West Country Boat Repairs 2000 class Millennium Series at Stone Sailing Club

Adrian and Jessica Stell leading race 4 - West Country Boat Repairs 2000 class Millennium Series at Stone SC © Skip Atkins

Seventeen 2000s took part in the final round of the West Country Boat Repairs Millennium Series at Stone SC on Sept 27th/28th. Stone SC are the most welcoming and friendly hosts, fantastic setting, lovely club house, free camping between the catamarans, really good catering and first class race management all of which combined to produce a memorable event.

Saturday saw fine weather and a shifty 10-16 knot SSE/Southerly with plenty of slants giving everyone a chance of some big gains and some real snakes. Ben and Lucy Harden blitzed the first race doing a text book port flyer off the start line to be never seen again. Pete Vincent/Rebecca Bradley worked their way through the fleet to 2nd with Adrian and Sally Miles 3rd.

Race 2 and Vincent/Bradley led the majority of the race to win with Terry Crook/Tienna Gill recovering from a wet first race to be 2nd with the Miles's 3rd again. Race 3 and the Harden's again had a convincing lead never to be seriously challenged. Iain and Sarah Yardley sailed an impressive race to claim 2nd with Vincent/Bradley again working through the fleet back to 3rd.

Youngest crews - West Country Boat Repairs 2000 class Millennium Series at Stone SC - photo © Skip Atkins

Sunday early doors was quiet but by 10.30 start a reasonable 6-8 knot breeze had set in from due south. Race 4 and Vincent/Bradley had the early lead with Skip Atkins/Mary Rose Bull in close company but Adrian Stell crewed by 4 year old daughter Jessica were on top form. They had way too much pace downwind to score a convincing win from Vincent/Bradley with the Yardley's 3rd. Race 5 was almost a carbon copy with the Stells winning from Vincent/Bradley and the Harden's 3rd.

Race 6 and the tide had turned and the fleet had trouble starting with a number of postponements and 2 general recalls plus the prospect of a very slow moving glorious large traditional wooden sailing barge sitting on the windward mark. With the wind fading it was not looking good for a final race but just as we feared the worst a cloud produced a sensible 6-7 knot breeze and the fleet remembered how to start.

Helen and Andrew Philips reunited with their bags - West Country Boat Repairs 2000 class Millennium Series at Stone SC - photo © Skip Atkins

At the start of the final run it was tense. Vincent/Bradley just led by boat length from the Harden's who had to win the race to win overall with the Stells only another 2 boat length's behind. But Vincent/Bradley wriggled clear to win the race and the open meeting; the Stells were 2nd with Crook/Gill 3rd.

With immense thanks to the race team and everyone at Stone for such a first class event. The final 2000 event of the year is the Inland Championships at Rutland SC on Oct 25th/26th. See you all there.

Helen and Andrew Philips had arrived 10 days early at Stone and had a touring holiday in the local area. They stayed Sunday night and did not set off for home until Monday morning.

Their sailing kit liked Stone so much it was all still in the changing rooms when they set off. Luckily they were an hour into their journey when they realised. A couple of phone calls later they knew someone was at the club to let back in but then Secretary of the club Simon set off with the bags to meet them half way yet again showing what a brilliant club Stone is and wining the Phillips's the prestigious Stone Duckhams of the weekend award.

Overall Results:

Podium places - West Country Boat Repairs 2000 class Millennium Series at Stone SC - photo © Skip Atkins