Supernova Inland Championship at Burton Sailing Club

Supernova Inlands at Burton © Helen Lancashire

The Supernova 2021 Inland Championships were hosted by Burton Sailing Club near Derby on the 4th and 5th of Sept supported by our generous sponsors True North Sailing. After keeping an eye on the forecast all week it was clear that the fleet was going to be greeted by light winds, warm sunny weather and the largest Supernova Inland Championship fleet size of 57 sailors.

The preceding Friday saw 24 sailors attending the pre-event Supernova training day led by our RYA coach and current National Champion Alistair Goodwin. The training was very received focusing on the specifics of sailing on inland waters in light winds with all the sailors keen to put their new skills to practice as soon as possible. The training was provided free of charge by the Class Association and is a brilliant way to improve boat handling and tuning. There will be at least two free training days in 2022 for helms to take advantage of.

The Fleet arrived to receive a warm welcome from the host club who's friendly nature, catering arrangements and general organisation was just amazing and set everyone up for a great event.

The event scheduled a total of 6 races, with 4 on Saturday and 2 on Sunday with 5 races to count. The weather was set as a F2 blowing from the NE with lots of little shifty gusts. These conditions were consistent throughout the day making the priority sailing into some breeze as much as looking for the lifts as boat speed and keeping moving became the order of the day especially on the downwind legs.

Race 1 saw on a short port biased line in which the fleet got cleanly away splitting evenly to use the whole reservoir with some choosing the left along the dame wall, some the middle of the course and others the right looking for the pressure. As the left-hand side of the course failed to deliver the middle of the course won with Young rounding the windward and set off down the reach in a little pressure whilst the fleet filled in behind from both lay lines for a very busy first rounding. Johnson had a fantastic first beat rounding the mark in third. The downwind legs were slow with the fleet concentrating on keeping in the pressure. There were many place changes throughout the fleet with the leeward mark rounding seeing half the fleet looking to round together. The lead was never contested with the line honours being taken by Young (also winning the Paul Earnshaw Trophy), followed by Reeve, Butterfield, Knight and Milliner.

Race 2 started in similar conditions but after a sedate start the fleet were too eager to get away resulting in a general recall bringing out the black flag for the rest of the day. Other than one competitor over the line a clean start was made again from a port biased line. Again, the fleet split up the first beat everyone aiming towards small patches of pressure. The race was led by M.Platt, Critchley, Knight followed by Young. Again the fleet saw many place changes as the races progressed with G.Young moving up to 3rd until the last downwind leg in lights airs which saw the 3 leaders fighting for the lead and Milliner moving up through the fleet having taken a deep starboard line downwind. At the leeward Mark Platt was leading followed by Critchley who left a small but inviting space as he left the mark allowing Young to take advantage. The race finished with Platt taking the line followed by Young, Critchley, Milliner and Reeve.

After a Burton club lunch and little rest, the fleet returned to the water for Race 3, a new course and the black flag still flying with the light breeze becoming lighter. The race got off to a clean start with the fleet trying to position themselves based on the areas of pressure emerging moments before the start. The race started with some new leaders in Smith, Hawley, Milliner, Reeve, Higson and Bleasdale being amongst the action. The revised course was a longer run to a lighter wind corner of the reservoir with a second windward mark positioned in an interesting position that due to the shape of the reservoir provided some interesting lifts and headers depending on which bit of pressure in which position you navigated yourself through providing some interesting place changes before heading to the second leeway mark at the end of the lap. Again, with many place changes and Young recovering from a slow first leg to get back to the leading group the race finished with Hawley taking the win followed by Milliner, Young, Smith and Reeve.

With a lack of wind as the last of the fleet finished race 3 it was starting to look like the minimum 5knot restriction would not be met. After a small delay to agree the best course of action the breeze increased, and a windward leeward course was set to enable the last race to run before the last of the wind vanished.

Race 4 started with a square line with the favoured end changing with each puff of pressure under a black flag. With 3 boats OCS the fleet got away from the line for a busy Windward mark rounding as the leaders positioned themselves to get going down the run. After a couple of laps and some challenging downwind moments the race saw Hollis take the lead followed by Young, Platt, Knight, and Milliner.

At the end of day one the results were showing a Cotswold SC success with the top 3 position being taken by Young, Milliner and Reeve. After a great evening with the friendliest fleet, the amazing Burton hospitality and having held the class AGM the fleet thinned to rest their weary heads. The conditions may not have been physically challenging but it sure was a mentally tiring day with all the focus and concentration needed to make the most of the conditions.

Race 5 commenced on Sunday morning in an unexpected breeze now blowing from a more easterly direction. A new course was set with a simple beat reach and run, this time with a starboard favoured line. The fleet all wanted to start in the same place near the committee boat resulting in another general recall, invoking the use of the black flag once again. The second start got cleanly away with Young taking the starboard end of the line and choosing the right side of the course. Again, the fleet split between left and right sides with the right side paying and Young rounding the windward mark ahead followed by Higson, Platt, Hawley, Reeve and Gibson. As with all the races there where position changes throughout the fleet. After some real hiking at times the race finished with Young followed by Hawley, Reeve, Platt and Gibson.

Race 6 started under a black flag with a starboard favoured line and new course. The fleet were wary of the black resulting in a sagged line, a few taking advantage and light contact elsewhere as someone reached down the line refusing to give way as windward boat. Once away the race ran in a reasonable light breeze with Knight taking the lead followed by Critchley and Hawley, Thursfield, Bownes, and Gibson. After a good few place changes and again challenging downwind legs as the breeze gently dropped the race finished with Critchley taking the lead from Knight at the final mark followed by Hawley, Young and Gibson.

After 6 races the event saw a total of 5 different race winners with Young being the only sailor to take two bullets. The difficult conditions meant that consistency was the key with some great performances from Reeve and class stalwart Hawley, but with his most consistent performance to date the event saw Class Technical Advisor and no longer "The Bridesmaid" Young take the win whilst discarding a 4th place that most of the fleet would have loved to have had.

Supernova Inlands at Burton - photo © Helen Lancashire

The Class would love to thank Burton SC for putting on an excellent event as well as the RO, AROs, Safety Boat crews, catering staff who kept us fed all weekend with breakfast dinner and tea, the bar staff and our sponsors True North. There were smiles throughout the fleet at the end of a fantastic event. In keeping with the classes inclusive friendly nature where everyone recognises the effort made by everyone to turn up and give it a ago prizes were awarded to the last place person from each race before moving to the main prizing giving.

Overall Results:

First Lady: Ellen Clancy - SN 1141 - Cotswold SC
First Youth: Sean Ricketts - SN 1073 - Bartley SC
First Silver Fleet: Alex Reeve - SN 1280 - Cotswold SC
First Bronze Fleet: Karen Squires - SN 1131 - Carsington SC
First Master: Alex Reeve - SN 1280 - Cotswold SC
First Veteran: Mike Gibson - SN 1257 - Bartley SC
Paul Earnshaw Trophy: Gavin Young - SN 1261 - Cotswold SC