Catapult Jon Montgomery Travellers Trophy Series at Carsington Sailing Club

Carsington Water © Keith Appleby

Gareth Ede won the opening event of the Catapult Class Association's Jon Montgomery Travellers Trophy Series by only the narrowest of margins from John Terry, when the overall result was determined by just a few boat lengths at the finish of the last race.

After one dropped out because gear failure, four Catapults lined up with the Dart 15 and 18 fleets for Carsington Sailing Club's open meeting over the weekend of 18-19 April. The races were sailed over trapezoid courses. On the first day the wind varied from the low end to the top end of a Force 3 as clouds passed over the course bringing with them frequent shifts.

Race 1

Gareth Ede had built up a lead of 150m over the first two laps, but up the beat of the last lap John Terry benefited from a large lift to take the lead which he held to the finish. Meanwhile George Evans and Stuart Ede were strung out behind the leading pair. George slowed on the last beat thinking he had been finished, which allowed Stuart to catch up. Stuart overtook George on the top reach, but went wide down the run, while George stuck to the rhumb line to be a boat length ahead at the bottom mark, which he increased along the bottom reach to take third place.

Race 2

The start line had been shifted just before the start, and none of the fleet had found the time to test it, so they were surprised when they struggled to get off the line before the pin. John sailed over Stuart and Gareth as they pinched. John was first to the windward mark, but Gareth closed the gap round the next lap. At one point they were alongside one another as they pinched to make it through the gate. John made it through and was able to go up the favoured side of the beat, while Gareth had to tack to get through. John held his lead to the finish with Gareth in second place and George in third.

Race 3

Stuart attempted a port tack start, but Gareth and John passed ahead of him and he had to duck George's stern. He persevered up the right side of the beat, but that proved to be the wrong tactic, as he watched the leading trio round the windward mark well ahead. Gareth built his lead round the next few laps while George was on John's tail until John increased the margin on the last lap. Meanwhile Stuart closed the gap on George and was right on his tail down the last run. However, George kept just ahead to take third place.

Race 4

Day 2 dawned with slightly less wind than the previous day with some lulls on parts of the course. John led off the start. Due to a large wind shift just before the start, he was able to tack quickly onto a lay line for the windward mark. It took Gareth and George a little longer to realise that they were already on the lay line, before giving chase to John. As Stuart tacked to follow suit his tiller extension came uncoupled, which left him languishing in irons as he reattached it, putting him well out of contention.

Gareth caught up with John downwind and was snapping at his heels for a couple of laps before managing to get past on a reach. However, John was ultimately victorious, as, on the final beat to the finish line, he tacked immediately, rather than following Gareth close to the shore, where there proved to be less pressure.

At this point John was leading overall with three wins to Gareth's one.

Race 5

The wind picked up on the first beat, resulting in a hull flying charge to the windward mark by Gareth, just ahead of John. John put Gareth under pressure for the rest of the lap, with George also close behind.

On the final lap, John put in one too many tracks on the beat, allowing George through into second place. George held second place for most of the lap but was just pipped by a boat length at the finish by John.

Race 6

This final race would be the decider. Gareth now had two wins to John's three. If John beat Gareth he would seal the overall win. If Gareth could take this race, they would have three apiece and the overall winner would have to be decided on tie break.

John was narrowly ahead at the first windward mark, but Gareth caught and overtook him on the next lap. On the penultimate lap, the lead that Gareth had built up was jeopardised when a major wind shift brought him to an abrupt halt on the beat. He just managed to cling on to first place for the final lap with John a very close second, while George and Stuart came in third and fourth, respectively.

With three wins and three seconds apiece countback couldn't separate Gareth and John, so it came down to the result of the last race, which meant Gareth took the Blue Pennant as event winner plus the Yellow Pennant as leader of the Jon Montgomery Travellers Trophy Series.

Overall Results:

Alastair Forrest Personal Handicap Series:

The Catapult Class Association also runs a handicap series by applying personal ratings to the same set of races. Amazingly the top three of Stuart, George and John tied on 9 points each, who then had to be separated on countback. On this basis Stuart won the Lilac Pennant as event winner and the Magenta Pennant as series leader.