Sprint 15 National Championship at Netley Sailing Club
by David Groom 3 Aug 2015 12:48 BST
31 July - 2 August 2015
Paul Craft ahead of Paul Grattage and Kevin Dutch during the Sprint 15 Nationals at Netley © Alan Howie-Wood
The Sprint 15 National Championship was held at Netley Sailing Club over the long weekend of the 31st July - 2nd August. The 47 competitors included three boats from this cat-friendly club with one sailed by Luke Scott in his first ever Sprint event. Sailors came from far and wide with the visitor from Halifax being surprised to be trumped by a visitor from New York. Numbers were down due to an unfortunate need to change the date after many had made holiday plans for the year meaning the fleet just fell out of the 50 plus club for the first time in many years.
The weather was basically perfect with sunshine and sea breezes allowing champagne sailing conditions particularly on the last day and facilitating long recovery sessions on the terrace and later on into the night on the club camp site.
Day 1 dawned windless but the Race Officer, David Henshall, set a postponement expecting that wind was coming early pm. His highly efficient race team laid the marks for an initially confusing but very sensible and soon to become familiar course providing two long and three shorter beats, three runs and two reaches utilising the full width of Southampton Water when required. This was the day for the light wind experts allowing Robin Boardman and Stuart Snell to shine, closely followed by Paul Grattage sailing one of the new Sprint 15s.
Day two was more of a mix with again no wind in the morning but an increasing breeze as the races progressed. The breeze, or breezes at times, was shifting allowing tactical advantages for those who spotted them as did the tide running down the start line making it essential to avoid the multiple piles-up at the pin end. Paul Grattage and Robin Boardman dominated with Kevin Dutch, Paul Craft and Jim Bowie featuring as the wind increased. A rare error (OCS) meant Paul Grattage had not won the event by the end of day two and had to compete on the last day. One race was sensibly abandoned after the pilot of a very large container ship had panicked somewhat when confronted by what he described as hundreds of fast moving white sailing boats between him and his destination. Surprisingly some competitors were not sure what the abandonment was for!
Day three was champagne Sunday. A gentle breeze greeted the competitors and this filled into a steady south westerly three by the time they launched. This increased over the day into a boisterous four which with a meaningful chop and sunshine showed the Sprints pedigree off to the full. The heavier conditions suited those who had shone the day before with Kevin Dutch taking Race One and Paul Grattage Race Two, making Grattage National Champion for 2015 and keeping his chances for a clean sweep of 15 major events alive. Other major trophy winners included Christine Roman who took the ladies' prize, Henry and Simon Giles who took the two up cup, Joe Baker who took the youth prize and Thorpe Bay who won the Team Trophy.
Away from the water the fleet confounded its reputation and socialised hard with the bar full each night and much talking on the terrace serenaded by live music and a sail past by three large cruise ships on the Saturday night. The Association dinner was excellently prepared and served by catering students from Eastleigh College.
Thanks to the weather gods who allowed the locals to boast it is always like this here. David Henshall and the on-the-water team Rosie Parker (Commodore and non-stop grafter), her son Alex overall event organiser, the shoreside team, the club caterers who were there from dawn until almost dusk and Windsport for the sponsorship and event support as efficiently provided by newbie Windsport Team Member Rosie Snell.
Overall Results:
If you finished in the top ten at the Sprint 15 Sport nationals then enter your Gear Guide information here
Pos | Helm | Sail No | Club | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | Pts |
1 | Paul Grattage | 2018 | Shanklin Sailing Club | 2 | 2 | 1 | OCS | 1 | 3 | 1 | 7 |
2 | Robin Boardman | 1988 | Halifax Sailing Club | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 4 | 10 |
3 | Kevin Dutch | 1938 | Seasalter Sailing Club | 12 | 8 | 14 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 16 |
4 | Paul Craft | 1928 | Worthing Sailing Club | 5 | 33 | DNF | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 18 |
5 | Jim Bowie | 1981 | Thorpe Bay Yacht Club | 6 | 5 | 20 | 4 | 3 | 10 | 5 | 23 |
6 | Stuart Snell | 2016 | Grafham Water Sailing Club | 1 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 24 |
7 | Steve Healy | 1921 | Thorpe Bay Yacht Club | 4 | 4 | 5 | 20 | 10 | 9 | 14 | 32 |
8 | Chris Tillyer | 1953 | Thorpe Bay Yacht Club | 14 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 6 | 19 | 16 | 36 |
9 | Paul Roberts | 1054 | Dee Sailing Club | 25 | 10 | 9 | 14 | 12 | 8 | 6 | 45 |
10 | Ed Tuite Dalton | 1940 | Draycote Water Sailing Club | 9 | 9 | 17 | DSQ | 17 | 12 | 11 | 58 |
11 | Steve Sawford | 1989 | Rutland Water Sailing Club | 15 | 7 | 23 | 10 | 5 | DNS | DNS | 60 |
12 | Gary Sverdloff | 1963 | Thorpe Bay Yacht Club | 21 | 21 | 6 | 12 | 13 | 18 | 12 | 61 |
13 | Liam Thom | 1957 | Shanklin Sailing Club | 13 | 22 | 4 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 20 | 62 |
14 | Simon Giles & Henry Giles | 1944 | Shanklin Sailing Club | 10 | 12 | 8 | 23 | 14 | DNF | 18 | 62 |
15 | Luke Scott | 2014 | Netley Sailing Club | 23 | 38 | 37 | 15 | 8 | 5 | 15 | 66 |
16 | Howard Hawkes | 1267 | Snettisham Beach SC | OCS | 24 | 12 | 19 | 19 | 7 | 10 | 67 |
17 | Mark Hollis | 1980 | Seasalter Sailing Club | 27 | 16 | 22 | 17 | 18 | 11 | 7 | 69 |
18 | George Love | 1825 | Carsington Sailing Club | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | DSQ | 29 | 25 | 69 |
19 | Erling Holmberg | 2007 | Shanklin Sailing Club | 20 | 14 | 10 | 13 | 16 | DNF | 23 | 73 |
20 | John Manning | 1955 | Beaver Sailing Club | 18 | 25 | 15 | 5 | 33 | 21 | 21 | 80 |
21 | Christine Roman | 1925 | Shanklin Sailing Club | 22 | 13 | 16 | 6 | 23 | DNF | 24 | 80 |
22 | Robert England | 1351 | Dee Sailing Club | 8 | 18 | 25 | 18 | 20 | 30 | 17 | 81 |
23 | David Groom | 1714 | Netley Sailing Club | 39 | 39 | 28 | 24 | 11 | 13 | 8 | 84 |
24 | Gary Burrows | 1871 | Thorpe Bay Yacht Club | 7 | 29 | 33 | 22 | 36 | 15 | 19 | 92 |
25 | Keith Persin | 1551 | Thorpe Bay Yacht Club | 17 | 17 | 30 | 21 | 26 | 23 | 34 | 104 |
26 | Richard Harrison | 2001 | Netley Sailing Club | 16 | 37 | 21 | 26 | 29 | 17 | 28 | 108 |
27 | Roger Ackroyd | 1715 | Witham Sailing Club | 40 | 28 | 18 | 9 | 32 | 28 | 29 | 112 |
28 | Steve Roberts | 1910 | Dee Sailing Club | 29 | 27 | 13 | 31 | DNS | 22 | 22 | 113 |
29 | Jon Pearse | 1339 | Marconi Sailing Club | 26 | 15 | 27 | 25 | 41 | 20 | 30 | 113 |
30 | Joe Baker | 1406 | Isle of Sheppy Sailing Club | 24 | 20 | 24 | 43 | 24 | 27 | 31 | 119 |
31 | Gordon Goldstone | 2004 | Queen Mary Sailing Club | 36 | 30 | 31 | 34 | 22 | 25 | 13 | 121 |
32 | Donald Sloan | 1240 | Brightlingsea Sailing Club | 32 | 23 | 32 | 27 | 40 | 16 | 33 | 130 |
33 | Micheal Taylor | 1498 | Thorpe Bay Yacht Club | 33 | 34 | 19 | 35 | 28 | 24 | 27 | 131 |
34 | Gordon Deuce | 1461 | Brightlingsea Sailing Club | 34 | 36 | 29 | 33 | 31 | 26 | 26 | 145 |
35 | Rob Bailey | 1755 | Thorpe Bay Yacht Club | 19 | 19 | 36 | 38 | 39 | DNF | DNS | 151 |
36 | John Shenton | 1956 | Shanklin Sailing Club | 28 | 32 | 34 | 32 | 44 | 38 | 35 | 161 |
37 | Andy Richards | 1242 | RYA | 35 | 35 | 40 | DNF | 21 | 34 | 37 | 162 |
38 | Mark Bunyan | 1343 | Stewartby Water Sports Club | 31 | 31 | 35 | 39 | 30 | 39 | DNS | 166 |
39 | Bill Hurr | 1736 | Draycote Water Sailing Club | 30 | 42 | 42 | 42 | 27 | 36 | 36 | 171 |
40 | Andy Bunyan | 1289 | Stewartby Water Sports Club | 43 | 44 | 45 | 41 | 25 | 31 | 32 | 172 |
41 | Alan Grant | 791 | Thorpe Bay Yacht Club | 38 | 26 | 44 | 36 | 35 | 37 | 39 | 172 |
42 | Neil Harwood | 1526 | Open Dinghy Club | DSQ | 43 | 38 | 29 | 38 | 32 | 38 | 175 |
43 | Andrew Berisford | 1947 | Brightlingsea Sailing Club | 37 | 41 | 39 | 30 | 37 | 33 | 40 | 176 |
44 | Gerald Sverdloff & Nathan Sverdloff | 1933 | Thorpe Bay Yacht Club | DNS | DNS | 43 | 40 | 34 | 35 | 41 | 193 |
45 | Keith Bartlett | 1962 | Open Dinghy Club | 42 | DNF | 41 | 28 | 43 | DNF | DNS | 202 |
46 | Eric Sales & Amy Foster | 1868 | Seasalter Sailing Club | 44 | 45 | 26 | DNS | DNS | DNF | 42 | 205 |
47 | Paul Shields | 1644 | Seasalter Sailing Club | 41 | 40 | 46 | 37 | 42 | DNF | DNS | 206 |