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:
Pos | Sail No | Boat Name | Helm | Crew | Club | R1 | R2 | Pts |
1st | 2057 | The Essence of Wetness | Thomas Gillard | Rachael Gray | Staunton Harold SC | 1 | 1 | 2 |
2nd | 2053 | ***MISSING*** | Matt Burge | Robert Gardner | Notts County SC | 4 | 2 | 6 |
3rd | 2051 | Mrs Bears Boat | Alan Krailing | Simon Forbes | SHSC / Waldringfield | 2 | 4 | 6 |
4th | 2062 | Sam squared | Sam Pascoe | Sam Barker | Castle Cove SC | 3 | 3 | 6 |
5th | 2058 | Just the tip | Peter Gray | Richard Pepperdine | Staunton Harold SC | 8 | 5 | 13 |
6th | 2059 | Wrecking Ball | Alex Hayman | Rob Henderson | Lymington Town SC | 5 | 10 | 15 |
7th | 2061 | Sliver Mullet | David Wade | Ben Rayner | Draycote | 11 | 6 | 17 |
8th | 1959 (1966) | They think it's all over | Jack Lewis | Szymon Mat | Rya | 10 | 7 | 17 |
9th | 2026 | Sneaky Ninja | Ian Cadwallader | Ellie Devereux | Chew Valley Lake SC | 6 | 12 | 18 |
10th | 2042 | ***MISSING*** | Angus Hemmings | Fraser Hemmings | Independent | 12 | 11 | 23 |
11th | 2030 | Saline Drip | Ollie Meadowcroft | Oliver Rayner | Yorkshire Dales SC | 7 | 18 | 25 |
12th | 2014 (1969) | Intoxicated | AJ Eaton | Chris Eaton | Starcross Yacht Club | 9 | 17 | 26 |
13th | 1969 | Water Please | Chris Martin | John Tailby | Notts County/Midland | 13 | 14 | 27 |
14th | 1995 | Silverlode | Peter Rose | John Rose | Tenby SC | 19 | 9 | 28 |
15th | 2040 (1931) | AMBUSH | Kevin Gosling | Andy Service | Independent | 21 | 13 | 34 |
16th | 2037 (2048) | Fifty Shades of Gray | Dan Henderson | Amy Clay | Warsash | 14 | 20 | 34 |
17th | 2044 | Tallulah | Steven Walker | Jerry Hannabuss | Pennine SC | 27 | 8 | 35 |
18th | 2043 | Egyptian Surprise | Barry Wolfenden | Matt Rayner | Bough Beech | 22 | 15 | 37 |
19th | 2022 | Quackers! | Debi Forbes | Char Graham | Staunton Harold SC | 16 | 22 | 38 |
20th | 1937 | The Bee's Knees | Myles Jackson | Bill Jackson | Llandegfedd SC | 23 | 16 | 39 |
21st | 1958 | Barbarians for breakfast | Matt Potter | Kevin Hope | Notts County SC | 17 | 24 | 41 |
22nd | 2031 | UPYOURS2 | Peter Crowther | Dave Thompson | Pennine SC | 20 | 23 | 43 |
23rd | 1943 | Blue Moon | John Mursell | Matthew Palmer | Castle Cove SC | 24 | 25 | 49 |
24th | 2052 | Heart of Glass | Rob Cage | John Reay | Thames SC | 31 | 19 | 50 |
25th | 2060 | A Date With Destiny | Russell Wheeler | Lee Marriott | Isle of Sheppey Sailing Club | 25 | 26 | 51 |
26th | 2005 | Drama Queen | Dave Elston | Alan Ritchie | Sidmouth SC | 32 | 21 | 53 |
27th | 2001 | Zephyr | Malcolm James | Josh Oates | Chew Valley Lake SC | 26 | 30 | 56 |
28th | 2017 | Mr Blue Sky | Jon Willars | Nicola Willars | Notts County SC | 28 | 31 | 59 |
29th | 1980 | Storm | Tim Hulley | Martin Pascoe | Weir Wood/Castle Cove | 36 | 29 | 65 |
30th | 1985 | Another Wombat | Hatty Morsley | Rob Morsley | Portdinorwic SC | 29 | 37 | 66 |
31st | 1997 | Peaches | Samantha Mason | Richard Mason | Notts County SC | 33 | 33 | 66 |
32nd | 1970 | Custard Tart | Edward Parsons | Tony Hanlon | Emsworth SC | 39 | 28 | 67 |
33rd | 1998 | The Black Pearl | Joseph Warwicker | Lynne Radcliffe | Pevensey Bay Shoreham Bough Beech | 37 | 32 | 69 |
34th | 1951 | Sidewinder | Fiona Taylor | Gordon Taylor | Lymington Town SC | 35 | 34 | 69 |
35th | 2050 | ***MISSING*** | James Gardner | Anne Gardner | HISC | 34 | 35 | 69 |
36th | 1052 | Shandy | Jake Willars | Alison Sheldrick | HCYC/NCSC | 43 | 27 | 70 |
37th | 2018 | Short & Curly's | Nigel Potter | Ryan RIchards | Notts County SC | 30 | 42 | 72 |
38th | 1986 | Proper hunt | Shane MacCarhy | Andy Thompson | East Antrim boat club | 15 | DNC | 75 |
39th | 2009 | Perdita | Neil Peters | Jess Plail | Essc | 40 | 36 | 76 |
40th | 2019 | Popping Polly | Al Sim | Duncan Sim | South Cerney SC | 38 | 38 | 76 |
41st | 2054 | In a minute | Tom Lonsdale | Emily Cole‑Evans | South Cerney SC | 18 | DNC | 78 |
42nd | 2048 | Liquid Spirit | Chris Yates | Jodi Martin | Draycote | 42 | 39 | 81 |
43rd | 1992 | Tangled Up In Blue | William B Pinnock | Caroline Monk | Glossop Sailing Club | 41 | 41 | 82 |
44th | 1940 | Spitfire Summer | Nigel Denchfield | Chris Clarke | Grafham Water | 47 | 40 | 87 |
45th | 1891 | Fire in the Sky | Jeremy Lovell | Monty Lovell | Independent | 45 | 43 | 88 |
46th | 2056 | Delilah | Cheryl Wood | Dave Bennett | Pennine SC/Chew Valley | 44 | 44 | 88 |
47th | 1990 (1877) | Blue Breeze | Mark Whiteman | David Whiteman | Rye Harbour sailing Club | 48 | 45 | 93 |
48th | 1903 | The Heart of Gold | George Biggs | Monty Hampton | Llandegfedd SC/ South Cerney SC | 46 | 47 | 93 |
49th | 1919 | Polycrooz | Richard Gatehouse | Lauren Wills | Sidmouth SC | DNF | 46 | 106 |
50th | 1878 | Highlight | Joshua Cook | Aaron Adams | Bexhill | DNC | DNC | 120 |
50th | 1912 | Pigs on the wing | William Winter | LJ Winter | Cam SC | DNC | DNC | 120 |
50th | 1921 | ***MISSING*** | Michael Rock | Daniel Rock | Scorpion Association | DNC | DNC | 120 |
50th | 1929 (1759) | L'Espirit de Turnip | Nick Lightbody | Mick Greenland | Law Society YC | DNC | DNC | 120 |
50th | 2015 (1931) | The Business | Emily Cook | Daniel Cook | Club Nautique de Versoix Switzerland | RET | DNC | 120 |
50th | 1936 | Bottyburp the Barbarian | Simon Holden | ***MISSING*** | King George SC | DNC | DNC | 120 |
50th | 1988 | FAC 51 | Barnaby Croft | Louise Corfield | Sidmouth SC | DNC | DNC | 120 |
50th | 2055 | There's no F in bags | Paul McHenry | John Harlow | Notts County SC | DNC | DNC | 120 |
50th | 2011 | Must Try Harder | John Cooper | Anesta Cooper | Hunts | DNF | DNC | 120 |
50th | 2036 | Head over Feet | Robert Campbell‑Gray | Angie Vale | Alton Water | DNC | DNC | 120 |
Find out more at sailscorpion.co.uk/scorpion-national-championships-2023.html