English Open Challenger Championships at Oxford Sailability and Oxford Sail Training Trust

The Worshipful Company of Shipwrights English Open Challenger Championship at Oxford Sailability © Ali Chodkowski

The Worshipful Company of Shipwrights English Open Challenger Championship took place during the weekend 7-8 June. The event was organised by Oxford Sailability and the Oxford Sail Training Trust at Farmoor Reservoir.

There should have been sixteen sailors but on Saturday this was unfortunately reduced to twelve due to illness (including two hospitalisations) among the entrants with one sailor recovering for Sunday.

The weather forecasts for the weekend were not encouraging but, apart from a lee shore, the worst predictions (including thunderstorms on Saturday afternoon) did not materialise. Saturday saw SWly/WSW winds around F3 gusting F4. It was grey and showery.

The order of the race briefing appeared to be dictated by the Race Officer's need for a bacon butty! But by the end of it everyone knew that the plan was sail a trapezoidal course and if at all possible to keep to the published schedule.

The Worshipful Company of Shipwrights English Open Challenger Championship at Oxford Sailability - photo © Marion Edwards

The Challengers were launched for race 1. Dave Hodson (221) confessed to forgetting his jockey wheel. No jockey wheel means disgruntled shore crew but fortunately he was able to borrow one from Oxford Sailability.

New boy James Coxon (263) soon demonstrated he knew his way around a boat and handled the first start (and all subsequent ones) with aplomb.

There was a really nasty wind at the windward mark. James C managed to stagger round it leaving Alex Hovden (304) and Graham Hall (270) to do some extra tacks. Duncan Greenhalgh (280) came in from the left and got round ahead of Alex and Graham. Graham overtook Alex on the second beat.

It was all change on the final beat when Duncan could see pressure on the right and went on to complete the leg with a single tack and take the lead. James C and Graham went left (a bad move). Graham starboarded James C (no shouting required) to round the mark in second. Duncan, Graham and James C held these positions to the finish.

Where was Val Millward (312) in all this? Down in sixth struggling with a poorly rigged mainsheet (problem 1).

The sailors came in for lunch. Val sorted out her mainsheet. Caz Jerromes (291) was enthusing about her borrowed boat. 291 (and its partner 292 sailed by David Craig) came to the class association from Erith Yacht Club and were both hastily refurbished for the event. Caz said 291 was light and fast and helped her lead the silver fleet.

The Worshipful Company of Shipwrights English Open Challenger Championship at Oxford Sailability - photo © Marion Edwards

After lunch the fleet was launched for two back to back races. When she came to launch Val discovered her jockey wheel was completely flat (problem 2) but fortunately Oxford Sailability had another spare.

Worse was to come as not long after launching Val was seen heading back to the shore with a sail batten loose (problem 3). Some nifty work by the shore crew saw the problem fixed and sent her out again but she started two minutes behind everyone else. James C got the best start and successfully picked his way through the windshifts with Graham and Alex chasing. They managed to close the gap, but not enough, and James C took the win.

Val managed to work her way up to fifth which wasn't actually a surprise to those who know her tenacity.

At this point, Neil Bartlett sailing with Ros Hall (232) decided against doing back to back races. David also return to shore.

The Worshipful Company of Shipwrights English Open Challenger Championship at Oxford Sailability - photo © Marion Edwards

Race 3 saw a general recall (almost unheard of in the Challenger fleet). Caz admitted to creating the chaos. At the race briefing, the race officer had carefully explained that the start was between the orange flag on the committee boat and the orange flag on a danbuoy, and the finish was between the blue flag on the committee boat and the blue flag on a danbuoy. Caz was first over the wrong line (orange flag on committee boat and blue flag on the danbuoy) and all except three boats followed her.

Val, now back on form, led until the second beat when Graham got past her. He then began to worry about sailing a further two laps with Val on his tail! On the final lap he defended his position and although Val caught up considerably she did not get past. James C took third. In the silver fleet, Nic Bishop (258) took the win.

So half way through the event Graham found himself the head of the fleet (albeit by a single point). Caz led the silver fleet. Bill Poupart and Iain Smith (117) (both new to the Challenger) were first in bronze.

Most of the sailors and volunteers met in the clubhouse for (an excellent) dinner. They were joined by James Wilkes from the Worshipful Company of Shipwrights (WCS) and his family. James explained the role of the WCS in both charitable giving and education. He announced that the WCS would be sponsoring the English Open Challenger Championship at Oxford for five years with the funding going to Oxford Sailability. James went on to announce their support for a project to look at how the Challenger can be updated and redesigned for 2030. The project will use the contacts the WCS have in university departments. Everyone present responded to these announcements with enthusiasm.

After James, Tom Wylie, a long-time friend of the chair of the Regatta Organising Committee, entertained us with stories from his native Belfast so ending the evening on a lighter note.

The Worshipful Company of Shipwrights English Open Challenger Championship at Oxford Sailability - photo © Marion Edwards

On Sunday the wind had increased a little but was still F3 with the gusts possibly reaching F5. It was still a lee shore. The fleet was joined by Ray Andrews (138) sailing a Challenger for the first time but he is an experienced sailor having sailed both 2.4s and British Moths. Neil now had his usual buddy of Murray Palmer.

The fleet was launched for a further two back to back races again on a trapezoidal course.

Race 4 saw another win for James C with Graham taking another second and Val third. David sailed his best race to come second in the silver fleet. Unfortunately Alex required a tow when his rudder pintle sheered. More fast work by the shore crew meant, thanks to Oxford Sailability, another rudder and stock were found and fitted in time for the next race.

At the start of race 5 Duncan shut both Val and James C out giving Graham a good start. However, Graham went left and Val right. She found more pressure and a lift and was away and gone. Graham took another second and James C was third. Lydia Johnston (272) had her best race to come second in the silver fleet. Unfortunately Alex had further rudder problems and he was soon forced to retire.

The fleet returned for lunch and to prepare for the last race. Caz was closing in on the silver fleet trophy but nothing else was certain. Graham did his sums and believed that a first or second would give James C the event win. Things were just as tight in the bronze fleet.

Race 6 was sailed in the strongest wind of the weekend. Val tacked off early on a windshift, went out to the lay line and was the only sailor with a clear entry into the windward mark. Again she was away and gone. A long way behind, Graham got the first beat totally wrong and was tenth at the windward mark. He was relying on Duncan to hold on to second place and keep James C in third.

Unfortunately Duncan had a disastrous last beat allowing both James C and Graham through and they held those positions to the finish.

The prizes were presented by James Wilkes. It was not until then that Graham learnt he had got his sums wrong!

James C had needed to win the last race to take the event and was deprived by Val's masterclass. So that left Graham the English Challenger Champion, James was second and Val a comfortable third (no doubt ruing the disasters of the first two races). Caz led the silver fleet - she was delighted with her first silver fleet win.

Nic took second in his first event as a solo sailor, and David was third in his first Challenger event. In the bronze fleet Bill Poupart and Iain Smith had a very narrow win over Neil and Ros/Murray.

David Newton (Chair of the organising committee) thanked the Worshipful Company of Shipwrights for their considerable support. He also thanked the race officer David Rollinson and all the volunteers from Oxford Sailability and the Oxford Sail Training Trust who contributed to the smooth running of the event.

The Worshipful Company of Shipwrights English Open Challenger Championship at Oxford Sailability - photo © Marion Edwards

Trophies awarded:

The Shipwrights Trophy (1st overall) - Graham Hall
Anglo Marine Plate (1st Silver) - Caz Jerromes
Bronze Barometer (1st Bronze) - Bill Poupart
Oxford Sailability Challenger Championship trophy - Nic Bishop
Pam Gee Endeavour Trophy - Neil and Alison Bartlett

Overall Results: