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Trinidad and Tobago - Sail Service Stay

Marblehead National Championship at Datchet Water

by Nigel Barrow 5 Jun 09:18 BST 1-2 June 2024

Datchet Water or Queen Mother reservoir is one of the main reservoirs for London and a feeder reservoir for the Queen Mary reservoir down the road. It is like a giant saucer with the sides upwards of 60 feet above the ground.

Whilst on the one hand you have a clear view or everything around you when you stand at the club, from Heathrow airport to Windsor Castle. If you are a plane spotter, the venue is perfect as you get a plane landing or taking over every few minutes and you can almost reach out and touch them.

On the other hand, the elevation can influence the wind as it rises up the sides of the reservoir and rolls over the top. The favourite direction is a South Westerly where the wind blows from across the reservoir, creating waves of up to half a metre high. Sadly, the wind did not play ball and decided to blow from the North making our race officer's (Hugh McAdoo) weekend a bit of a nightmare as the wind flicked by over 45 degrees all day on Saturday and then had us transferring from one side of the clubhouse to the other and back again on Sunday.

This year's event celebrated the 50th anniversary of the first Marblehead Nationals held at the Elstead Moat. In fact, four of the competitors this year were at that first event. Derek Priestley, John Cleave, Roger Stollery and Peter Stollery who was not yet out of a pram. It was great to see them all looking so well.

29 competitors arrived to a cold chilly wind from the North (ish). Poor Derek Priestley (our MYA President) clad in shorts and a T shirt, left warm sunny Fleetwood (up north) in glorious warm sunshine, expecting the south to be even better, to be greeted by cloud and cold. Assume nothing with the weather.

After the briefing, the seeding races for 2 heats got under way on a slightly one-sided course. We sailed all day on the north side of the clubhouse. Conditions were B rig most of the day. Craig Richards and Peter Stollery laid down a marker both winning their races. After 6 races, Craig Richards had the best score with four firsts and a seventh, closely followed by Matteo Longhi from Italy, Darin Ballington, Chris Harris, Patrice Montero, Peter Stollery and Graham Bantock. This was going to be a very open championship with the winner likely decided in the final race from this group. In fact at this point any one of the top 8 could win the event.

On the Saturday night Graham and Elaine Hetem put on an excellent barbeque enjoyed by all who stayed, while they caught up with old friends and talked over what might have been over a beverage or two. A lovely evening with a balcony looking out over the reservoir. If only the sun had shone.

In the chase on the Sunday there were mixed fortunes for the top challengers. Matteo Longhi struggled in the final races posting 11, 9, 8, 2 and ended 4th. Chris Harris had a strong run to the finish posting 4, 1, 2, 6 but would finish 3rd. Craig fell off the pace in the last 3 races with 17, 7, 7, 4 to finish 2nd which allowed Darin Ballington to take the win finishing 10, 3, 1, 3. Hats off to Darin who sailed beautifully and deserved the win in such a tight finish. In fact in the last race when lying 5th, which would have put him joint winner with Craig, he sniffed out a right hand shift on one of the beats which took him to 3rd, good enough to put him 2 points clear of the fleet.

If you looked at the scoring for the top, after 10 races, 9 points separated the top 7 and only 5 points separated the top 5. 3rd to 5th position were all on equal points.

This was an incredibly difficult weekend for the race management team. On Sunday with a forecast that would be perfect for a course on the north side of the clubhouse, the wind decided to ignore the forecast and stubbornly remained in the North so after a couple of attempts at starting and many general recalls, the fleet decamped to the South side of the club house where we got a couple of races in. At long last the wind decided it was time to follow the forecast and shift to the northwest, so we all moved back to the north side to get some decent racing in although the wind was still unpredictable in direction. Who would be a race officer. Hugh we thank you for suffering the wroth of the wind this weekend.

Events like these would never happen without a host of volunteers. Our thanks go to:

  • Hugh McAdoo, PRO
  • Phil Holliday, Organiser
  • Vernon Appleton
  • Steve Manbitt
  • Martin Crysell
  • Dave Lindsay
  • Dave Adam
  • Howard Shawyer
  • Tristan Becket Boatman
  • Richard Jones Scoring

We were grateful to see Matteo Longhi from Italy, Patrice Montero from France and Chris Vaes from Holland. We hope to see you next year and trust you enjoyed the hospitality as well as the racing.

At the prize-giving, presented by Datchet's Commodore Jeremy Bennett. Darin thanked all the organisers and highlighted how the competition was held in such a great atmosphere and sportsmanship. It was so close that anyone of the top 5 could have won.

Next year we have the world championships in France. Will the winner come from the UK?

Overall Results:
If you finished in the top ten at the Marblehead nationals then enter your Gear Guide information here

PosSkipperSail NoClub/CityHullR1R2R3R4R5R6R7R8R9R10Pts
1Darin Ballington98Lincoln RSCGrunge31738151031327
2Craig Richards12Datchet Radio SailingF611711011777429
3Chris Harris21Windrush RYCGrunge2109287412632
4Matteo Longhi24LNI Mandello del LarioGrunge4414361198232
5Peter Stollery39Guildford MYCUp1561128226832
6Graham Bantock95Chelmsford RYCQuark23571735513535
7Patrice Montero38SRVannesGrunge56116627173136
8Tony Edwards75Yeovil DMBCGrunge324121191441138
9Rob Vice41Guildford MYCUp92129051736051049
10Mark Robinson47Eastlelgh & District MBCGrunge4111351210128122274
11CJ Vice89Guildford MYCGrunge138153441318172377
12Chris Vaes121RZN/KOMRogue Wave891623191915111015103
13Nigel Barrow154Frensham Pond RSCF66121018132221121914104
14Duncan Ellis37Norwich MYCGrunge1422121014171820913107
15Derek Priestley0Fleetwood MY&PBCGrunge1120181323121414209111
16Lewis Wyeth77Gosport MBYCStarkers Cubed122519189138152419113
17Shaun Priestley71Fleetwood MY&PBCNunu6781871428303030118
18Olly Murray82Fleetwood MY&PBCStarkers1130301921239101512120
19David Cole74Hampton Court MYCGrunge1013143026266131626124
20Robert Wilson97Lincoln RSCStarkers923212124302023117135
21Roy Stevens54ScarboroughGrunge13192418172117171421136
22Phil Holliday66Datchet Radio SallingF68172522152019212117138
23John Smith43Manor Park RSCGrunge7182014181130303030148
24Oliver Stollery31Guildford MYCF610143030221528192516149
25Colin Harper28London MYCQuark5152630252523222318156
26Shaun Wyeth99Gosport MBYCStarkers12261720303022251820160
27Rohan Willimas25Datchet Radio SailingGrunge7242330201730303030181
28Graham Hetem60Datchet Radio SailingF614302230303024242230196
29Bob Pearson85Gosport MBYCStarkers16303030302428303030218

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