Streaker Ramblings - Southern Area Champs - Bough Beech 01.04.2017

The runaway winner of the Southern Area Championship, held at Bough Beech on 1^st April was Brenda Hoult, from Hayling Island  Sailing Club, sailing boat number 1975. The Streaker event was held concurrently with an open meeting for RS 600s and Supernovas with the Streakers the last class to start on a roughly rectangular course as indicated below.

 

The wind was a fresh top end force four from the SSW, dam end of the Reservoir. With the RS 600s and the Supernovas away cleanly the Streaker fleet was a bit over anxious (and early) with a large section, of the thirteen strong fleet, over the line at the gun and causing a general recall.

 

The RO was not exactly prepared and although he made the required two further sound signals he did not have the first Substiute ready to hoist. Belatedly he put up code flag X (individual recall) and finally found the first Sub.

For the second start  the Streakers were a bit more disciplined and the fleet got away with no more early birds. First away however was Brenda towards the pin end with Paul Grace (1887- Chipstead) in the bunch closer to the committee boat end of the line. It is impossible to tell from the photo of this start who was third away as the view was virtually head on but a likely contender is James Dawes (1977 - Redditch). Yours truly was well at the back and had no real view of the front line. It would appear that Brenda picked the wrong side of the course as the real race appeared to be between Paul and James with a battle well and truly joined between the pair.

 

As boats did not need to pass through the line on the upwind leg, until the class flag was hoisted to indicate a shortened course, there is no way to know the individual lap positions through the fleet. At the finish James was the winner with Paul second, Howard Frear (1777 – Sutton Bingham) third, Chris Smith (1844 – Island Barn) fourth and Brenda fifth.

The second race, held back to back in slightly less breeze, had a clean start with Ian Priest (1933 – Scaling Dam) first away close to the committee boat. Second over the line was Paul with Howard a little behind but to weather and James behind this group. Brenda again chose a position further down the line towards the Pin end but going like a bomb and was shortly firmly in the lead.

 

By the time the fleet had tacked towards the west bank Brenda was in command and pulled even further ahead on the downwind leg. At the gun it was Brenda in first place with Duncan MacDonald (1934 – Newhaven & Seaford SC) in second place, Ian third, James fourth and Chris fifth.

The third and final race began with the RS600 start at 2.30pm and the Streakers some fifteen minutes later – just as the leading RS helm was about to pass close to the line. The wind was still from the same direction and at much the same strength as in race 2. At the gun Alex Reindorp (1953 – Chipstead) was first away close under the committee boat with Howard just behind but to weather, Paul to leeward and James at the back of this group. Brenda was once more lower down the line towards the pin end. 

 

Brenda was off like a train once more and in the lead as the majority of the fleet tacked towards the west bank. Howard held second place on this tack and onto the run with Sandra Hill (1941 – Bough Beech) lying third. By the finish of the race Brenda was first across the line with Howard second, Ian third, Paul fourth and Chris fifth again. James failed to finish this last race – did he capsize?

A few boats were seen to succumb, especially on the penultimate , broad reach,  leg where a gybe was required before the bottom mark. Among those lower down the ranks, outside the top five places, there was no less action Alex was tenth in the first race but then sixth in the next two races. Phil Halldron (1905 – Downs) had a pair of eighth places, discarding a tenth in the second race. Sandra counted an eighth and ninth whilst discarding an eleventh in the first race. Peter Withrington (1939 – Burghfield) had two 11^th places and a discarded twelfth. Alan Simmons (1700 – Lancing) had a twelfth, a tenth and a thirteenth.

 

Phil, Peter and Alan had some close competition in all three races with frequent place changes. Neil Gibson (1569 – Redoubt)  took 9^th place in the first race and then failed to start in the second and third races.

With the results all finally entered up the winner of the event was, as stated above, Brenda Hoult, James Dawes was second, Howard Frear third, Paul Grace fourth and Ian Priest fifth.

Overall Results.

Posn	Boat No	Helm	Club	Race 1	Race 2	Race 3	Nett points
1	1975	Brenda Hoult	Hayling Island	(5)	1	1	2
2	1977	James Dawes	Redditch	1	4	(14DNF)	5
3	1777	Howard Frear	Sutton Bingham	3	(7)	2	5
4	1887	Paul Grace	Chipstead	2	(9)	4	6
5	1933	Ian Priest	Scaling Dam	(7)	3	3	6
6	1934	Duncan MacDonald	Newhaven & Seaford	6	2	(7)	8
7	1844	Chris Smith	Island Barn	4	(5)	5	9
8	1953	Alex Reindorp	Chipstead	(10)	6	6	12
9	1905	Phil Halldron	Downs	8	(10)	8	16
10	1941	Sandra Hill	Bough Beech	(11)	8	9	17
11	1700	Alan Simmons	Lancing	(13)	12	10	22
12	1929	Peter Withrington	Burgfield	(12)	11	11	22
13	1569	Neil Gibson	Redoubt	9	(14DNS)	(14DNS)	23

The wind conditions were ideal for most of the fleet, yours truly excepted I now like a little bit less, quite steady in direction and of a goodly strength even when it dropped off a little.
A good sized fleet even with a few familiar faces missing but it is a bit early in the year. Burghfield is the next event on Saturday 22nd April.
Alan.S 1700
PS. Look out for the official (Class Association) report , either on the class web site or on Facebook