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Access Dinghy Nationals at Frensham Pond Sailing Club

by Jim Morley 17 Jun 2011 19:31 BST 11-12 June 2011
Access dinghy Nationals at Frensham © Allan Franklin and Wendy Neil-Smith

This two day event had everything. Thirty four entries competed in conditions that varied from shifting light airs to full blown gusts and driving rain. This national championship was really an international event with a strong team from the Netherlands and an Australian with the satisfaction of beating the Brits on their own water.

Holding the event had been in the balance owing to a problem with floating weed in the north east corner. But race officer Graham Howlett succeeded in setting courses away from the worst of the problem.

Four classes of Access dinghy competed in separate events. The smaller Access 2.3 produced a tough contest between Frensham’s own Lindsay Burns and Pat Jackson of Sussex YC. Lindsay won the group with Chris Hole of Rutland SC third.

In the Access single-handed 303 class the leader was Margaret Foreman of Frensham Sailability until she was overhauled by former Frensham sailor Paul Holzheer.

Sunday’s racing came with strong gusts and driving rain. Lindsay Burns took complete control of her class and kept it until the end. In the 303 singles Frensham’s Paul Phillips, Martin Renouf and Tessa Watkiss began to challenge the leaders with Paul taking third place.

The two handed 303 class was dominated by visitors and the title was taken by Ian Clements and Tom Hole from Chew Valley.

The single-handed Liberty class was an overseas contest between Barry Coates of Australia a clear winner from Vera Voorbach of the Netherlands. But Vera Voorbach took the title for the full automated Liberty.

With seveb races completed the competitors were relived to take shelter in the clubhouse for the prize giving. Here was a surprise waiting fro the prize winners in the form of magnificent trophies designed and made by Frensham Sailability sailor Kevin Self.

As 2.3 Access winner Lindsay Burns said later, “on Sunday the lively SE wind made it very difficult with slam dunk gusts and some boats out of control…”

As one visitor remarked that despite wind weed and weather this was “the best nationals ever…”

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