Flying Fifteen Southern Championship at Aldeburgh Yacht Club
by Paul Botterill 7 May 2001 23:59 BST
5th-7th May
Photo ©: Paul Botterill
41 Flying Fifteens from as far away as Salcombe, Bala, West Kirby and Derwent, competed for the 2001 Flying Fifteen Class Southern Championships hosted by the Aldeburgh Yacht Club over the bank holiday weekend. With the ship carrying several of the competitors’ boats back from the world championship in Durban only due to berth in Felixstowe on the Friday morning, required a superhuman effort by International Class Commodore, Roger Palmer, to get the containers cleared, unloaded and the boats up the coast to Aldeburgh before the bar closed on Friday night.
Saturday saw winds blowing from the North North East, straight in off the North Sea, at about 25 knots providing a perfect three mile windward leg for the first race into the full force of the Southerly ebb tide. A clean start from a line well over half way downstream to Orford soon saw the fleet split into two. The short tackers trying to avoid the tide short tacked along, and occasionally into, the sides while others played the frequent shifts in wind direction and disregarded the tide. The latter generally prevailed and the end of the first beat saw current World Champion Charles Apthorpe, in close contention with Brett Dingwall and Mike Hicks all in hot pursuit of local sailor Simon Fulford helming Mike Turnbull’s brand new boat, literally only delivered the day before. Fulford managed to hold the lead until the last run when Mike Hicks managed to take over the lead and go on to win.
The second race over a more friendly and shorter course saw former double Olympic sailor with treble Olympic wife Sue, take the line honours followed by Mike Hicks.
By Sunday morning the wind had increased to 28 – 30 knots still from the NNE and the third race was sailed on a windward/leeward course. Several competitors elected to nurse their heads from the previous night party rather than brave the higher wind that punished the smallest errors without mercy. There were several spectacular broaches and even a sinking in the classic boat fleet but this was no problem for Barry and Sue Parkin who took line honours again. By the start of the second race the wind had moderated to about 25 knots and a general recall lead to the first use of the black flag. The fleet got away on the next attempt on a course that sent the fleet well up river to take advantage of the high of the tide. While this was not to everyone’s taste it provided plenty of work for the crews with about 6 spinnaker hoists and afforded some spectacular planing opportunities. The lead changed hands frequently with Barry Parkin mainly battling it out with Mike and Patrick Hicks yet again. By the leeward mark the Parins had opened up a 150 metre lead but the heavier weight in the Hicks brothers gave them the edge on speed resulting in a fierce close tacking duel as they approached the finishing line with the Parkins squeezing home by a nail biting half boats length.
The final race on Monday morning was sailed in a perfect 20 – 22 knots, still from the NNE, and bright sunshine. The windward /leeward course provided plenty of tactical opportunities. Local sailor Ben Nichols went into the first weather mark with a comfortable lead only to be overtaken by Alan Bax with Paul Busby on the first run. Alan continued to defend his lead from continuing challenges from both Barry Parkin and Brett Dingwall with Tim Hammick to finish in that order.
The Championship closed with Barry and Sue Parkin being presented with the Ratcliff Trophy for the Aldeburgh Flying Fifteen Open Meeting as well as the Southern Championship by Jill Fowles, herself winning crew of the Southern Championship six times with her late father Graham Goodson.
Overall Results:
| Pos | Helm | Crew | Club | Sail No |
|---|
| 1st | Barry Parkin | Sue Parkin | Hayling | 3630 |
| 2nd | Alan Bax | Paul Busby | HISC | 3611 |
| 3rd | Brett Dingwall | Tim Hamick | HISC | 3689 |
| 4th | Ben Nichols | Simon Sydenham | Aldeburgh | 3417 |
| 5th | David McKee | Sally McKee | Dovestone | 3628 |
| Silver Fleet (2701 – 3200) |
|---|
| 1st | Gordon Lamonde | Scott Train | Bala | 2774 |
| 2nd | Duncan Dando | Paul Metcalf | Teeside | 2741 |
| 3rd | Julian Roney | Aldeburgh | 3160 |
| Classic Fleet (2700 and below) |
|---|
| 1st | Nick Heath | Graham Wadeley | Grafham | 2520 |
| 2nd | Jeremy Arnold | Mike Pearce | Ogston | 2663 |
| 3rd | William Boyd | James Hooper | Aldeburgh | 2630 |
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