Albacore UK National and European Championships 2021 at Plas Heli Welsh National Sailing Academy

Albacore UK National and European Championships © Dave Whittle

With the planned internationals postponed until 2023 due to Covid travel restrictions, this week long-event reverted to the UK Nationals plus the Europeans both run as separate events on the beautiful sailing waters of Tremadoc Bay at the Welsh National Sailing Academy, Plas Heli, Pwllheli.

With 29 boats competing and the weather staying fine for most of the event the icing on the cake was the excellent race management by Henry Wright and his team which ensured a total of eleven good races were sailed in a variety of medium to light wind strengths. The use of the U flag ensured clean but competitive starts with only one OCS and the close racing resulted in most boats finishing within 10 minutes of the leaders!

Thanks must also go to event sponsors Noble Marine Insurance, local chandlery Firmhelm Ltd. and Portmadog-based brewery Purple Moose (definitely recommended!) along with CS Boats and Ovingtons. This ensured a fine array of prizes, vouchers and beer plus the famous top 10 hats!

The RYA technical team travelled to the event and provided electronic weigh scales and support during the registration and scrutineering. By Sunday 1st August the fleet was ready to race.

Albacore UK National and European Championships - photo © Dave Whittle

UK Nationals (7 races)

Husband and wife team Judy and Paul Armstrong showed their intentions from R1 with excellent boat speed to take the win from Matt Biggs/Mark Fowler closely followed by Mike Hartley/Mark Hinton. In R2 with the wind building to full planning conditions Matt got ahead of Judy to take the win with Mike Hartley again claiming third. Phil and Kirsten Sheppard had to retire when their shroud spectacularly exploded mid-race!

With three races on day 2, in lighter conditions, the contest was wide open. In R3 Judy again took the win from Mike Hartley with Pete Snowdon/Louise Carr claiming third. Tim Coleman and daughter Jo Sankey had a great race leading at the windward mark before eventually settling for 4th!

R4 saw a new name at the top of the podium with Jerry Rook and Jake Stow pipping Judy with Mike Hartley again taking 3rd. Jerry repeated his win in R5 though this time Mike Hartley moved up into second just ahead of Pete Snowdon. Class treasurer Matt Thompson crewed by daughter Heather had their best race storming to a great fourth place!

On the final day of the UK Nationals it was all to play for however Judy and Paul took the title with a race to spare by winning R6 ahead of Jeremy Shinton /Harry Ashworth with John Greenwood/Liz Potter in third. In the final race West Kirby hogged the podium as Jean-Louis Simmons/Octavia Owen won by some distance from fellow club boats sailed by Mike Hartley then John Greenwood.

So Judy and Paul Armstrong won their second UK Nationals title having previously claimed the title in 2016 at Llandudno. Worthy winners and loudly applauded during the informal tally prize draw and AGM that followed racing.

UK Nationals Trophy Winners:

1st J Armstrong/P Armstrong Racecraft Perpetual Trophy (R1), Breitling Challenge Trophy (R3) Lyme Bay Perpetual Trophy (R6), The Currey Plate (Championship Winner) Marlow Tray (1st Crew), Lady Helm Trophy, Swansea Bay Trophy (1st Husband & Wife)
2nd M Hartley/M Hinton Wayne Trophy (Championship Runner Up), Martin Cockram Memorial Trophy (2nd Crew)
3rd J Rook/J Stow Albacore Association Trophy (R4), City of Plymouth Trophy (R5) Albacore Masters Trophy (Highest helm over 60)
4th P Snowdon/L Carr Armed Forces Trophy (first boat 6001 - 7990)
5th J Greenwood/L Potter Graham Ebben Trophy (first boat 2001 - 6000)
6th M Biggs /M Fowler Albacore Founders Trophy (R2)
7th J-L Simons/O Owen Chairmans Goblet (Highest helm in first Nationals), Ayrton Rose Bowl (R7)
8th T Coleman/J Sankey Ruislip Gold Cup (Highest Gold Fleet not winning another award)
9th J Shinton/H Ashworth Prigmore Trophy (Winner Silver Fleet)
10th J Dellow/S Medd Helensburgh Trophy (Most Improved Helm)
11th J Woffinden/J Woffinden Anton McNamara Trophy (Highest helm not winning another award)
22nd M Reddington/C Anderson Geriatric Jug (Highest helm over 70)
29th A Burfield/J Burfield Nita Tapp Trophy (Last placed helm completing all races), Thorpe Bay Trophy (highest placed parent & child under 18), City of Portsmouth Trophy (highest helm within 50 miles of Nationals venue)

UK Nationals Team awards:

Little Ships Trophy Scaling Dam
Buddy Trophy West Kirby
Silver fleet
1st J Shinton/H. Ashworth
2nd C. Moss/J.Young
3rd M.Reddington/ C.Anderson

Judy and Paul Armstrong win the Albacore UK National Championships - photo © Dave Whittle

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

Europeans (4 races)

With the European championships being run as a separate event toe the Nationals it was all to play for with the slates (well it was in Wales!) wiped clean. Due to an excessive wind forecast the event start was brought forward to the lay day and four races sailed to ensure a series with one discard. As it turned out this proved to be the right decision as the next scheduled day was unsailable for the majority of the fleet.

In R1 Mike Hartley took his first bullet just ahead of Judy with Jerry Rook completing the podium. R2 saw Matt Biggs take the win with Jerry second and John Greenwood third. A new face came to the front in R3 with long-time Albacore sailor Johnie Dellow and crew Simon Medd beating Judy in second and Mike Hartley in third. With all to play for in what turned out to be the final race Jerry Rook took the win and (with it the European Title) with John Greenwood second and Judy third.

At the prize-giving for both events a vast array of trophies and prizes were awarded. National Champions Judy and Paul Armstrong thanked everyone for attending and paid tribute to the excellent race management throughout the event. New European Champions Jerry Rook and Jake Stow paid similar tributes as they proudly collected their prizes.

Jerry Rook and Jake Stow win the Albacore European Championships - photo © Dave Whittle

European Championship Results:

Looking Ahead Next Albacore event is the Southern Champs at WPNSA over 4th/5th Sept 21 Next year's UK Nationals will be held for the first time at the Royal Lymington Yacht Club on the Solent over the long weekend of Fri 5th Sat 6th & Sun 7th August just ahead of the Uffa Fox regatta which the Albacores will be proudly competing in at Cowes a few weeks later.

The 2022 Europeans are due to be held in the Shetlands in July - further details to follow.

Albacore UK National and European Championships - photo © Dave Whittle