Buzz Nationals at Island Cruising Club Overall
by James Dickinson 31 Aug 2000 17:41 BST
The 2000 Buzz National Championship was hosted by the Island Cruising Club at
Salcombe from 26th -29th August, and was generously sponsored by 'Xtremity'.
The Championship commenced with two races on the first day, held in force 3-4
winds with race officer Ken Falcon setting a windward-leeward course in the bay
outside Salcombe harbour. The first race went to 'Team Lombard', Phil Elford &
Neil Arnott, who narrowly pipped the youth/'teeny-bopper' pairing of Matt
Greenfield & Lizzie Lyle in 'Rob Burridge Race Coaching'. An accidentdental
collision between Greenfield & Lyle and Bonnie Moody & James Dickinson in 1025
just prior to the start saw a bowsprit shaped crack placed in the side of
Moody's boat, but, unfazed, Moody & Dickinson led around the windward mark and
went on to win comfortably. Disaster struck again for them though on the sail in, as their new mainsail ripped.
Day two saw slightly stronger winds and a larger swell which tested the crews
throughout the 32 strong fleet, as did an influential spring tide. Moody &
Dickinson continued where they had left off with another win, and it was the
experienced pairing of Andy Curtis & Kate Highstead in 835 who showed their
class to win race four with ease. Greenfield & Lyle added to the second they
had taken in that race, by passing Moody & Dickinson on the final downwind leg
of the day's final race, race five, to win by four seconds.
Day three and the wind varied from force 2-4. Moody & Dickinson blasted off the
startline and opened up and unassailable lead over the chasing pack headed by
Peter and Neil McLaren in 450, whose consistency was now making them a force to
contend with. Greenfield & Lyle put their capsize in that race behind them to
win race seven with McLaren second once again. The title of 'Team Consistent'
was firmly with 'Team Lombard' though, who by this stage had only finished out
of the top three once. For the final race of the day, 'Team Lombard'
demonstrated their winning capability too, by overhauling Moody & Dickinson who
had shot away after a heart-stopping port end flyer. Greenfield & Lyle did well
to recover from a shocking start to third place. Although the competitors did
not know it at the time, this was to prove the last race of the championship as the final day failed to provide enough breeze to make racing feasible. 'Team
Lombard's impressive consistency thus gave them the national title with 'Rob
Burridge Race Coaching' close behind and 1025 in third, handicapped by two poor
results.
Overall Results:
1 946 Team Lombard Phil Elford & Neil Arnott Newhaven & Seaford SC
2 1002 Rob Burridge Coaching Matt Greenfield & Lizzie Lyle Weirwood)
3 1025 Bonnie Moody & James Dickinson Portsmouth/Oxford Uni.
4 450 Peter McLaren & Neil McLaren Chew Valley Lake SC
5 950 Dave Pike & Robert Pike Eastbourne Sovereign SC
6 835 Andy Curtis & Kate Highstead Milton Keynes SC
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