Dart 15 Sprint Nationals at North Devon Yacht Club

by Joe Armstrong 8 May 2002 11:03 BST

North Devon Yacht Club hosted the Dart 15 Sprint National championships at Instow in weather which was bright and sunny with not much wind on Saturday which increased to force 3-4 on Sunday and a 4-5 on Monday. This weather provided conditions for a brilliant weekend of racing. There were 46 helms, a record turnout for the Sprint Nationals, 21 of the helms were from the host club.

Photo © Jonathan Perkins

Dart 15 Sailors at Instow with "Captain" Jimmy Johnson

The first race on Saturday was postponed for 20 mins until the sea breeze appeared. The Race Officer John Garland set an Olympic course with a heavily starboard biased line. First to the windward mark was George Carter followed by father Bob Carter, the following group of Laurie Gustar, Steve Sawford and Ray Gall were held up when local helm Gordon Smith barged in at the mark leaving the two leaders 100 yards ahead. Gustar broke away from the following group to finish 3rd behind the two Carters. George Carter was 1st with Bob Carter 2nd, Steve Sawford was 4th with local helms Tony Pratt and Joe Armstrong were 4th and 5th.

The breeze had freshened a little for the second race. Local helm, Gordon Smith, was the only port tack starter and he crossed the starboard pack just behind the leaders Alan Welman and Ed Low. By the windward mark Low was clear ahead of G Smith, R Carter and Nick Dewhirst. On the 2nd beat Gustar followed Smith to the North Shore and picked up 5 places to follow Smith on the run with Ed Low in 3rd place. The leading group grounded briefly on Sprat Ridge allowing Gustar to take the lead. By the next beat the boats of Robin Leather, G Carter and Dewhirst made gains to challenge the leading boats. At the finish the order was Gustar, Smith, G Carter, Leather, Low and George Stephen.

The fleet then retired for the day with a BBQ in the sunset at the North Devon Yacht Club.

On Sunday the wind had filled in to a force 3 northerly and the course was moved further out into the Estuary. The 3rd race was started with a port biased line and the fleet split into two with half opting for the Skern Bay side and the other half going up North shore. The North shore group were first to the windward mark with G Carter leading from George Stephen, Colin Price and R Carter. As the race developed the Gurnard group of Gustar, Leather and Carl Blenkinsop moved up through the fleet by pinching on the North shore where the water was flat and favourable wind had developed. At the finish the order was G Carter, Gustar, Leather, with Blenkinsop and Stephen 4th and 5th.

The 4th race again had a port biased line and a small group of boat crossed the fleet on port and took the north shore route to the windward mark. At the windward mark it was the Grafham trio of the Carters and Steve Sawford closely followed by Leather, Gustar and Smith. The race continued until Black Rock was breaking through the surface causing the lead boat to gybe suddenly to avoid it. The order at the finish was G Carter, Gustar, Leather followed by Sawford and R Carter with local helms Smith and Mike Palmer-Head just astern.

A Sprint class dinner followed in NDYC when £51 was raised for RNLI by fine for helms misdemeanours both on and off the water.

The fifth and final race was held on Monday. The wind had moved to the east and was a good force 4. Race Officer John Garland set a big course with a beat up the river Taw and the wing mark was a long reach away in Skern bay. First to the windward mark was Gustar, followed by Sawford , R Carter and Smith. The reach to the wing mark was over the shallows and the fleet followed local helm Gordon Smith to avoid Black Rock. The clunk of Smith's rudders on the rock could be clearly heard!! On the 2nd leg G Carter caught up to 3rd place. On the run to the last mark the fleet split to each side of the estuary. Much place swapping took place and Sawford took the gun from Gustar and G Carter with only 10 secs between them.

Overall Results:

Pos	Sail No	Helm	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	Pts
1	1818	G.Carter	1	3	1	1	3	6
2	1935	L.Gustar	3	1	2	2	2	7
3	1952	R.Leather	24	4	3	3	4	14
4	7	S.Sawford	4	10	9	4	1	18
5	1945	B.Carter	2	5	6	5	14	18
6	525	G.Smith	18	2	12	6	7	27
7	1627	C.Blenkinsop	21	12	4	9	10	35
8	1800	C.Price	15	15	7	10	6	38
9	1821	N.Dewhirst	7	8	10	15	15	40
10	1297	T.Pratt	5	29	16	13	8	42
11	1594	G.Stephen	23	7	5	20	12	44
12	1681	R.Bone	20	13	20	8	5	46
13	1638	A.Maddison	22	11	13	12	11	47
14	1357	M.Fisher	36	22	15	16	17	70
15	1490	B.Stevens	12	24	17	RTD	18	71
16	1959	E.Holmberg	17	17	23	25	13	70
17	1215	C.Johnson	13	16	22	19	23	71
18	1951	M.Palmer-Head	DNS	DNS	8	7	9	71
19	1914	R.Gall	9	30	14	18	DNC	71
20	1918	G.Goldstone	29	28	11	14	20	73
21	1325	P.Craft	16	19	21	21	21	77
22	1256	P.Gyurgyak	8	9	28	32	RTD	77
23	1701	P.Airey	11	25	DNF	23	19	78
24	1923	E.Lowe	10	6	RTD	DNS	16	79
25	1226	T.Gall	34	18	18	11	DNS	81
26	1365	D.Kingsland	19	26	32	24	27	96
27	1526	R.Way	27	14	25	35	32	98
28	1863	P.Riley	30	21	34	29	26	106
29	1295	P.Tanner	31	31	24	26	25	106
30	1278	J.Armstrong	6	35	35	31	35	107
31	1936	P.Slee	25	23	31	RTD	28	107
32	1522	S.Smith	28	20	DNF	37	24	109
33	1498	K.Jones	39	36	26	17	31	110
34	1943	M.Rainer	32	37	19	27	34	112
35	1500	P.Smith	33	RTD	27	22	30	112
36	1200	I.Atkinson	35	27	30	34	29	120
37	1906	M.Johns	41	34	38	28	22	122
38	1922	A.Welman	26	32	33	30	33	121
39	1406	P.Moore	14	39	DNF	38	36	127
40	1929	A.Stevens	38	33	29	36	37	135
41	1629	C.Back	37	38	37	33	39	145
42	1662	D.Dawson	42	41	36	39	38	154
43	1855	D.Warren	40	40	DNF	DNF	40	167
44	1424	J.Greening	43	RTD	DNF	40	41	171
45	1888	MJ.Scott	DNF	DNS	RTD	RTD	DNC	188
45	1666	H.Malek	RTD	DNS	DNF	DNF	RTD	188