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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

PosHelmSail NoClubR1R2R3R4R5R6R7Pts
1Paul Grattage2018Shanklin Sailing Club221OCS1317
2Robin Boardman1988Halifax Sailing Club313192410
3Kevin Dutch1938Seasalter Sailing Club12814321216
4Paul Craft1928Worthing Sailing Club533DNF244318
5Jim Bowie1981Thorpe Bay Yacht Club65204310523
6Stuart Snell2016Grafham Water Sailing Club137776924
7Steve Healy1921Thorpe Bay Yacht Club445201091432
8Chris Tillyer1953Thorpe Bay Yacht Club146286191636
9Paul Roberts1054Dee Sailing Club2510914128645
10Ed Tuite Dalton1940Draycote Water Sailing Club9917DSQ17121158
11Steve Sawford1989Rutland Water Sailing Club15723105DNSDNS60
12Gary Sverdloff1963Thorpe Bay Yacht Club212161213181261
13Liam Thom1957Shanklin Sailing Club132241615142062
14Simon Giles & Henry Giles1944Shanklin Sailing Club101282314DNF1862
15Luke Scott2014Netley Sailing Club23383715851566
16Howard Hawkes1267Snettisham Beach SCOCS2412191971067
17Mark Hollis1980Seasalter Sailing Club271622171811769
18George Love1825Carsington Sailing Club11111111DSQ292569
19Erling Holmberg2007Shanklin Sailing Club2014101316DNF2373
20John Manning1955Beaver Sailing Club182515533212180
21Christine Roman1925Shanklin Sailing Club221316623DNF2480
22Robert England1351Dee Sailing Club818251820301781
23David Groom1714Netley Sailing Club393928241113884
24Gary Burrows1871Thorpe Bay Yacht Club729332236151992
25Keith Persin1551Thorpe Bay Yacht Club17173021262334104
26Richard Harrison2001Netley Sailing Club16372126291728108
27Roger Ackroyd1715Witham Sailing Club4028189322829112
28Steve Roberts1910Dee Sailing Club29271331DNS2222113
29Jon Pearse1339Marconi Sailing Club26152725412030113
30Joe Baker1406Isle of Sheppy Sailing Club24202443242731119
31Gordon Goldstone2004Queen Mary Sailing Club36303134222513121
32Donald Sloan1240Brightlingsea Sailing Club32233227401633130
33Micheal Taylor1498Thorpe Bay Yacht Club33341935282427131
34Gordon Deuce1461Brightlingsea Sailing Club34362933312626145
35Rob Bailey1755Thorpe Bay Yacht Club1919363839DNFDNS151
36John Shenton1956Shanklin Sailing Club28323432443835161
37Andy Richards1242RYA353540DNF213437162
38Mark Bunyan1343Stewartby Water Sports Club313135393039DNS166
39Bill Hurr1736Draycote Water Sailing Club30424242273636171
40Andy Bunyan1289Stewartby Water Sports Club43444541253132172
41Alan Grant791Thorpe Bay Yacht Club38264436353739172
42Neil Harwood1526Open Dinghy ClubDSQ433829383238175
43Andrew Berisford1947Brightlingsea Sailing Club37413930373340176
44Gerald Sverdloff & Nathan Sverdloff1933Thorpe Bay Yacht ClubDNSDNS4340343541193
45Keith Bartlett1962Open Dinghy Club42DNF412843DNFDNS202
46Eric Sales & Amy Foster1868Seasalter Sailing Club444526DNSDNSDNF42205
47Paul Shields1644Seasalter Sailing Club4140463742DNFDNS206

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