National Redwing Championship 2019 at Looe Sailing Club

Day 1 - Race 1 - Force 2/3, Sunny Weather

The first race got off to a clean start albeit with R249 helmed by Eric Evans and crewed by Karen Raymont being tight on the line with Arthur Kinver in R243 crewed by daughter Tamsyn Kinver, winning the Pin and heading out to sea. Light winds made for marginal wiring. Approaching the windward mark R226 Helmed by Matthew Jaycock and crewed by David Jackman tacked below R240 Helmed by Jack Pope and crewed by Pete Greenwood, both boats having headed in on Port and rounding on starboard, First R226, second R240, with R249 rounding third.

Lad and Dad combo of Chris Godbolt helming and his father Geoff crewing, rounded a respectable fourth in R183. R243 rounded fifth with another lad and dad combo rounding sixth in R241 helmed by Des Hocking and crewed by son Lucas.

Minimal position changes approaching the leeward mark rounding apart from R240 who haemorrhaged two places to Eric in R249 and Chris in R183, and ended up rounding fourth going into the second beat.

After weeks of boat maintenance, Gareth Shaw and Adam Hayler's kicker in R244 proved no match for the 4kts of wind and parted. Fortunately, the trip ashore for repairs allowed the 'big lads' to top up on pasties.

By the windward mark R226 had established a comfortable lead with R251 helmed by a further lad and dad, Keith Buchannan sailing with his son Ned on the wire making up five places from seventh to second with R249 rounding third.

By the third round Colin Crabb and crew Alex Richardson in R245, and Morgan Steeper and Jack Sargent in R254 were making their way up the fleet, but ultimately the race finished with R226 taking the bullet, followed by R251, and third place went to R249.

Day 1 - Race 2

A slight increase in wind pressure meant that the next start saw the majority of crews on the wire. R249 pushed the start again and this time had to return and restart. By the windward mark, R240 rounded first, followed closely by R244, with a significant improvement in their position from the last race (17th), with R226 rounding third and immediately opting for the low lane. R251 and R245 rounded fourth and fifth.

At the leeward mark, R226 had earned a place and rounded in second behind R240. An aggressive coming together between the Welsh boats, R228 helmed by Bill Dowell and crewed by his wife Nan, and R190 helmed by Alex McDonald and Lauren Bowdler fortunately resulted in no damage, but provided some serious excitement aboard the camera boat.

By the second windward rounding, R226 had made it to first place by tacking under R240 and eating their way up to the lay. R251 had pushed up to third place. R244 rounded fourth, with R249 making it back to fifth place. The positions remained the same to the finish, but the Godbolts in R183 pipped the former National Champions over the line.

Day 2 - Hot and airless

Skunked! After a long wait ashore, the majority of the fleet sunbathed whilst the Godbolts applied a second coat of emulsion (magnolia) to their otherwise meticulously-prepared boat, but the racing was called off due to a lack of wind. With a similar forecast for day 3, the majority vote was to bring the lay day forward and the fleet enjoyed a boat trip to Fowey.

Day 4 - Race 3 - Force 4/5, overcast with squalls, and a decent SW swell

Despite significant boat end bias, R243 again nailed the pin end with no competition in sight. With R226 already on the lay line, R240 failed to take the lee bow on R244, allowing them to round in second place. Fourth and fifth around the windward mark were R245 and R250.

Downwind, R226 capitalised on their rounding, extending their lead to an outstanding 50 boat lengths. Needless to say they hung on to their lead finishing comfortably first with minimal changes throughout the rest of the fleet leaving R244, Gareth and Adam, second, and R240, Jack and Pete, Third.

Day 4 - Race 4

With similar wind conditions to the previous race, a shifty first beat shook the pack up at the first windward mark. Pete Kinver and Joe Palfrey in R250 revelled in the stronger winds and established a lead early on and maintained it up until the third beat, where breaking from the pack and the preferred right hand side of the course, Gareth and Adam in R244 benefitted from a left hand shift and managed to manoeuvre from fourth to first at the windward mark which they maintained on the final lap to the finish. Pete Kinver in R250 secured second with Matt and Dave in R226 fighting back to third.

As the middle of the fleet approached the finish the rain subsided and the wind took a one hundred and eighty degree shift resulting in Paul Dunn and Tristan Wearing in R252 death rolling across the line.

Day 5 - Race 5 - Force 3-4, WSW, bright with some cloud

With the fleet pushing the start line hard, and two general recalls (possibly a precedent for the Redwing fleet) the ever resourceful race officer, Dominic Lozynski, hoisted his own underwear aloft to indicate a black flag. The fleet finally got away without event, with the regatta lead boats heading out to sea on the left hand side of the course, which appeared to be favoured. A port and starboard coming together with R240 resulted in a near capsize of R244 and left R226 to capitalise, rounding the windward mark first, a position they held comfortably to the finish.

Some great downwind sailing from Keith and Ned Buchannan in R251 saw them work their way up to third, pushing R240 hard for second place. Unfortunately, the assault was interrupted by a dramatic capsize to windward at the gybe mark opening the door for R250 to secure their second podium finish of the week. R240 held second, with minimal changes throughout the fleet.

The day's results meant that Matt Jaycock and David Jackman in R226 secured the 2019 Redwing National Championship with a race to spare.

The day's racing was finished with a family BBQ at Looe Sailing Club's point, with stunning views over Looe Bay. Former National Champion Des Hocking, slumped in a deckchair under a pile of burgers and coleslaw declared himself a bit tired; R241 did not return for race 6.

Day 6 - Race 6 - Force 2-3, SW, bright but overcast

Morgan Steeper and guest crew Francis Marshall made the start of the week in R254, commanding the committee end of the line and squeezing the newly crowned National Champions out. With zero points separating the two boats and second place on the line, R240 Jack and Pete needed to best Jack's soon to be Brother in Law Gareth Shaw in R244. Not worrying about a potentially frosty wedding ceremony the following day, Jack sat on Gareth through the start and pinned him out past the port lay. Despite this, R244 still rounded the windward mark first. R240 continually attacked R244 downwind until finally sailing under them just before the leeward mark.

The second beat saw R240 short tacking to cover R244 up the left hand side of the beat, leaving R226 free to take advantage of the right hand wind bend and take second place. Gareth, in R244 held off Keith and Pete in R251 and R250 who were battling it out for fourth place overall. The race finished with R240 first, R226 second, and R244 third, securing second and third place respectively overall.

The wedding, like the last race supper in Looe's Old Sail Loft, went off without a hitch. Overall, the fleet enjoyed a great week's sailing and social activities provided by Looe Sailing Club and its volunteers. The racers look forward to the 2020 Redwing National Championships in the Scilly Isles.

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