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DeWalt Scorpion National Championship at Eastbourne Sovereign Sailing Club - Day 1

by Barry Wolfenden 7 Aug 2023 07:37 BST 6-11 August 2023
DeWALT Scorpion Nationals at Eastbourne Day 1 © Ben Daigneault / Send It Media

Eastbourne Sovereign Sailing Club welcomed the Scorpion fleet for the week's National Championship with 60 boats taking part. The fleet was missing the Weymouth contingency this year who were in training for the championships at their club next year.

Despite the malevolent intransigence of the Eastbourne tide to cooperate, the fleet or least most of them, managed to complete a full three races on the first day, The practice race was the opener, although a number of competitors choose not to finish the race, being superstitious that winning would bring them bad luck. The winners were Sam Pascoe and Sam Barker from Castle Cove SC in Sam Squared.

Race 1

The first points race was held in a fresh force four with a slightly lumpy sea state.

First to the windward mark was Alan Grayling and Simon Forbes (aka Mr Bear), closely followed by Tom Gillard and Rachel Gray and their new Scorpion - The Essence of Wetness. Slow gybing by Mr Bear at the gybe mark nearly resulted in the loss of a transom! Third to the windward mark were Ollie Meadowcroft and Ollie Rayner setting out their stall in their first Scorpion nationals in a borrowed Scorpion, which unfortunately slowly disintegrated over the two points races. Kevin Gosling had a great start, but then went in to reverse when his mast slipped backwards due to problems with his forestay. Dave Wade in the new P&B Scorpion gave the boat a mega (legal!) ooch 10 yards from the finish line at the same time that the boat fittings for the toe strap decided that one race is more than enough for them - splash - cost him three places.

Jack Lewis and Syzmon Mat came in 10th to be pathfinder for the second race.

Race 2

This race was held in a force 3 to 4, dropping down to force two in part of the race, and then building back up to a good 3 to 4, with the waves and slightly confused sea state forming an awkward chop on the racecourse.

Up the first beat the new boat of Pete Gray - Just The Tip - was T boned - luckily it was by the chairman of a boat insurance company so no issues there. It is one thing to promote your company at the championship, it's questionable if you should generate work, new boat is on its way Pete - surprised there was no nomination for the Pecker for that.

First to the windward mark was the pathfinder 1966 They Think It's All Over (Jack Lewis and Syzmon Mat) followed by Barry Wolfenden and Matt Rayner with Alan Grayling and Mr Bear in third. The first reach was open with Alan Grayling taking the lead.

With the wind shifting and twisting, lots of places changed during the beat and then at the end of the sausage there were still a lot of boats in a close battle all being challenged by the tides and the shifts. Rob Gardner fell out of the boat and had to be dragged back in by his helm Matt 'Virgil Tracey' Burge and another incident resulted in Eastbourne steak butchers selling a whopping piece of fillet steak to John 'Horatio Nelson' Mursell looking like he had upset Chris Eubank with a lovely shiner.

The evening's entertainment was a great talk by Stick Daring, member at Eastbourne SSC, sailing in the Scorpion nationals and a complete lunatic who sailed around the UK in a beaten up old Laser raising money for prostate cancer, fascinating even to land lubbers.

Results after Day 1:

PosSail NoBoat NameHelmCrewClubR1R2Pts
1st2057The Essence of WetnessThomas GillardRachael GrayStaunton Harold SC112
2nd2053***MISSING***Matt BurgeRobert GardnerNotts County SC426
3rd2051Mrs Bears BoatAlan KrailingSimon ForbesSHSC / Waldringfield246
4th2062Sam squaredSam PascoeSam BarkerCastle Cove SC336
5th2058Just the tipPeter GrayRichard PepperdineStaunton Harold SC8513
6th2059Wrecking BallAlex HaymanRob HendersonLymington Town SC51015
7th2061Sliver MulletDavid WadeBen RaynerDraycote11617
8th1959 (1966)They think it's all overJack LewisSzymon MatRya10717
9th2026Sneaky NinjaIan CadwalladerEllie DevereuxChew Valley Lake SC61218
10th2042***MISSING***Angus HemmingsFraser HemmingsIndependent121123
11th2030Saline DripOllie MeadowcroftOliver RaynerYorkshire Dales SC71825
12th2014 (1969)IntoxicatedAJ EatonChris EatonStarcross Yacht Club91726
13th1969Water PleaseChris MartinJohn TailbyNotts County/Midland131427
14th1995SilverlodePeter RoseJohn RoseTenby SC19928
15th2040 (1931)AMBUSHKevin GoslingAndy ServiceIndependent211334
16th2037 (2048)Fifty Shades of GrayDan HendersonAmy ClayWarsash142034
17th2044TallulahSteven WalkerJerry HannabussPennine SC27835
18th2043Egyptian SurpriseBarry WolfendenMatt RaynerBough Beech221537
19th2022Quackers!Debi ForbesChar GrahamStaunton Harold SC162238
20th1937The Bee's KneesMyles JacksonBill JacksonLlandegfedd SC231639
21st1958Barbarians for breakfastMatt PotterKevin HopeNotts County SC172441
22nd2031UPYOURS2Peter CrowtherDave ThompsonPennine SC202343
23rd1943Blue MoonJohn MursellMatthew PalmerCastle Cove SC242549
24th2052Heart of GlassRob CageJohn ReayThames SC311950
25th2060A Date With DestinyRussell WheelerLee MarriottIsle of Sheppey Sailing Club252651
26th2005Drama QueenDave ElstonAlan RitchieSidmouth SC322153
27th2001ZephyrMalcolm JamesJosh OatesChew Valley Lake SC263056
28th2017Mr Blue SkyJon WillarsNicola WillarsNotts County SC283159
29th1980StormTim HulleyMartin PascoeWeir Wood/Castle Cove362965
30th1985Another WombatHatty MorsleyRob MorsleyPortdinorwic SC293766
31st1997PeachesSamantha MasonRichard MasonNotts County SC333366
32nd1970Custard TartEdward ParsonsTony HanlonEmsworth SC392867
33rd1998The Black PearlJoseph WarwickerLynne RadcliffePevensey Bay Shoreham Bough Beech373269
34th1951SidewinderFiona TaylorGordon TaylorLymington Town SC353469
35th2050***MISSING***James GardnerAnne GardnerHISC343569
36th1052ShandyJake WillarsAlison SheldrickHCYC/NCSC432770
37th2018Short & Curly'sNigel PotterRyan RIchardsNotts County SC304272
38th1986Proper huntShane MacCarhyAndy ThompsonEast Antrim boat club15DNC75
39th2009PerditaNeil PetersJess PlailEssc403676
40th2019Popping PollyAl SimDuncan SimSouth Cerney SC383876
41st2054In a minuteTom LonsdaleEmily Cole‑EvansSouth Cerney SC18DNC78
42nd2048Liquid SpiritChris YatesJodi MartinDraycote423981
43rd1992Tangled Up In BlueWilliam B PinnockCaroline MonkGlossop Sailing Club414182
44th1940Spitfire SummerNigel DenchfieldChris ClarkeGrafham Water474087
45th1891Fire in the SkyJeremy LovellMonty LovellIndependent454388
46th2056DelilahCheryl WoodDave BennettPennine SC/Chew Valley444488
47th1990 (1877)Blue BreezeMark WhitemanDavid WhitemanRye Harbour sailing Club484593
48th1903The Heart of GoldGeorge BiggsMonty HamptonLlandegfedd SC/ South Cerney SC464793
49th1919PolycroozRichard GatehouseLauren WillsSidmouth SCDNF46106
50th1878HighlightJoshua CookAaron AdamsBexhillDNCDNC120
50th1912Pigs on the wingWilliam WinterLJ WinterCam SCDNCDNC120
50th1921***MISSING***Michael RockDaniel RockScorpion AssociationDNCDNC120
50th1929 (1759)L'Espirit de TurnipNick LightbodyMick GreenlandLaw Society YCDNCDNC120
50th2015 (1931)The BusinessEmily CookDaniel CookClub Nautique de Versoix SwitzerlandRETDNC120
50th1936Bottyburp the BarbarianSimon Holden***MISSING***King George SCDNCDNC120
50th1988FAC 51Barnaby CroftLouise CorfieldSidmouth SCDNCDNC120
50th2055There's no F in bagsPaul McHenryJohn HarlowNotts County SCDNCDNC120
50th2011Must Try HarderJohn CooperAnesta CooperHuntsDNFDNC120
50th2036Head over FeetRobert Campbell‑GrayAngie ValeAlton WaterDNCDNC120

Find out more at sailscorpion.co.uk/scorpion-national-championships-2023.html

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