Gill Flying Fifteen Inland Championship at Grafham Water Sailing Club
by Shane MacCarthy & Simon Kneller 1 Jun 2022 16:18 BST
28-29 May 2022
Jeremy Davey and Martin Huett lead the fleet in the Gill Flying Fifteen Inland Championship at Grafham © Paul Sanwell / OPP
34 Boats arrived in glorious sunshine at Grafham Water Sailing Club for the Gill Flying Fifteen Inland Championships on 28th/29th May. The fleet included boats from Dublin and County Antrim who made the journey across the Irish Sea (great effort guys!) and from up and down the country to race at one of the best inland venues in the UK.
The boats ranged from the beautiful and exquisitely maintained "617" and "817" to the pretty much brand new "4102". As a qualifying event for the World championships next year in Fremantle, enthusiasm was running high with the whole fleet launched early and ready for the first start.
The forecast for Saturday was light, northerly breezes and as the fleet assembled in the starting area at the west end of the reservoir, the wind was settling at 7-10 knots. Although the sailing instructions gave options for three different courses, OODs Nigel Denchfield and Phil Bevan had already advised during the briefing that windward-leeward would be the default option for lighter breeze.
Keen to lay down an early marker, Ian Pinnell & Ian Cadwallader led the fleet at the first windward mark of race 1 and despite some snakes and ladders managed to secure their first bullet from Draycote pair Simon Patterson & Simon Thompson.
Race 2 saw another Draycote pairing at the front of the fleet, this time Jeremy Davy & Martin Huett picking their way through the shifts and patches of breeze to take the second race from Justin Waples & Jackie McKellar in second and Richard Lovering & Matt Alvarado third.
By race 3, the OOD began to lose patience with the fleet's over-enthusiastic starting habits and promptly produced the black flag after the first recall. Four boats were sent ashore for early pasta before the fleet finally got away at the fourth attempt. Pinnell & Cadwallader made the most of the strongest wind conditions of the day to take their second race win, getting past Charles & Charlie Apthorp at the end of the last beat with GP14 maestros Andy Tunnicliffe & Andy Smith completing the top three.
(Interesting fact from the Race Officer - one boat he never spotted on the start line before the gun was Ian Pinnell/Ian Cadwallader's.... mmmmmm... might be something in that!)
Sunday's forecast was for a slightly stronger 8-15 knots and a similar northerly direction. And in fact it was blowing 20 knots straight out of north as the fleet launched. First out of the blocks were Richard Lovering & Matt Alvarado with Shane MacCarthy & Adam Froggart second and the ever consistent Pinnell & Cadwallader third.
Race 5 produced yet another different race winner - Burghfield Sailing Club's Ian Linder & Kevin Sweetman sailing off into the distance with the Apthorps holding off MacCarthy & Froggart for second.
A fifth place for Pinnell & Cadwallader was enough for them to secure the title with a race to spare and never ones to turn down an opportunity for an early finish, they headed ashore to rehearse their speeches and do their makeup. Meanwhile back out on course the wind was getting tricky to read. Huge shifts and big pressure differences were producing massive gains and losses throughout the fleet. Lovering & Alvarado seemed to have it mastered though, winning the final race from Hamish McKay & Adam Lawson.
Crucially this second race win for the Hayling Island duo was enough for them to secure overall on countback from Jeremy Davy & Martin Huet who had to settle for third overall on this occasion.
The classic boats had great racing on day one, but with the strong northerlies the two older boats decided not to launch, Mark Greer and Andrew Connellan from Middle Nene taking the overall win.
In the Silvers, Jordan Aspin and Jason Benn in 3130 took the top spot.
Quote of the day from one of the competitors between races: "Loving the Flying 15....fantastic racing"
Huge thanks to everyone involved who made the event happen including the Race Officers Nigel Denchfield, Phil Bevan and their whole team, and also the sometimes unsung heroes like Andy the Coxswain who got all 34 FFs on and off the water in double quick time.
Prizes were kindly sponsored by Gill and winning helm Ian Pinnell thanked Grafham Water Sailing Club, the race team and all the onshore helpers for a really enjoyable weekends racing.
More photographs of the event can be viewed at 8573832.tifmember.com
Overall Results:
Pos | Fleet | Division | Sail No | Helm | Crew | Club | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | Pts |
1st | Open | Red | 4096 | Ian Pinnell | Ian Cadwallerder | Hayling Island SC | 1 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 5 | (DNC) | 15 |
2nd | Open | Red | 4002 | Richard Lovering | Matt Alvarado | Hayling Island SC | 7 | 3 | (BFD) | 1 | 7 | 1 | 19 |
3rd | Open | Red | 3760 | Jeremy Davy | Martin Huett | Draycote Water SC | 4 | 1 | 5 | ‑10 | 6 | 3 | 19 |
4th | Open | Red | 4085 | Shane MacCarthy | Adam Froggart | Greystone SC | 9 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 3 | (DNF) | 24 |
5th | Open | Red | 4089 | Hamish Mackay | Andrew Lawson | Royal Thames YC | 5 | 4 | 9 | 5 | ‑19 | 2 | 25 |
6th | Open | Red | 4004 | Charles Apthorp | Charlie Apthorp | Hayling Island SC | 12 | ‑14 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 28 |
7th | Open | Blue | 3851 | Ian Linder | Kevin Sweetman | Burghfield SC | 6 | 8 | 7 | ‑16 | 1 | 11 | 33 |
8th | Open | Red | 4102 | Andy Tunnicliffe | Andy Smith | Bassenthwaite SC | 11 | (UFD) | 3 | 7 | 9 | 5 | 35 |
9th | Open | Red | 4094 | John Hanson | Helen Selden | Datchet Water SC | 10 | 9 | 10 | ‑14 | 4 | 6 | 39 |
10th | Open | Red | 4083 | John Lavery | Alan Green | National Yacht Club | 8 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 14 | ‑15 | 41 |
11th | Open | Red | 4033 | Justin Waples | Jackie Mckellar | RCYC/RHYC | 13 | 2 | ‑14 | 11 | 10 | 13 | 49 |
12th | Open | Red | 4024 | Simon Kneller | Ashley Painter | Grafham Water SC | ‑26 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 17 | 7 | 60 |
13th | Open | Blue | 4091 | Jeremy Arnold | Keith Jamieson | Notts County SC | 15 | ‑19 | 19 | 8 | 11 | 10 | 63 |
14th | Open | Red | 4080 | Simon Patterson | Simon Thompson | Draycote Water SC | 2 | 11 | (BFD) | 21 | 22 | 12 | 68 |
15th | Open | Blue | 4069 | Bill Chard | Josh Preater | Chew Valley Lake SC | 14 | 10 | 12 | 19 | ‑20 | 14 | 69 |
16th | Open | Blue | 4044 | Richard Hope | Mike Stenson | Draycote Water SC | 19 | ‑20 | 13 | 9 | 18 | 16 | 75 |
17th | Open | Blue | 4030 | Alistair Stevenson | David Culpan | Datchet Water SC | 28 | ‑29 | 8 | 13 | 15 | 17 | 81 |
18th | Open | Red | 4082 | Terry Scutcher | Chris Hewkin | Dubai Offshore SC | 3 | (UFD) | BFD | 26 | 13 | 4 | 82 |
19th | Open | Blue | 3794 | David Philpott | Graham Wadeley | Grafham Water SC | 23 | 17 | (BFD) | 25 | 8 | 18 | 91 |
20th | Open | Blue | 3726 | Duncan Grindley | Jon Mortimer | Grafham Water SC | 21 | ‑24 | 16 | 24 | 12 | 20 | 93 |
21st | Open | Blue | 4084 | Tim O'Brien | Pip Noon | Grafham Water SC | 17 | 12 | 18 | ‑27 | 23 | 24 | 94 |
22nd | Open | Green | 3969 | Peter Card | Stephen Card | Cowes Corinthian YC | 20 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 24 | (DNC) | 95 |
23rd | Open | Green | 3703 | Julian Metherell | Harry Blowers | Grafham Water SC | 16 | (UFD) | 22 | 22 | 16 | 21 | 97 |
24th | Open | Blue | 4027 | Michael Clapp | Howard Shawyer | Parkstone/ | 22 | 22 | 15 | 20 | ‑26 | 19 | 98 |
25th | Open | Blue | 4042 | Geoff Floyd | Colin Gilbert | Grafham Water SC | 18 | 26 | (BFD) | 17 | 31 | 9 | 101 |
26th | Open | Green | 4097 | Tony Gaffney | Raymond Flanagan | Draycote Water SC | ‑29 | 27 | 25 | 15 | 29 | 25 | 121 |
27th | Open | Blue | 3873 | Neil Bartholomey | Tom Vasey | Middle Nene SC | ‑32 | 31 | 23 | 23 | 21 | 23 | 121 |
28th | Open | Blue | 4041 | Simon Cooper | Alastair Cooper | Bewl SA | 27 | 15 | 26 | ‑28 | 28 | 26 | 122 |
29th | Open | Blue | 3937 | Richard Major | John Aston | Grafham Water SC | ‑30 | 30 | 27 | 30 | 25 | 22 | 134 |
30th | Open | Green | 3536 | Angus Scott | Jeremy Scott | Datchet Water SC | 24 | 28 | (DNF) | 29 | 27 | 28 | 136 |
31st | Classic | Blue | 2433 | Mark Greer | Andrew Connellan | Middle Nene SC | ‑34 | 23 | 28 | 31 | 30 | 27 | 139 |
32nd | Classic | Blue | 817 | Bryan Willis | John McPeake | County Antrim YC | 25 | 25 | 21 | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | 143 |
33rd | Classic | Blue | 617 | Graham Lamond | Rachel Lamond | Ripon SC | 31 | 18 | 24 | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | 145 |
34th | Silver | Green | 3130 | Jordan Aspin | Jason Benn | Sir John Fisher SC | 33 | 21 | 20 | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | 146 |
35th | Open | Blue | 4012 | Jonathan Knight | Trish Knight | Grafham Water SC | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | DNC | DNC | DNC | 180 |