Pre-Worlds Report …. Tuesday

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As advised by Race Officer on Tuesday morning, the Flying Fifteen Pre-Worlds fleet completed three races in view of a forecast that suggested we may not get out on Wednesday.

Two windward-leeward races of two laps followed by a full sausage-triangle-sausage saw the on the water time similar to yesterday but more races sailed. The fleet also cooperated with the programme by getting away first time under a U Flag. As the race officer advised the purpose of the regatta is to race not get starting practice.

The conditions were more benign than Monday and indeed there were instances where crews were sitting in board.

The top ten now only has a solitary imposter, the Australian combination of Mike Hart & Dean McAullay; AUS 4063 whose results are 3, 7, 6, 3 & 4, good enough for 4th overall.

All the other “top-tenners” are from GBR, led by Nathan Batchelor & Richard Rigg; GBR 4070 whose scoreline is 7, 4, 1, 1, 3. Richard Lovering & Matt Alvarado; GBR 4002 are “demoted” to 2nd with race results of 1, 3, 5, 7, 1 leaving them with a 1-point deficit to the top spot. In third are Greg Wells & Andrew Jameson; GBR 5, 6, 2, 11, 2.

The South Africans Campbell Alexander & David Berridge RSA 4009 are 11th (11, 19, 10, 17, 6) followed by the first of the Irish fleet, David Gorman & Chris Doorly; IRL 3920 with a 19, 15, 12, 13, 14 and they in turn are just ahead of the Martin Brothers, Andy & Rory who have a scoreline of 18, 12, 18, 8, 24.

On Tuesday night the fleet were entertained by a group of speakers that include a member of the Irish Women’s Hockey Team that made the World Cup Final last year, Joan Molloy Irish solo sailor, Steve Goacher, Current Flying Fifteen World Champion and Prof O’Connell, a member of an Irish Melges 24 World Championship winning team dealing with the aspects of sport psychology.

With the Dublin Bay buoy recording 23 knots with gusts in the low thirties, the obvious decision, to cancel Wednesday’s racing was taken by Race Officer Jack Roy.

Overall Results: (top ten)

1 Nathan Batchelor & Richard Rigg 9pts
2 Richard Lovering & Matt Alvarado 10pts
3 Greg Wells & Andrew Jameson 15pts
4 Mike Hart & Dean McAullay 16pts
5 Graham Vials & Chris Turner 20pts
11 Campbell Alexander & Dave Berridge 44pts
12 David Gorman & Chris Doorly 54pts
13 Andy & Rory Martin 56pts

The first Irisman in the overall placing is Alan Green in the Anglo Irish combination with Charles Apthorp – finishing 8th overall.

In the Silver Fleet the honours go to the South African combination of Patrick Harris & Jeremy Kriek in 20th, followed by Lee Statham & Andy Paul (21st) (IRL) and Ashley Smith & Charles Apthorp (Jnr) (AUS) in 22nd.

In Bronze the honours go to Alistair Stevenson & Jeremy Valentine (GBR) in 36th, followed by Ben Mulligan & Cormac Bradley (37th) and Tom Murphy & Carel la Roux (39th), the latter two being part of the host fleet.

Prize-giving is scheduled for 18:00 with an Irish night to follow.

Report on Pre-Worlds Day One…!!

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In a boisterous start to the Subaru Ireland sponsored Pre-Worlds & Championship of Ireland, IRO Jack Roy gave the 55-boat fleet two of the sausage-triangle-sausage courses to stretch their limbs and sinews!

With a declared wind direction of 240 degrees and a flooding tide, the on the water conditions were quite comfortable. At his briefing in the morning the Race Officer declared that a U flag start would be used after an aborted start if he deemed the fleet to be at fault – it didn’t take long for the U-flag to be broken out and the black flag got some usage as well.

The Race Officer on coming ashore after the day’s proceedings advised that wind strengths in the first race were of the order of 12 knots gusting to nineteen and in the second 13 gusting to the low twenties. It felt more than that! There was some relief in the lulls but they were short-lived.

The overall scoreboard is dominated by the British entries with seven boats in the top ten. They are led by Richard Lovering & Matt Alvarado, GBR 4002 counting a 1,3. Next is Steve Goacher & Tim Harper GBR 4021 with a 4,2 and Mike Hart & Dean McAullay AUS 4063 with a 3,7. Graham Vials & Chris Turner GBR 4071 claimed the second race and added a 10 from Race 1 to close out the top five.

South Africans Campbell Alexander & Dave Herridge RSA 4009 lie ninth with a 11 and 9 and the Martin Brothers, Andy & Rory IRL 3974 close out the top ten with a 18, 12.

Three Irish boats occupy tenth, eleventh and thirteenth overall with Hammy Baker & Peter Chamberlain IRL 3756 sandwiched between the Martins and the leading boat from the host club, David Gorman & Chris Doorly who are counting a 19, 15. Bryan Willis & John McPeake from Whitehead and registered as GBR occupy twelfth.

A briefing is scheduled for 11:00 today where the word is we will be having a three-race programme due to an adverse weather forecast for Wednesday.

Find out more at www.flying15worlds2019.com

Aldeburgh Open !!! Fabulous Photos !!

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FLYING FIFTEEN OPEN MEETING AT ALDEBURGH YACHT CLUB

6TH– 7THJuly 2019

Part of the Southern Travellers Series

 

For the first time since 2004 the F15 fleet at Aldeburgh Yacht Club hosted an open weekend on the tidal River Alde. Appropriately fifteen 15s took part.  Seven locals were delighted to be joined by eight visiting boats from Broxbourne, Bewl, Datchet, Grafham, Draycote and Ipswich (RORC).

 

On the Saturday afternoon, Race Officer Robert Mulcahy took advantage of the high tide to run 2 excellent windward/ leeward races upriver on the tidal flats at Blackheath.  Light and shifty conditions led to close and interesting racing.  In the first race Pip Hudson and Steve Stewart (3889) from Broxbourne mastered the conditions to win comfortably from local boat True Luff (3844) – Duncan Matthew and John Chalker – with a special mention to Jerry and Charlie Young who sailed their Silver Fleet boat Ffully Focussed (3139) into 4thplace on the water.

 

In the second race, following a delay to reposition marks as the wind shifted to the right, Grafham sailors Tim O’Brien and Colin Ferra in Ffoxy Lady (4042) put behind them their 13thplace from Race 1 to win, ahead of Datchet’s John Hanson and Helen Selden (3954), with the first two boats from race 1 coming third and fourth respectively.  The steady drizzle and dying wind put paid to any chances of a third race and the fleet followed the tide back downriver to the AYC clubhouse – for plentiful drinks and an informal dinner.

 

The following morning, with racing set to take place at low tide and in a north easterly wind, Robert took the start boat downriver to Blackstakes where the bend in the river allowed a decent windward/leeward course to be set for two further races.  A short start line dictated by the narrowness of the river led to general recalls in both races, whilst the change from an ebb to flood tide saw differing conditions in each race.  Pip Hudson and Steve Stewart showed the way again in the third race but were convincingly pipped into second place in the fourth race by John Hanson and Helen Seldon.

 

However, Pip and Steve had done enough to win the Ratcliff Trophy from John and Helen, with top local boat True Luff in third.

 

In the silver/classics section, the Flamingo Tankard was won by locals Jerry and Charlie Young in Ffully Focussed (3139) ahead of Broxbourne’s Brian Turner and Jackie Burns in Windcheetah (3031).

 

Thanks again to Race Officer Robert Mulcahy, ably assisted by Caroline Donsworth for the whole weekend, and a big shout out for the youngest sailor in the fleet,16-year-old Freddie Fulford, who said he “mostly enjoyed” sailing with his Dad.

 

For the full set of results see:

 

http://www.aldeburghyc.org.uk/sailing/2019-racing-results/2019-laser-flying-15-open/

 

Next photo ©Robert Mulcahy

FF open meeting

FF open meeting

Dovestone Open…!!

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Dovestone Sailing Club nestling in the beautiful Pennine hills to the east of Manchester hosted round 2 of the Waples Wines Flying Fifteen Traveller Series over the weekend of the 29thand 30thJune. Conditions were perfect with a full reservoir and temperatures topping 30 degrees.  The fleet of 17 boats included visitors who had travelled from as far away as Bassenthwaite and Datchet adding to the strong home fleet.

On Saturday two races were sailed, andwith shifting light breezes the positions were not certain until the finish of both, with plenty of passing lanes available. David McKee and Mal Hartland managed to breakaway in the first race but otherwise it was close. The overnight leaders were John Hanson and Helen Selden. Unfortunately, an incident with a flyaway pole required the assistance of the NHS for one visitor, fortunately all was well, and he was able to sail on Sunday. Look out for the mark of Harry Potter at future events.

An excellent BBQ and social evening took place at the club on Saturday evening.

Sunday dawned a little cooler, the wind had switched round to the south east and it gradually increased during the day. By the last race the conditions were quite testing with gusts of up to force 5. The racing throughout the fleet was very competitive. The Local boats of McKee/Hartland and McKee/Jones made the most of conditions, both scoring 5 points from 3 races. Andy McKee and Rich Jones managed the other sail away win of the event in the last race and David McKee and Mal Hartland managed to claw their way up to 2ndafter a poor start to take the win by a point. John and Helen had a battle with the strongly finishing Mike Preston/Chris Robinson but managed to hold on for 3rdplace. In 4thand sailing with a bad back Mike Moore/Kayla Sheard sailed well, their results including a 3rdplace during one of the windy races.

The support of series sponsor Justin of Waples Wines was appreciated as also were the contributions of the many members who worked hard to make the weekend the success it was.

Click here to download full results

Results

1st                                    4065                                    David McKee/Mal Hartland                                    Dovestone SC                  6 pts

2nd                                    4005                                    Andy McKee/Rich Jones                                                      Dovestone SC                  7 pts

3rd                                    3954                                    John Hanson/Helen Selden                                    Datchet SC                  12 pts

1stSilver                  3391                                    Colin Pierce/Mandy Thackray                                    Dovestone SC

Classic under 2000                  496                  Rod Rowlands/Andy Robinson                                    Dovestone SC

Classic 2001-2700                  2584                  Howard Wolstencroft,/John Hesten                  Dovestone SC