PRATT Racing Series at Eastbourne Sovereign Sailing Club
by Gary Smith 25 Oct 2012 09:01 BST
Eastbourne Sovereign Sailing Club's Pratt racing prizegiving © Gary Smith
After a monster series of 20 races Eastbourne Sovereign Sailing Club's fifth annual PRATT Racing competition went right to the wire.
It wasn't the personal handicap that alters with each race that made the result uncertain it was the 'Joker' each sailor could use for one race only that caused the chaos!
Series leader Mark Smith still had his joker to play on the last race which gave him the edge over most of the chasing Pratts. Only James Powell Cullingford stood a chance of catching him as although he was 8 points behind he also had his Joker to play.
The deciding race was held in a blustery force 4 and as it was the decider several of the competitors felt they had to sail, rather than shelter in the clubhouse as they might prefer.
Somehow James managed to sail brilliantly in the same hour that Mark sailed his worst race of the series. When the complicated final results were scribbled out onto the white board and checked for errors and bribes it was 16 year old James that was declared the Complete Pratt for 2012.
Mark held on to second place from another lippy youngster Harrison Bassett who took great delight in beating past champion Mick Whitmore into fourth.
With the 2012 series open to all hiking singlehanders, Laser or slower and rig changing allowed to suit the conditions this year's event has been the biggest and best yet, with over 60 different competitors.
Prizes and overalls for the top 10 Pratts were presented at the 'Overall Prizegiving' and another superb evening meal followed.
Having stocked up on Harveys Ale and Chicken Pie the sailors disappeared, we await the return from hibernation of the Pratt fleet in April 2013.
www.sailing-at-eastbourne.co.uk