Phantoms ready for the Steve Nicholson Memorial Race
by Jools Abel 24 Jan 2006 10:11 GMT
28 January 2006
A strong team of Phantom sailors are due to descend on Northampton for the Steve Nicholson Memorial Race this coming saturday for the inaugral Phantom / Finn or Finn / Phantom '2 tonne' challenge being run within the event.
The challenge was conceived during 2005 as a way of promoting the two heavyweight classes and providing some extra curricular fun for the big boys. The second race will be held at Rutland SC during the Tiger Trophy event and promises to be very hotly contested with both classes wanting to provide the best sailing.
The challenge is being sponsored by Redeye racing and Yachts and Yachting magazine and is the first time the classes have raced together in such an organised fashion. Julian Abel, Chairman of the Phantomclass Association said "I'm delighted we have finally managed to get the two classes together in a competative forum - for many years we have been in contact and both classes have been the butt of sometimes very funny jokes in the Finn magazine Pump and on the Phantomclass Associations popular bashing page". He continued "the main point of the challenge is to raise awareness amongst sailors of other classes, possibly unsuitable for their size, that there are fantastic alternatives out there in either the Olympic class or the lightweight and classic Phantom".
The on the water events are not the end of it though - more challenges are being planned for the RYA Dinghy Show at Alexandra palace in March when the challenge will continue with arm wrestling and maybe even beer drinking. Julian added "I'm not to sure how many volunteers well get for the strangth exercise but I'm sure we'll be beating away the prospective beer drinkers with a very large stick!"