Phantom Inland Championship and Midland Super Series Event at Northampton Sailing Club
by Mike Webster 26 Jun 19:49 BST
14-16 June 2024
Training day ahead of the Phantom Inlands and Midland Super Series at Northampton © Mike Webster
Over the weekend of the 14th, 15th & 16th June Northampton Sailing Club hosted the P&B Phantom training day and the Inland Championships which also formed part of the National Super Series.
Nine enthusiastic sailors attended the training on the Friday, keen to expand their knowledge and improve their sailing technique. Many attended the previous evening's club racing to make a "Long weekend" of fun sailing.
Coaching was provided by 3 sailors - all with a wealth of experience and performances in the class. John 'Titch' Wayling, 2023 Inland Champion, Class Chairman Rob Cook and 'Magic' Mike Webster. Training began with onshore boat set up and tuning tips, looking at individual boat set up - many requiring more mast rake!
Questions and answers throughout the session provided plenty of opportunity for the students to improve their knowledge.
The afternoon on the water session consisted of requested areas to work on including beating and tacking and downwind technique. Lots of sprint races provided short start lines and starting practice. A full debrief session followed with beer & curry with video footage that proved far more entertaining than England football Euros games!
The Championship weekend kicked o on Saturday light morning but by the time racing started it had increased to a fresh & fruity westerly!
Twenty-five competitors took to the water - with 3, back-to-back, races planned for the day it was going to be a test of stamina and in some cases survival.
The fleet bristled with skill and experience showing extremely close racing across the fleet. Jon Rickard, Jamie Morgan and Rob Cook each had a lead at the windward mark and revelled in the breeze.
Given the extreme conditions it was difficult to remember all the race details - they all seem to merge into one, with spray, spectacular capsizes and races that seem to go on forever. However, one fact did stick in mind as an exhausted daze closed in. Race one was abandoned after three laps due to the windward mark drifting in 30 knot gusts. So many boats capsized that the committee boat having to reinforce the safety team. The second race was the dominated at the front by Jamie Morgan and Rob Cook. Jamie finished race 3 with no spreaders and Rob completed the day with a 2nd and 2 bullets!
The evening was spent recovering & replenishing with a full roast dinner and liquid fuel in the form of Timmy Taylor's Landlord beer. Discussion focussed around Top Trumps - comparing breakages, looking through the spectacular photos of the day and watching England beat Serbia in the Euros!
Sunday was greeted by the beautiful smell of full English breakfasts being prepared by the galley and the moans & groans of aching, stiff sailors.
Sunday's forecast looked promising but there were less sailors with many retirees due to broken boats and broken sailors. Jamie Morgan was sadly not able to sail day 2. Would this leave Rob Cook in the best position to retain his Inland Championship title?
Racing commenced with plenty of general recalls but the all-important first beat saw a different set of sailors leading the pack with Rich Nurse, Titch Wayling and Sam Coxon all leading at the windward mark. Duncan Adam's showed his skill by winning races four and five. The Championship title would be decided on the final race with three contenders in the running. Reigning Champion Rob Cook, Duncan Adam's on a roll an "Mr Consistency" Adam Froggatt.
The final race was lead by Sam Coxon, increasing his lead with Rich and Mike in 2nd and third. At half-way, Adam was closing in 4th place but needed to pass both Northampton boats to take the title from Rob - both he and Duncan looked to be out of contention. With some skilful down-wind tactics Adam passed Mike then Rich on the final leg before crossing the line in second. This was the result he needed to take the Inland Championship title.
A tight and exciting event right up to the last leg and thankfully, tie-break Penalties were not required! It's amazing to see the depth of sailing skills right down through the Phantom fleet and the class now has a third New Inland Champion in a row.
Congratulations to Adam Froggatt from Chase Water SC - P&B Phantom Inland Champion 2024.
Many thanks to the race and safety team and all volunteers at Northampton SC together with a huge thankyou to Pinnell & Bax (Chandlery and Sailmakers) for sponsoring they event.
A few words from the Champion: "Winning the Phantom Inland's means the world to me, I have spent 20+ years as a crew, so to win a major event as a helm is something special. I'm still getting my head round it at the moment!
The Phantom is such a great boat, I would recommend it to anyone."
Overall Results:
| Pos | Sail No | Helm | Club | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | Pts |
|---|
| 1st | 1449 | Adam Froggatt | Chase SC | ‑5 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 12 |
| 2nd | 1496 | Rob Cook | Northampton SC | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | (DNC) | 13 |
| 3rd | 1370 | Duncan Adams | Burton SC | ‑6 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 15 |
| 4th | 1504 | Titch Wayling | Northampton SC | 8 | ‑9 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 8 | 26 |
| 5th | 1440 | Mike Webster | Northampton SC | 4 | 6 | 6 | ‑11 | 6 | 4 | 26 |
| 6th | 1472 | Jon Rickard | Hooe Point SC | 7 | 5 | 5 | 6 | ‑15 | 6 | 29 |
| 7th | 1450 | Sam Coxon | Chase SC | 3 | 7 | 10 | ‑12 | 11 | 1 | 32 |
| 8th | 1447 | Richard Sims | Burton SC | 9 | ‑12 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 12 | 44 |
| 9th | 1301 | Matthew Pritchard | Burton SC | 10 | 11 | (DNC) | 13 | 8 | 11 | 53 |
| 10th | 1492 | Jim Hopton | Shustoke SC | (DNC) | 8 | DNC | 10 | 4 | 7 | 55 |
| 11th | 1485 | Clive Harries | Yorkshire Dales SC | (DNC) | 14 | 7 | 9 | 13 | 15 | 58 |
| 12th | 1267 | Dean Saxton | Maylandsea Bay SC | 11 | 10 | 11 | ‑19 | 14 | 14 | 60 |
| 13th | 1500 | Richard Nurse | P&B | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | 3 | 9 | 3 | 67 |
| 14th | 1439 | Simon Lennane | Llandegfedd SC | (DNC) | 13 | 9 | 14 | 18 | 13 | 67 |
| 15th | 1467 | Jamie Morgan | Rutland SC | 1 | 2 | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | DNC | 81 |
| 16th | 1456 | Andrew Potter | West Kirby SC | 12 | (DNC) | DNC | 7 | 19 | 17 | 81 |
| 17th | 1488 | Andy Pyett | Combs SC | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | 15 | 12 | 9 | 88 |
| 18th | 1482 | Andrew Hunt | Royal Thames SC | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | 20 | 10 | 10 | 92 |
| 19th | 1345 | Karl Morley | Burton SC | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | 18 | 17 | 20 | 107 |
| 20th | 1364 | Tony Cook | Downs SC | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | 21 | 21 | 16 | 110 |
| 21st | 1405 | Andy Smith | Bowmoor | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | 17 | 16 | UFD | 111 |
| 22nd | 1498 | Gordon Halfacre | Northampton SC | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | 16 | 20 | DNC | 114 |
| 23rd | 1425 | Stephen Pates | Royal Harwich YC | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | 22 | 22 | 19 | 115 |
| 24th | 1494 | Simon Evance | Maylandsea Bay SC | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | 23 | 23 | 18 | 116 |
| 25th | 1347 | Brian Webley | Shustoke SC | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | DNC | DNC | DNC | 130 |
