Fireball National Championships at Looe Sailing Club

Fireball National Championships at Looe Sailing Club - Overall

by Andrew Robinson 3 Aug 2013 23:39 BST 27 July - 2 August 2013

Fireball National Championships at Looe © Neil Richardson

Event Sponsored by Noble Marine, Harken & Typhoon

The final day of the Fireball Nationals brought some sunshine to Looe bay for the first time this week. With results tight at the top and the previous day lost to light winds, there was all to play for and nerves in the boat park were tense.

The series leaders, Christian Birrell and Richard Anderton knew it was as easy to win it as lose it, with lighter winds than in previous days. Before the race Richard said "I knew we needed to focus. A 2 point lead is nothing with 3 races to come, I knew it was going to be tight. Light airs are ultra tough and require precise concentration."

After a general recall and under black flag, race 1 got away in about 8 knots of breeze from the south. Birrell & Anderton, like a lot of the fleet, were set up more for the forecasted 15 knots of breeze and on 22.6" rake, were underpowered for the conditions. It was Matt Burge and Richard Wagstaff, current European Champions, who made the most of the marginal trapezing conditions and they took the bullet from Dave Wade, sailing with current National Champion Dan Ellis. Tom Gillard and Simon Potts took 3rd, closing the gap on leaders Birrell & Anderton who finished 4th.

With pressure mounting, the second race of the day got underway with the gold fleet regulars out in front on lap 1. On the 2nd beat Gillard & Potts spotted a shift, banged hard left, got 1st to the mark and went on to lead the next lap and half. On the penultimate reach Burge & Wagstaff rolled Gillard & Potts, pulling them high of the mark, allowing Birrell & Anderton to get water on Gillard & Potts and take second at the gybe mark. Birrell & Anderton then managed to roll Burge & Wagstaff on the final reach and take the bullet. "Boom" said Richard after the race, knowing that made their lead unassailable.

Race 3 was a formality with Birrell & Anderton already champions. Regardless, they sailed to the end in the lovely summer sunshine to finish second and complete their net series score of 10, discarding a DNF and a 4th place to score 1's and 2's across the board. The final race was won by the fleet boat, sailed by Matt Rainback and Simon Foskett who finished 6th overall. 2nd place went to Gillard & Potts and 3rd to Chips Howarth & Vyv Anderton.

After the racing the teams gathered at Looe SC for the final prize giving followed by some live music. There were some generous prizes donated by the sponsors Typhoon and Harken and winners in various categories including; Individual race winners, over 50 helm and crew, 1st lady helm and crew, Brixham trophy for the highest place helm and crew to never win an open or place in the top 10 at a nationals, novice helm and crew, youth helm and crew, perseverance trophy for the lowest place boat to finish all races, classic boat trophy, 1st, 2nd, 3rd in Bronze and Silver fleets and also the top 10 finishers overall.

After being awarded their deserved title Richard Anderton said; "It's been an awesome week, great conditions and great social. Really looking forward to coming back to such an amazingly well organised event next year". With a set of results like that it's no surprised he enjoyed it.

Christian Birrell & Richard Anderton win the 2013 Fireball National Championships - photo © Andy Robinson

A big thanks to the team at Looe SC for putting on such a spectacular event.

A full list of all winners is available on www.fireballsailing.org.uk

Overall Results:
If you finished in the top ten at the Fireball nationals then enter your Gear Guide information here

Pos	Fleet	Sail No	Boat Name	Helm	Crew	Club	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	R8	R9	Pts
1	Gold	15089		Christian Birrell	Richard Anderton		1	2	2	‑50	1	1	‑4	1	2	10
2	Gold	15091	Ollie Loves Owls	Thomas Gillard	Simon Potts	Sheffield Viking SC/ Northampton SC	2	‑12	1	2	4	3	3	3	‑50	18
3	Gold	15096		Chips Howarth	Vyv Townend	Bewl Valley SC	‑6	1	3	1	2	2	6	5	‑50	20
4	Gold	15083	P&B	Dave Wade	Dan Ellis	northampton SC	4	3	4	3	‑5	4	2	‑6	5	25
5	Gold	15093	Stanley Lambchop	Matt Burge	Richard Wagstaff	Poole YC	‑13	7	‑11	6	3	9	1	2	7	35
6	Gold	15080		Matt Rainback	Simon Foskett	Staunton Harold SC	5	‑8	‑9	7	7	7	5	4	1	36
7	Gold	15094		Tim Rush	Sam Pascoe	Nottingham SC & Weymouth SC	8	4	5	4	‑12	5	‑9	7	3	36
8	Gold	15050		Kevin spunky Hope	Russell Thorne	Notts County SC	7	5	‑12	5	10	6	10	10	‑12	53
9	Gold	15073	Bossy Three	Peter Gray	Tim Saunders	Staunton Harold SC	‑14	6	7	‑12	6	11	8	9	8	55
10	Gold	14877		Ian Dobson	Will Morgan	Southampton Male Voice Choir (SMVC)	‑9	9	8	9	8	8	7	8	‑50	57
11	Gold	15081		Niki Birrell	Geoff Edwards	Parkstone Y.C.	10	‑33	17	8	9	15	18	‑21	13	90
12	Gold	14941	Southpaws	Derian Scott	Andy Scott	Chew Valley Lake SC	‑50	16	10	10	14	12	‑25	14	16	92
13	Silver	15045	Norbert	Christine Slater	Graham Slater	Paignton SC	11	15	13	14	18	13	‑30	12	‑23	96
14	Gold	15070	Darth Winkle	Philip Popple	John Piatt	Shoreham SC	16	‑19	16	13	13	18	‑22	16	9	101
15	Gold	14892	Pigs on the Run	Penny Gibbs	Ian Gibbs	Brightlingsea SC	15	13	‑24	‑31	15	16	21	11	11	102
16	Gold	15085	Gill Race Team	Vince Horey	Robert Gardner	King George SC	3	‑50	6	11	11	10	15	‑50	50	106
17	Silver	14807	Clandogg Millionaire	Conor Clancy	James Clancy	Royal St George YC	‑24	10	‑29	16	21	21	12	17	10	107
18	Silver	14928	Blue Tack	Anthony Willcocks	James Willcocks	Portishead Y&SC	21	17	‑38	21	17	‑24	11	22	4	113
19	Silver	15092	Ray	Veronica Falat	Ben Falat	Gt Yarmouth & Gorleston SC	12	‑50	15	17	‑33	19	32	25	14	134
20	Silver	14837	JEFF	Russ Cormack	Ali Cormack	Budworth SC	‑50	28	27	‑50	20	29	13	13	6	136
21	Silver	15066		Mark Maskell	Nigel Sheppard	Blackwater SC	19	‑50	14	23	‑46	25	19	19	20	139
22	Silver	14977		Jonathan Carter	Gareth Wilkinson	Chelmarsh SC	‑50	‑50	23	20	24	26	14	20	15	142
23	Silver	14886		Simon Maskell	Thomas Maskell	Hunts SC	‑32	20	‑30	25	26	23	16	15	18	143
24	Silver	15041		Maria Richards	Jeremy White	Blackwater SC	20	23	21	22	16	20	‑50	‑24	22	144
25	Silver	15024	Pointless	Joe Jospe	Tom Egli	Pointe Claire YC	27	‑50	19	‑36	19	14	24	23	19	145
26	Bronze	14778	Cruel and Unusual	Mike Deane	Iain Jennings	Draycote Water SC	31	‑50	26	28	‑45	22	17	26	17	167
27	Silver	15075	Tricks of the Trade	Andy Willcocks	Andrea Willcocks	Portishead Y & SC	25	‑50	22	24	22	27	26	‑29	21	167
28	Silver	14798	Blew Genes	Lucy Riley	Tim Riley	Blackwater SC	18	21	25	29	27	‑50	29	27	‑32	176
29	Silver	14889	Millennium Falcon	Barry Smith	Ben Ballard	Thornbury SC	28	18	28	15	29	31	28	‑39	‑34	177
30	Silver	14801		Richard Cornes	James Goodfellow	Milton Keynes SC	17	11	20	19	‑50	17	‑50	50	50	184
31	Silver	14621	Not Hot & No Balls	Jeremy Hurst	Andrew Hurst	Parkstone YC	22	14	33	‑40	39	37	27	‑50	27	199
32	Silver	15038	Rock 'n' Rolla	Stewart Scarff	David Warner	Shoreham SC	‑50	‑50	18	18	23	32	37	36	36	200
33	Silver	14821	Jambo	Nick Hurst	Jake Elsbury	Shoreham SC	23	‑50	31	33	25	30	‑50	33	29	204
34	Bronze	14391	www.boatrepaircentre.co.uk	Hannah Showell	Jo Line		‑50	27	32	‑38	34	34	31	30	24	212
35	Bronze	14398	Otters Pocket	Tom Johnson	Ian Johnson	Blackwater SC	41	‑50	‑50	26	28	35	23	28	35	216
36	Bronze	14991	Two Fat Laddies	Andy Robinson	Jon Chetland	Datchet Water SC	26	‑50	41	27	30	‑42	38	31	26	219
37	Bronze	14885		Fiona Gray	Richard Nurse	Waldringfield SC	33	24	36	‑50	31	28	35	‑41	33	220
38	Bronze	14893	On A Mission	Elaine Tudor	Warren Tudor	Brightlingsea SC	‑50	‑50	50	50	32	33	20	18	25	228
39	Bronze	14229	Pink Panther	Geoff Holden	Sophie Holden	Northampton SC	35	26	35	32	36	‑38	33	32	‑37	229
40	Bronze	14514	Ultra Violet	Dale Giles	Natalie Sansom	Paignton SC	38	25	34	30	35	‑40	36	‑40	38	236
41	Bronze	14470		Matt Jaycock	Peter Greenwood	Looe SC	30	32	42	‑50	37	36	41	‑43	28	246
42	Bronze	14579	Curveball	Martin Walker	Karen Hiles	Shoreham SC	37	‑50	37	34	38	‑39	34	37	30	247
43	Bronze	14872	Magiic	Barbara Newson	Guy Newson	Pentland Firth YC	36	30	40	37	40	‑41	‑50	35	39	257
44	Bronze	14682	Crocodile Gordon	Michael Bryant	Keith Taft	Harlow (Blackwater) SC	40	31	39	35	‑41	‑43	39	38	40	262
45	Bronze	14264	Nibble Nobby's Nuts	Gareth Shaw	Verity Pope	Looe Sailing Club	‑50	29	43	39	42	‑44	40	42	31	266
46	Bronze	11076		Tim Cox	Kingsley Cox	Newhaven & Seaford SC	42	34	44	41	44	‑45	43	‑45	42	290
47	Silver	14994	Licken on both sides	Pete Badham	Steven Badham	Draycote Water SC	29	22	‑50	‑50	50	50	50	50	50	301
48	Bronze	14463	Cracker	Chris Turner	Jamie Prescott	Hayling Island SC/Dell Quay SC	39	‑50	‑50	50	43	50	42	44	41	309
49	Bronze	14960	roaring fourties	Melanie Lederer	Michael Sch"fer	Switzerland	34	‑50	‑50	50	47	50	50	34	50	315