Saturday
morning, 6th October 2012, in Hove dawned to pouring, if light, rain
which stayed with us on the drive up to Haversham - just north of Milton Keynes.
We were at least 70 miles into the 120 mile drive before the rain ceased and
the sun came out in a deep blue cloudless sky for the inaugural Haversham SC
Streaker Dinghy Open Event .This was the final Open Meeting in the Pinnell and
Bax sponsored Southern Area Paddle Series and was additionally also the Streaker Southern Area
Championships. Ten visiting Streakers joined the sole club Streaker – Gary Hogan
- for this meeting which was combined with a six strong fleet of Byte CIIs.
With a beat across the lake it was Alan Gillard (Sheffield Vikings) first across the line with Veronica Falat (Waveney and Oulton Broad SC) just to leeward and Primrose Salt (Chew Valley SC) tucked in behind Alan.G. Alan Simmons (Lancing SC) was further towards the pin end but moving quickly in the light airs and although rounding the windward mark in fourth place soon lost out to, firstly, John Burgoine (Tamworth SC) and then Matt Whitfield (Tamworth SC) dropping to 6th by the end of the first lap. Matt.W continued to gain ground passing John.B in the second lap and Primrose.S in the fourth and final lap. Paul Jago (Hykeham) moved between 8th and seventh spot back but to 8th at the finish. Mark Mason (West Oxfordshire) was lying 7th at the end of the first lap dropping back to 9th at the close, Chris Smith (Island Barn SC) hovered at the back with initially 9th place dropping to 11th then getting back up to 10th at the finish. Bill Strange (Stewartby) clawed his way up from 10th at the end of the first lap to 7th by the finish. Gary.H was initially last, climbed one to 10th, then lost it again at the end of the race. Meanwhile Alan.G and Veronica drew out well ahead of the remainder of the fleet.
After
lunch the second race of the day was set, still in the southern half of the
lake, but taking marks in a different order (and side). First off their marks
was John.B at the southern end of the line with Matt.W to windward but slightly
behind. Alan.G was in the middle of the line and Alan.S down at the North end
with Veronica.F somewhere between these two. John B was first round the windward
mark with Matt.W close behind and Alan.G behind him. By the end of the first
lap Alan.G had passed this pair and Alan.S had moved up to 4th spot obtaining
an inside berth at the mark, having called starboard on Bill.S and Veronica.F
who found an awfull big hole at the windward mark and lost all momentum. By the
end of the third lap Alan.S was in 2nd place, well behind Alan.G but
ahead of John.B and Matt.W. At the end of the 4th lap Alan.G still
led but Paul.J had climbed up to second place and Matt.W passed Alan.S too. Veronica.F
wavered between 5th, 4th and 5th place at the
finish whilst Mark.M, 6th at the end of the first lap, dropped to 9th
by the finish.. Bill.S pulled back one place from an initial 8th to
7th wheras Chris.S also climbed one from 9th to 8th.
Gary.H lost one place from 10th to 11th when Primrose.S overtook
him. Alan.G having gained a considerable lead was the winner for the second
time.
Race
three was held back to back with race 2 and again on a slightly altered course
down at the south end of the lake. Alan.G having already scored two wins, to
take the event top spot, decided not to enter the final race so it was Paul.J
hot off the blocks closely pursued by Bill.S and Veronica.F with Alan.S in 4th
at the end of the first lap. By lap 2 Alan.S had climbed past these two into
second place where he stayed for the next two laps in spite of heavy ‘pressure’
from Bill.S continually on his transom. Matt.W went from 5th in lap 1 to 4th
and stayed there to the finish. Alan.S briefly overtook Paul.J but lost out
again during the final lap with Bill.S taking third and Matt. W 4th
place .Veronica fell back to 5th in lap two and decided to withdraw
to the shore. This left John.B in 5th position with Mark.M 6th
and Gary.H 7th. Chris.S took one spot back passing Primrose.S to
take 8th place in the last lap.
The
conditions were very testing with big shifts and much variation in wind
strength. Near the west bank – where the windward marks were located – flat calms
appeared and disappeared at the drop of a hat. Boats just feet apart could be
in different wind conditions.
Overall
winner of the meeting, and Area Champion, was Alan Gillard with Paul Jago
runner up and Alan Simmons in third place.
Name
|
Club
|
Boat
No
|
Race1
|
Race
2
|
Race
3
|
Points
|
Position
|
Alan
Gillard
|
Sheffield
Vikings
|
1691
|
1
|
1
|
DNC (12)
|
2
|
1
|
Paul
Jago
|
Hykeham
|
1651
|
(8)
|
2
|
1
|
3
|
2
|
Alan
Simmons
|
Lancing
|
1700
|
(6)
|
4
|
2
|
6
|
3
|
Matt
Whitfield
|
Tamworth
|
1446
|
3
|
3
|
(4)
|
6
|
4
|
Veronica
Falat
|
Waveney
& Oulton Broad
|
1654
|
2
|
5
|
DNF(12)
|
7
|
5
|
Bill
Strange
|
Stewartby
|
1791
|
(7)
|
7
|
3
|
10
|
6
|
John
Burgoine
|
Tamworth
|
1713
|
5
|
(6)
|
5
|
10
|
7
|
Primrose
Salt
|
Chew
Valley
|
1812
|
4
|
(10)
|
9
|
13
|
8
|
Mark
Mason
|
West
Oxfordshire
|
1667
|
(9)
|
9
|
6
|
15
|
9
|
Chris
Smith
|
Island
Barn
|
1770
|
(10)
|
8
|
8
|
16
|
10
|
Gary
Hogan
|
Haversham
|
1757
|
(11)
|
11
|
7
|
18
|
11
|
The
Southern Paddle series for 2012 now being finished (at this meeting) the winner
was declared as Ian Bradley of Ouse A S C who was not present and therefore was
not presented with the trophy. Runner up for the SA was Veronica Falat, 3rd
place going to Alan Simmons and 4th to Gary Hogan – these latter
two having been to almost all of the possible events, again this year.
The
Cadzow Trophy was presented to Chris Smith – it had been ‘lost’ and was not
found until well after the Nationals where Chris won it with his newly built (the
best turned out) boat.
The
prize draw for a new Pinnell and Bax Streaker sail was carried out with the
winner being William Cunningham from Seafarers SC – who was also not present.
He will shortly be receiving a token to present to P & B to claim his new
sail.
Alan
Simmons 1700
