul Molesworth	582	Stokes Bay SC	18	6	‑37	21	6	20	71
14th	Andy Rice	364	Stokes Bay SC	13	24	28	3	‑38	9	77
15th	Dan Vincent	557	Stokes Bay / RNSA	‑38	10	13	33	17	5	78
16th	Tom Conway	500	Derwent Reservoir SC	‑31	19	31	5	11	13	79
17th	James Hilton	593	Dalgety Bay SC	3	27	‑46	37	12	4	83
18th	William Maughan	556	Chew Valley Lake SC	4	30	‑33	14	32	3	83
19th	Danny Boatman	530	Derwent SC	(BFD)	22	32	12	15	6	87
20th	Neale Jones	611	ISC	25	16	9	27	(DSQ)	11	88
21st	David Annan	535	Grafham Water SC	20	33	7	‑39	20	12	92
22nd	David Hivey	594	WPNSA	28	7	24	15	18	(DNC)	92
23rd	Robbie Wilson	549	Wormit Boating Club	10	18	20	31	14	(RET)	93
24th	Ian Escritt	598	Yorkshire Dales SC	16	‑38	4	23	23	28	94
25th	Ed Chapman	333	Woollahra SC	6	13	5	17	(DNC)	DNC	95
26th	Kieran Graham	200	Derwent Reservoir SC	19	32	14	6	24	‑36	95
27th	Andrew Gould	584	Emsworth Slipper SC	15	23	23	‑38	16	23	100
28th	Joshua Bellben	375	Stokes Bay SC	24	20	10	24	‑26	24	102
29th	Josh Dawson	289	Derwent	‑47	11	39	35	5	27	117
30th	Brennan Robinson	350	GWSC / RNYC	36	28	‑42	8	21	35	128
31st	Richard Smith	419	Wilsonian SC	30	21	35	29	‑42	14	129
32nd	Callum Escritt	75	Yorkshire Dales SC	33	39	2	26	33	‑43	133
33rd	Seraga Samus	547	Stokes Bay SC	44	25	17	36	‑46	22	144
34th	Brian Greensmith	219	Derwent Reservoir SC	8	29	52	41	(DSQ)	15	145
35th	Tom Taylor	265	GWSC	21	31	38	‑46	27	30	147
36th	Fred Cudmore	86	DWSC	32	‑45	15	32	31	38	148
37th	Guy Rivington	216	Stokes Bay SC	41	‑48	25	22	28	34	150
38th	Jason Rickards	315	CVL SC	35	34	21	30	‑39	31	151
39th	John Piatt	178	Stokes Bay SC	29	46	22	‑51	22	39	158
40th	Michael Sims	206	Carsington	37	35	29	28	‑40	29	158
41st	Ron Barnes	542	Thorpebay	27	41	30	‑49	36	32	166
42nd	Ian Stone	113	Maidenhead SC	43	‑47	26	45	34	26	174
43rd	Joseph Trotter	253	Derwent Reservoir SC	‑48	40	44	16	44	42	186
44th	Nathan Stainer	469	Stokes Bay SC	‑45	36	34	42	41	33	186
45th	Ben Paton	586	Lymington Town SC	(DNS)	DNC	19	40	25	RET	192
46th	George Cousins	302	Restonguet SC	22	26	45	(RET)	DNC	DNC	201
47th	Stewart Walker	167	Yorkshire Dales SC	46	43	‑51	50	29	37	205
48th	Joshua Bell	147	Chew Valley Lake SC	(DNC)	DNC	40	34	35	45	208
49th	Robert Trotter	334	Derwent Reservoir SC	39	44	‑50	44	43	40	210
50th	Paul Anderson	58	Largs	42	42	‑48	47	45	41	217
51st	James Nuttall	97	Chew Valley Lake SC	40	‑49	47	43	47	44	221
52nd	Stephen Wright	543	Stokes Bay SC	(DNF)	50	49	48	48	RET	249
53rd	Ian Turnbull	526	Ullswater YC	(DNC)	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	270