GP14 Southern Travellers Series Final of 2021 at Frensham Pond Sailing Club
by David Innes 22 Oct 2021 12:48 BST
10 October 2021
The final GP14 Southern Travellers event was held at Frensham Pond SC on the 10th October in sunny conditions with a light but relatively steady northerly greeting the fifteen teams, including defending champions Bryan Taylor and Andrew Todd (Toddy) and Travellers Trophy contenders Stephen Cooper and Lucy Barrie (Welsh Harp) and David Innes/ John McGuinness (Frensham).
Race Officer Bruce Hill set a true start line with a first beat across the lake followed by typical Frensham double triangle courses leading to multiple buoy roundings and opportunities for place changes.
The first race was led away by Innes/McGuinness followed by Cooper/Barrie and Taylor/Todd both of who came through to fight for the lead on the second beat. On the second lap Taylor and Toddy took the lead but sailed into a hole allowing Innes/McGuinness and Cooper/Barrie through before a Port Starboard put Cooper/Barrie in the lead which they held until the end of the race with Taylor/Todd taking second and new Travellers Ben Hazeldine (Frensham) and Jonny Steventon (South Cerney) taking third from Paul Trubridge and Kat Farnell-Watson (Frensham).
After a welcome lunch two races were run back to back in an increasing but still light breeze. In the second race the fleet split up the first beat with the pack going left to pick up a lift from the wood on the north shore. Hazeldine/Steventon and Innes/McGuinness went right chasing a stronger breeze only to regret the decision coming into the mark. Cooper/Barrie led and built a commanding lead which they held to the finish followed by Taylor and Toddy in second, Innes/Mcguiness in third and Keith Street/Caro Mitchell (Welsh Harp) in fourth.
Despite belated attempts by Innes/Mcguinness to slow Cooper and Barrie down by throwing confectionery in their boat the third race was led by Hazeldine/Steventon, who led from the start with Taylor and Toddy chasing hard from Cooper/ Barrie and local Joint Class captain Bruce Craven crewed by daughter Jemima. With the winner already decided it was all about second and Hazeldine/Steventon sailing in their first Southern Traveller event held their nerve to take the win and second overall from Taylor and Todd in third.
Frensham Open Results:
| Pos | Sail No | Helm | Crew | Club | R1 | R2 | R3 | Pts |
|---|
| 1st | 14151 | Stephen Cooper | Lucy Barrie | Welsh Harp | 1 | 1 | ‑4 | 2 |
| 2nd | 13862 | Ben Hazeldine | Jonny Stevenson | Frensham/South Cerney | 3 | ‑5 | 1 | 4 |
| 3rd | 13864 | Bryan Taylor | Andrew Todd | Frensham | ‑2 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| 4th | 14234 | David Innes | John Mcguinness | Frensham | ‑5 | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| 5th | 13787 | Keith Street | Caro Mitchell | Welsh Harp | ‑7 | 4 | 6 | 10 |
| 6th | 14157 | Paul Trubridge | Kat Farnell‑Watson | Frensham | 4 | ‑9 | 8 | 12 |
| 7th | 4166 | Sarah Street | Lucy Street | Welsh Harp | ‑10 | 6 | 7 | 13 |
| 8th | 14163 | Bruce Craven | Jemima Craven | Frensham | 9 | ‑10 | 5 | 14 |
| 9th | 13299 | Jamie Isles | Michal Szady | Welsh Harp | 6 | 8 | ‑10 | 14 |
| 10th | 13708 | Stuart Duckworth | Christine Duckworth | Frensham | ‑11 | 7 | 9 | 16 |
| 11th | 14265 | Kate Whyatt | Victoria Wakeford | Frensham | ‑13 | 12 | 11 | 23 |
| 12th | 13836 | Neil Holden | Catherine Holden | Frensham | ‑12 | 11 | 12 | 23 |
| 13th | 13973 | David Hawkins | Brian Draper | Frensham | 8 | (DSQ) | DNF | 24 |
| 14th | 14190 | Matthew Hall | Kitty Hall | Frensham | ‑14 | 13 | 13 | 26 |
| 15th | 12878 | David Lebec | Andrew Lebec | Frensham | 15 | (DNF) | DNS | 31 |
A joint prize-giving was held for both the Frensham Open and the GP14 Southern Travellers Trophy with thanks and congratulations proffered to all with Joint Class captain John Denyer highlighting David and Andrew Lebec for joining their first ever Open Meeting.
GP14 Area Representative David Innes awarded the magnificent Southern Travellers Trophy to Steve Cooper and Lucy Barrie from Welsh Harp SC after they took the series with four bullets from their wins at Tollesbury, Maylandsea Bay, Welsh Harp as well as Frensham.
The second Southern Travellers trophy, the Jaldi Cup, which is awarded for new travellers was won by Jamie Isles and Michal Szady who attended nine of the ten events that form the Southern Travellers.
A special thanks was offered to John McGuinness from Frensham Pond SC who attended all ten events. David Innes congratulated the winners and thanked the nine qualifying teams and all GP14 Travellers who had attended all of the events which took place at Welsh Harp (twice), Tollesbury, Poole, Brightlingsea, Papercourt, Hampton, Leigh-on-Sea, Maylandsea Bay and of course Frensham Pond.
The circuit commences again in March 2022 hopefully with the same mix of tidal and inland venues and an added Open at South Cerney SC which will be shared with the GP14 Midland Bell circuit. Anyone interested in GP14 racing in the southeast should contact David Innes on innesd142.0@yahoo.com
2021 GP14 Southern Traveller Results:
| Pos | Helm | Crew | Club | Pts |
|---|
| 1 | Steve Cooper | Lucy Barrie | Welsh Harp | 4 |
| 2 | David Innes | John McGuinness | Frensham Pond | 6 |
| 3 | Keith Street | Cathy Howard/Caro Mitchell/Lucy Street | Welsh Harp | 12 |
| 4 | Tomasz Szakola | Charlie Cotter/Chris Lomax/Lucy Street | Welsh Harp | 14 |
| 5 | Maciej Matyjaszczuk | Chris Lomax/Anna Halford | Welsh Harp/Tollesbury | 18 |
| 6 | George Rogers | Nick Lynn/Jilly Wilkinson | Tollesbury | 19 |
| 7 | Jamie Isles | Michal Szady | Welsh Harp | 23 |
| 8 | Sarah Street | Lucy Street | Welsh Harp | 32 |
| 9 | Kate Whyatt | John McGuinness/P Hutton/Victoria Wakeford | Frensham Pond | 34 |