Gul Fireball Inland Championship at Draycote Water Sailing Club

Draycote Water Sailing Club held the 2022 Gul Inland Championship, the last Fireball event of the year. After a busy season it was good to see over 30 boats arrive including many new teams from far away along with some young teams coming from the 420 class.

Saturday's forecast was for a gentle breeze easing off through the day - in fact until the last race the breeze held steady in strength if not direction.

2022 Gul Fireball Inlands at Draycote - photo © Malcolm Lewin / malcolmlewinphotography.zenfolio.com/watersports

With the Race team struggling to set a line with the constantly changing direction they eventually got one set - albeit very port biased at start time. The fleet got away cleanly for race one with Mark Maskell & Nigel Sheppard leading the fleet to the first mark. They held for a while, but the chasing pack swallowed them up on the second beat in the tricky conditions. Tom & Shandy worked to the front to win, with Dave Hall & Paul Constable taking a good shift at the end to follow in second.

It was more of the same for the second race of the day - a port bias line which got away. Tom & Shandy won the start and never looked back. Dave & Paul had a battle with Dave Wade & Ian Blake with Dave & Paul snatching 2nd place.

2022 Gul Fireball Inlands at Draycote - photo © Malcolm Lewin / malcolmlewinphotography.zenfolio.com/watersports

For race 3 the Race team went for a starboard bias line which ended up in a general recall as the majority of the fleet sheeted in with 15 seconds to go. So back to a port bias line and the fleet got away. Vince Horey & Rich Pepperdine opened up a good lead chased by the usual suspects. Then up the last beat the wind decided that right was the way to go and out of the blue came Tom & Shandy along with Martyn & Dan Lewis. They went on to take 1st and 2nd.

The forecast for Sunday was for more breeze, and it certainly came with some big gusts and big shifts. As the day wore on the fleet depleted slightly as tired arms took their toll.

Tom Gillard & Andy Thompson win the 2022 Gul Fireball Inlands at Draycote - photo © Malcolm Lewin / malcolmlewinphotography.zenfolio.com/watersports

It was race 4 and local boat Mike Deane & Paul Disney won the pin end to storm up the first beat only to be chased down by Tom & Shandy. Going into the finish after a great race Mike & Paul were just pipped into second place by Dave & Paul.

As the wind continued to build it was Paul Cullen and Vyv Townsend revelling in the breezy conditions to take a second place on race 5 to the ever-consistent Tom & Shandy.

With the championship now decided, Tom & Shandy headed home. Race 6 became a 3-boat battle with the places continually changing and the shifts either provided a ladder or a snake. The final order going into the finish was Dave & Paul followed by Dave & Ian with Paul & Vyv taking third.

Tom Gillard & Andy Thompson win the 2022 Gul Fireball Inlands - photo © UKFA

Once again it was a fine display of sailing and racing by Tom & Shandy - a deserved win making it a triple with the Worlds, Nationals and now the Inlands. This was also the final event of the Gul Golden Dolphin series which was won by Dave Hall & Paul Constable, with Derian & Andy as runners-up.

Dave Hall & Paul Constable win the 2022 Fireball Golden Dolphin Series - photo © UKFA

The Draycote fleet provided competitors with an abundance of cake at the prize-giving - a welcome calorie boost before the journey home!

The Fireball fleet is hugely grateful to Gul for sponsoring the Inland Championship and the Golden Dolphin series.

Overall Results:

Gold fleet
1st Tom Gillard & Andy Thompson
2nd Dave Hall & Paul Constable
3rd Paul Cullen & Vyv Townend

Silver fleet
1st Mike Whitehouse & Adam Whitehouse
2nd Anthony Willcocks & Andrea Willcocks
3rd Simon Lomas-Clarke & Rob Daniels

Bronze fleet
1st Richard Pratt & Charlie Turnbull
2nd Peter Bettles & Richard Bettles
3rd Jeremy Atkins & Richard Botting

1st U26 helm: Dan Johnson
1st U26 crew: Daniel Lewis

Merit: Alice Davis & Oliver Rayner - finished 16th in their first Fireball event in a borrowed boat