Friday 5 July 2013

Streaker Ramblings - Nationals, Nottingham-29/30th June 2013

Thursday 27th June we had a trip down to Emsworth to measure Steve Cockerilll’s boat for the Nationals and then on Friday morning we set off up the A23,M23, M25 and M1 to Pitsford Reservoir, Northampton to measure Tom Gillard’s boat and then enter the Nationals myself on Saturday. The journey up was noteable only in so far as it rained nearly all the way, not heavily but enough to enter the top cover on the boat and soak the Sleeping bags I had stowed there.
On arrival at the sailing club, the rain having finally ceased, we found a reasonable spot in which to park – next to Primrose Salt from Chew valley – then rigged the boat and put the tent up. After that I measured Tom’s boat with Alan Gillard’s help holding the tape. Bett meanwhile helped Primrose to sort out and erect her tent – a nightmare job she said afterwards. Steve Cockerill was holding the afternoon Training session in a gentle breeze. By then it was time to have dinner/supper in the clubhouse - a magnificent spread – buffet style with eight or more dishes to choose from and ‘come back for more if you wish’ call from the galley crew. By time to turn in for the night I had developed an excruciating pain in my neck and had hardly any sleep all night not to mention two or three sessions of severe leg cramp – even the Paracetemol failed to help.
Saturday morning, still with the crick neck, we went over to the club for breakfast – once more buffet style with choices of full English through to toast and marmalade, plus all between. Then it was entering followed by a briefing – which indicated the first race (at least) would be a traditional Olympic Triangle and Sausage. A few more competitors arrived until there were 47 boats. From where we were camped and just below us the boat parked it looked as if the was not a lot of breeze but once we got out into the racing area there was a good top end force 4.
The start line was nice and long the wind was very shifty and the boats over eager so there were general recalls and postponements to reset the line bias before every one was away on race 1. The official report - http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/news/170531/Noble-Marine-Streaker-nationals-at-Northampton and http://www.streaker-class.org.uk/ - by Veronica Falat give the details of those at the front but I am going to try to show what it was like in the middle and the back of the fleet.

At the end of the first lap in Race 1 Chris Wright (Ripon) was lying in 20th place, with Ian Parish (Stewartby) 21st and John Crook (Blackwater) in 22nd. Further back Clive Stratton (Warsash) was lying 39th with Alan Simmons (Lancing) at 40th, and Paul Thomas-Peter (Ripon ) at 41st . By lap three in the strong and shifty breezes Chris Wright had dropped back to 23rd, Ian Parish was up to 19th and John Crook down to 32nd. Clive Stratton had swopped places with Alan Simmons and Paul Thomas-Peter was still 41st. by the end of the race Gary Stewart (Ouse) had gained eight places to 20th, Ian Parish gained two places to 19th and Alex Reindorp (Chipsted) had climbed from 27th in lap 1 to 21st place at the finish. In the back group Paul Thomas–Peter gained a couple of places to 39th, Alan Simmons had jumped to 36th and Clive Stratton was down to 42nd place.
Places could be gained or lost so easily in these conditions but it was noticeable that on the reaches, especially the second - after the gybe - the main bunches in the fleet went high whilst those who sailed low, near the south west shore, gained a good distance and in some cases several places.
 
Race 2, after lunch, was held in slightly less breeze, again from a generally westerly direction. Unfortunately there was no individual lap position data, merely the finishing positions but Chris Wright was well up the field in 6th place, Ian Parish 13th and John Crook 25th. In the second group Clive Stratton finished 45th, Alan Simmons was 31st and Paul Thomas-Peter was 33rd. Gary Stewart was 24th, Alex Reindorp finished 22nd.
Race 3 was held back to back with race 2 and the breeze had diminished yet again, although still in the top force 3 area. By the end of the first lap Dave Smith (Welton) was 19th, Matthew Whitfield (Tamworth) held 20th place, and dad Ian Whitfield held 21st. In the second group Paul Jago (Hykeham) was lying 39th, Mark Langston (Beccles) was 40th and Bill Cunningham (Waterlooville) was 41st. By the finish Nick Carter (Burgfield) held 19th place , Dave Smith was 20th and Alan Simmons took 21st place (his best position of the weekend). Chris Wright had another goodish result coming home in 12th place whilst Ian Parish was 25th and John Crook 26th. Of the second group Clive Stratton was just behind Alan Simmons in 22nd with Paul Thomas-Peter in 37th.
Saturday early evening there was another excellent meal, cost included in the entry fee, with a good selection of dishes to choose from and a DJ in the clubhouse pumping out quite a few oldies and some pleasant crooning. After a few beers that all went down well.
Sunday morning dawned bright and with a cloudless blue sky with the temperature rising rapidly. After an early breakfast the first race, race 4 was due to kick off at 10.00am. upon launching there did not seem to be a lot of breeze but once out to the course area it was a good force five and there was the usual problems with the start - the line bias/ premature starting. 
 
Race 4 finally things got underway with the usual top three or four off into the distance. In the middle group the leader at the end of the first lap at 19th was Paul Whyld (Seafarers), with Ian Fryatt (Llandegfedd) 20th and Benn Ratcliffe (Scammonden) 21st. the other group was led by Alan Simmons in 36th followed by Nick Carter 37th and Peter Jones (Bough Beech) 38th. By the finish, several boats having retired or not sailed, the middle order was Veronica Falat (Waveney & Oulton Broad) in 19th, Ben Ratcliffe 20th, and Peter Cogill (Rotherham) 21st. of those in these positions in Race 1 Chris wright was 24th, Ian Parish did not start and neither did John Crook. The back group finished with Alan Simmons 33rd, Gerry Ledger (Up River) 34th, Peter Jones 35th and Nick Carter last man at 36th. Clive Stratton did not race but Paul Thomas-Peter came home 26th.
The fifth and final race, held back to back finally got underway and at the front after one lap it was Howard Frear ( (Sutton Bingham) in the lead ahead of Ben Ratcliffe and with Ian Jones (Dovestone) in third spot. Howard held his lead to win the race ahead of Tom Gillard (Nothampton) with Ian Jones in third place. In the middle of the fleet, at the end of the first lap 19th place was held by Sally Ratcliffe (Scammonden) with Ian Whitfield 20th and Peter Tyeman (Pennine) 21st . The rear group, in the somewhat depleted fleet was led by Alan Simmons at 31st, then Peter Jones at 32nd and Nick Carter at 33rd with Alex Reindorp last man. By the final lap Peter Tyeman was up to 19th, Paul Whyld to 20th and Dave Butler (Welton) to 21st. At the back Alan Simmons, in spite of a windward capsize and swim, stayed at 31st whilst Ben Eaves (Reddith) came home 32nd and Nick Carter brought up the rear in 33rd. Of the original middle group Chris Wright , Ian Parish and John Crook none sailed this last race and Paul Thomas-Peter was 26th.
The champion for 2013 was Tom Gillard, with Steve Cockerill a close second, just one point behind and Ian Jones a gallant third. At the prizegiving there were several ‘spot’ prizes based on arbitrary places in the fleet, one of which went to Alan Simmons who also won the ‘Still at it Trophy’ for best placed over 75 years of age. A brilliant Championship with excellent, if a trifle breezy, conditions was enjoyed by all, lovely grub and lots of sunshine, too much for Bett who thought she had suffered a case of heat exhaustion We finally got home to Hove by about 7.00pm having left Pitsford by 3.00pm.
Maybe we, the Streaker Class, will go back to this excellent venue for another Nationals in the near future. Not a record breaking turn-out - as seen in some previous years – just outside the fifty barrier but not bad for a southerly venue.
Alan.S 1700