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18ft Skiff UK Nationals at Royal Western Yacht Club - Overall

by Ben Clothier 4 Oct 2012 17:50 BST 28-30 September 2012

Full on skiff finale

And what a day it was. With a building south westerly and a report from PRO Mike Johnson on the race track that it was already blowing 15 to 19 knots out in the sound, it was an easy decision to opt for the smaller no.2 rigs. Although more stable than the westerly and north westerly direction there was going to be more chop and with a big wind forecast it only means one thing.... plenty of swimming.

In the first race of the day both Pica and Magic Marine had the best starts at the committee boat end with the rest of the fleet beneath them, Pica chose to tack first and take a Magic Marine's transom, the rest of the fleet followed but Pica came back into the windward mark on Starboard forcing Magic Marine to take an early tack below the lay line. Pica could not capitalize on the small lead due to a cautious bear away allowing Magic Marine, Original Chia and Black Dog through to leeward. Queue the middle of the fleet and a 25kt gust. Hyde Sails and Eurolink made clean bear aways.

The first casualty was TC-English Braids who just couldn't get the boat flat enough to turn the corner. Team Gill went into the back of a wave and kept going under, forcing avoiding action from Team Rutland, who were chasing and to leeward, avoiding a collision but not a swim. LED, and Aftica flowed and somehow finding a passage through upside down boats.

Hyde Sails were launching off waves in the gust that had flattened boats at the windward mark. The continued impact of landing off waves was too much for the carbon bowsprit which finally exploded abruptly ending Hyde's racing. Some quick recovery skills by the crew managed to retrieve the kite without damage and lash the pole for a trip back to the dock without further incident. By this time the four leading boats had crossed through the gate together gunning down towards the bottom mark. With metres separating the boats it was all about who could hold their nerve. At the leeward mark Pica went for a late drop coming in on a starboard gybe in front of Black Dog who had dropped their kite already. Pica had too much on and capsized at the mark letting the other 3 boats through.

It was experience that was showing in keeping the boat upright in the breeze. Black Dog, with Grant Rollerson on the helm, standing in for Jarrod Simpson, held the lead for the three laps of full on conditions and took line honours followed by other big breeze veterans on board Magic Marine and Original Chia. Pica finished 4th. A crucial result for regatta leaders Magic Marine (Eike Dietrich, Finn Mrugalla, Jan Peckolt), taking the pressure off a little from Pica's bid for supremacy. In the conditions anything could happen and the regatta was by no means over.

The next start was similar with Pica taking again the transom of Magic Marine to be the first to the starboard lay line, coming in first to the windward mark but this time sailed into a convincing lead away from Magic Marine who were heavily involved in a close race with the Black Dog and Original Chia. TC English Braids were having a battle with Eurolink finally moving into 5th place leaving Eurolink and Aftica in 6th and 7th respectively.

With a decimated fleet and only five starters the battle was still on between Pica and Magic Marine to conclude the regatta in these awesome conditions. Despite the late charge and with four points adrift, Pica was running out of time to take the regatta from Magic Marine. It was Original Chia and again Pica who controlled from the Committee boat end, Pica 1st at the windward and kept control of the race with close tacks upwind with Magic who eventually capsized allowing the black dog. But with Original Chia and TC-English Braid throwing in the towel Eike Dietrich, Finn Mrugalla and Jan Peckolt's job was done as Team Magic Marine won the last event in the European Tour. Stewart Mears, Tristan Hutt and Jamie Mears of team Pica came a close second, and had to be satisfied with winning the UK National Championships and UK Grand Prix. Jack Bouttell, Adam Minter, Jarrod Simpson on Black Dog came a very respectable 3rd in the Event. Sam Caslin, Mike Banks and Jack Grogan of Hyde Sails in 5th had done enough to win the European Grand Prix overall all. Best newcomer of the UK 18ft skiff season was awarded to Dave Jobson who teamed up with Neil Harrison and James Hemmingway to pull off a great performance with one of the oldest boats and pin head rig. Furthest travelled for the event was awarded to the Eurolink team (Tom Eggersdorfer, Latzi Meissner, Friedl Renner) from Munich.

The final weekend in the UK Skiff calendar not only had enjoyed the biggest turnout and conditions for 18ft skiff racing on British water in recent years but also involved some of the closest racing throughout the fleet. This intensive season of 18 sailing has been fantastic preparation for four UK teams making pilgrimage to Sydney for the JJ Giltinan. It will be very interesting to see how they fair down under.

A massive thank you to Mike Johnson, Alan Nichols, James Bemridge and team at the Royal Western Yacht Club for hosting a fantastic event in coordination with the Mount Batten Centre. Thanks also to Chris Davison at Ullman Sails.

UK Nationals Results:
If you finished in the top ten at the 18ft Skiff nationals then enter your Gear Guide information here

PosBoat NameSail NoHelmCrewClubR1R2R3R4R5R6R7R8R9Pts
1stMagic MarineGER33Jan PeckoltEike Dietrich / Finn MrugallaVerein Seglerhaus am Wannsee1121-3222314
2ndPicaGBR92Jamie MearsStewart Mears / Tristan HuttRoyal Corinthian Yacht Club3-9141141116
3rdBlack DogGBR47Jarrod SimpsonJack Bouttell / Adam Minter 22422(DNF)14219
4thOriginal ChiaDEN01Flemming ClausenAdam Ovington / Soren ClausenSønderborg Yacht Club-63535333 DNF31
5thHyde SailsGBR26Jack GroganMike Banks / Sam CaslinWest Mersea YC84354(DNS) DNC DNC DNC49
6thEurolinkGER13Friedl RennerTom Eggersdorfer / Latzi MeissnerSaillollipopregattaverein5-11787656 DNF50
7thLEDGBR43Steve McLeanNick Pratt / Nick MurrayHayling Island SC476668(DNF) DNC DNC51
8thCarsingtonGBR40Richard AllenRichard Bland / Peter ShawCarsington SC96(DNF)79465 DNC52
9thGillGBR11Tom KiddleIan Turnbull / Matt KiddleGCYC / Calshot SC7581085(DNF) DNC DNC57
10thYoung & Reckless GBR30Tom HillMiguel Andrew / Mark KudlinskiRutland SC1010(DNS)9107 DNF DNC DNC71
11thCLAPAGBR55Neil HarrisonDave Jobson / James Hemmingway 118(DNF)1111 DNF DNC DNC DNC79
12thAfticaGBR52Mark WattsAlex Farr / Marcelle NewboldCardiff Bay Yacht Club12(DNS) DNS12129 DNF7 DNC82

UK Grand Prix Series Overall Results:

PosBoat NameSail NoHelmCrewClubR1R2R3R4Pts
1stPicaGBR92Jamie MearsStewart Mears / Tristan HuttStone SC11114
2ndHyde SailsGBR26Jack GroganMike Banks / Sam CaslinWest Mersea YC282214
3rdLEDGBR43Steve McLeanNick Pratt / Nick MurrayHayling Island SC354315
4thYoung & Reckless GBR30Tom HillMiguel Andrew / Mark KudlinskiRutland SC534517
5thCarsingtonGBR40Richard AllenRichard Bland / Peter ShawCarsington SC473418
6thGillGBR11Tom KiddleMatt Kiddle / Oscar MeadGCYC / Calshot SC746623
=7thRonstanGBR12Craig HepplewaiteJohn Annan / Cammy SteeleLoch Lomond SC728825
=7thBlack DogGBR47Jarrod SimpsonJack Bouttell / Adam Minter 788225
9thAfticaGBR52Mark WattsAlex Farr / Marcelle NewboldCardiff Bay Yacht Club667726
10thCLAPAGBR55Neil HarrisonDave Jobson / James Hemmingway 7881134

European Grand Prix Series Overall Results:

PosSail NoTeam Hungary GPEur.ChampDutch GPGermany GPUK GPPts
1GBR 26Hyde Sails11012560
3GER 33Magic Marine6943149
2GBR 92Pica21  249
4GER 13EuroLink5624646
5DEN 1Original Chia 5 1440
6GBR 47The Black Dog44  333
7HUN 18Liberty Sailing Team37 12 22
8GER 5Kaltenberger Ritter 1237 21
9GBR 11Gill 1566919
10GBR 30Young&Reckless9145101018
11GER 6Remember the Days 11 5 16
12GBR 43Low Energy Design816  712
13GBR 40TC English Braids 13  811
14GBR 12Ronstan 8   11
15GER 66Gleitzeit   8 5
16NED 35 Pandion 178  4
17GER 3AlbaMarine7    4
18GER 23Mosquito   9 4
19GER 19Skiff Sailing Bodensee  7  3
21GBR 55CLAPA    112
20SUI 54No Worries   11 2
22LUX 1Team Morgan  9  1
23HUN 42Raiffeisen.HU10    1
24GBR 52Aftica    121
25SUI 44A 4 18   1

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