Albacore National Championship at Parkstone Yacht Club

by Mike Banner 15 Aug 2014 10:34 BST 8-10 August 2014

'Albacore Bertha Blast'

Thirty-six Albacores gathered at Poole for the National Championships at Parkstone YC over the long weekend of 8, 9 & 10th August. With the remnants of hurricane Bertha forecast for the last day the fleet and PRO Bruce Gridley were keen to get the races in early which turned out to be the right decision with gusts of 35 knots in the boat park on Sunday preventing any racing.

On Friday after a morning postponement to allow a light breeze to fill in two races were sailed in the bay after a tide assisted exit through the harbour and past the chain ferry. In Race 1 Mike Hartley and Octavia Owen in 818 'Castor and Pollox' a restored old wooden boat saved literally from the bonfire put the plastic boats in the limelight by taking an early lead and extending throughout the race to take the win ahead of husband and wife team John & Janet Woffinden 8126 'Who ate all the pies' with Nev Herbert and Mark Fowler 8192 'Grand Turino' in third just ahead of Barney Harris and Mike Banner in 8133 'Avatar'. Harris, the current International Champion, had flown in especially for the event from Washington DC!

In Race 2 the wind held steady and enabled the plastic boats to recover with another husband and wife team Judy & Paul Armstrong 8209 'Slightly Ratty' taking the bullet followed by Harris and Banner with local boys Edd and James Whitehead third in 1781 'Blue Streak' another wooden boat just ahead of Herbert and Fowler. With beer and food calling, plus a favourable flood tide, the fleet took the assisted ride back into the harbour.

On Saturday there were no problems with wind and as the fleet rigged a steady F5 was recorded in the bay. Three races to beat Bertha were agreed and Race 3 saw a fast and furious triangular course with very wet reaches plenty of smiles and a few retirements plus one boat that remained turtled on the race course. The Armstrong's took their second bullet ahead of Herbert and Fowler with Harris and Banner third and Hartley and Owen smoking into forth

Race 4 quickly followed and ended just as quick when after one lap and a big shift the PRO shortened although with a snagged flag and some confusion it took a while for the leading boats who had carried on racing to be overhauled by the safety ribs with the news. When the spray had settled it was Harris and Banner taking the win from Herbert and Fowler followed by the Armstrong's with Crispin Read-Wilson and Peter Morton 6849 'Ruined Dude' forth.

Race 5, which turned out to be the final race of the Championships, started in the strongest wind with Herbert and Fowler chased by Harris and Banner taking a big lead after the first beat where it quickly became a two boat race. On the last reach which turned into more of a run Harris and Banner took the better pressure on the left to just overtake Herbert and Fowler in the final surf to the line, taking the bullet and with it the overall championship. Read-Wilson and Morton continued their late surge to claim third. The now weary fleet had a bumpy ride back in for the AGM and a well-earned curry supper (plus a few beers!)

With racing wisely canned early on Sunday the prize giving was brought forward to allow the glittering array of silverware to be dished out by local long-time Albacore sailors Peter and Judy Fontes with support from Parkstone Commodore Dick Linford. The prizes included vouchers for the yacht club chandlery, wine and beer for the silver fleet plus a Noble Marine Insurance drink bottle for everyone. Overall winner Barney Harris spoke about how much he enjoyed racing in the UK despite having to fly 3,000 miles to get here whilst his crew Mike Banner thanked fellow competitors and the Parkstone YC team for a great event.

Special Awards included:

• Under 21 Mathew Metcalfe-Smith and Lewis Brailsford 8158 'It wasn't me'
• Silver fleet Winner: Tim Coleman and Jo Sankey 6812 'Acushia'
• First Scottish boat: Paul Sleeman and Finlay Clark 1924 'Bumbletoo'
• Team Trophy: Tewkesbury Cruising & SC

There are plenty of Albacore events left this year and excitement is starting to build as the 2015 Internationals in Florida get ever closer. Further details on the class web site www.albacore.org.uk/alb

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

Pos	Sail No	Boat Name	Helm	Crew	Club	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	Pts
1st	8133	Avatar	Barney Harris	Mike Banner	Leigh and Lowton SC	‑4	2	3	1	1	7
2nd	8209	Slightly Ratty	Judy Armstrong	Paul Armstrong	Scaling Dam SC	‑6	1	1	3	4	9
3rd	8192	Gran Torino	Nev Herbert	Mark Fowler	Tewkesbury Cruising & SC	3	‑4	2	2	2	9
4th	818	Castor and Pollox	Mike Hartley	Octavia Owen	West Kirby SC	1	7	4	‑9	8	20
5th	1781	Blue Streak	Edd Whitehead	James Whitehead	Parkstone YC	‑24	3	6	6	12	27
6th	8158	It wasn't me	Matthew Metclafe Smith	Lewis Brailsford	Sutton in Ashfield SC	‑19	5	7	5	10	27
7th	8152	Albaholic	Phil Smith	Tom Williams	RYA	‑14	6	9	7	5	27
8th	8128	Running on Empty	J.T. Rook	D. Stubbs	Lyme Regis SC	10	(OCS)	5	10	7	32
9th	6649	Ruined Dude	Crispin Read Wilson	Peter Morton	Lyme Regis SC & Parkstone YC	‑16	15	13	4	3	35
10th	8126	Who Ate all the Pies	John Woffinden	Janet Woffinden	Maidenhead SC	2	9	(DNF)	11	17	39
11th	8129	Te Wero Gal	Philip Tindall	Tom Tindall	Maidenhead SC	12	8	12	‑13	13	45
12th	8211	Snake Eyes	Peter Lawrence	Jessie Lawrence	Tewkesbury Cruising & SC	‑18	16	8	12	11	47
13th	8151	Maybe Angels	Chris Somner	Martin Hayward	Maidenhead SC	7	10	‑24	19	21	57
14th	6812	Acushla	Tim Coleman	Jo Sankey	Midland SC	20	‑26	11	22	6	59
15th	7504	Byjingo	Paul Gimson	Amy Sanderson	Rudyard Lake SC	11	14	‑21	14	20	59
16th	7987	Another Madman Across the Water	Howard Witt	David Young	Maidenhead SC	‑32	25	14	8	16	63
17th	8155	Gran Turismo	Matthew Thompson	Heather Thompson	Tewkesbury Cruising & SC	8	‑24	19	23	14	64
18th	6959	Acolian II	Richard Smith	George Smith	Benfleet YC	25	‑27	16	15	9	65
19th	8208	La Dolce Vita	Graham Sharland	Josh Sharland	Lyme Regis SC	‑26	22	10	20	15	67
20th	8135	Albethereinaminute	Simon Law	Joy Mapp	Ogston SC	5	11	15	(DNC)	DNS	68
21st	8000	Ozily Emiver	Trevor Smith	Ann Smith	Parkstone YC	9	13	‑25	25	23	70
22nd	6504	Nemesis	Steve Bailey	Clive Gimson	Nottingham SC	21	12	22	16	‑24	71
23rd	8182	Lake Safari	Thomas Teubner	Ruth Haeckl	West Kirby SC	‑22	19	17	17	19	72
24th	6918	Daedulus	Johnnie Dellow	Jason Phillips	Weston SC Southampton	17	21	18	18	(DNS)	74
25th	7988	Curvaceous	Victoria McCabe	Magnus McCabe	Parkstone YC	13	‑28	23	24	22	82
26th	8130	Shady Nook	Mark Calvert	Brendan Corrigan	Parkstone YC	‑28	23	26	21	18	88
27th	7416	Fade to Black	Graham Darvill	Myke Bowers	Broadwater SC	15	17	20	(DNS)	DNS	89
28th	7508	Blaec	David Whittle	Christine Keene	South Cerney SC & Parkstone YC	23	18	(DNS)	DNS	DNS	115
29th	1924	Bumbletoo	Paul Sleeman	Finlay Clark	Invergordon BC/Lochcarron SC	29	20	(DNF)	DNS	DNS	123
30th	6922	ANY	Jesper Toff	Amber Rigg	West Kirby SC	31	29	(DNF)	DNS	DNS	134
31st	6917	Stratosphere	Andy Pearce	Ian Simpson	Hawley Lake SC	30	30	(DNS)	DNS	DNS	134
32nd	7917	In a Pickle	Michael Scott	Ned Scott	Rudyard Lake SC	27	(OCS)	DNF	DNS	DNS	138
33rd	8154	Stab in the Dark	Hazel Smith	Andrew Smith	Tewkesbury Cruising & SC	33	32	(DNS)	DNS	DNS	139
34th	8063	Red Herring	Sandy Lavelle	Pat Jones	Shearwater SC	34	33	(DNF)	DNS	DNS	141
35th	6810	Quality Street	Nigel Barfoot	Clare Barfoot	Parkstone YC	(OCS)	31	DNF	DNS	DNS	142
36th	7986	Dancing Dude	Robin Brooks	Michael Brooks	Maidenhead SC	(DNC)	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	148