Fireball UK Nationals and Open Championship at Rock Sailing and Water Ski Club - Overall

Fireball UK Nationals and Open Championship at Rock Day 4 © Malcolm Lewin / www.malcolmlewinphotography.zenfolio.com/sail

Fireball UK Nationals and Open Championship at Rock Day 4 © Malcolm Lewin / www.malcolmlewinphotography.zenfolio.com/sail

Fireball UK Nationals and Open Championship at Rock Day 4 © Malcolm Lewin / www.malcolmlewinphotography.zenfolio.com/sail

The Fireball Class held their Championship deep into Cornwall sailing out of Rock on the Camel Estuary. The first day dawned with heavy rain but a promising breeze.

After the fleet had rigged in the deluge, the rain eased as they launched only to find the clearing weather also cleared the wind. After a long delay the race team got a race started in the very fragile breeze. As the fleet struggled to make the first mark in the time limit the race was abandoned and with no more wind on the horizon everyone was sent home.

After losing two races on day one the start time of the first race moved forward an hour to fit in extra racing. Teams launched into a light to moderate breeze with an interesting sea state with a mixture of swell and chop.

Race 1 got under way with a line start seeing the teams of the left benefitting the most. No surprise to see Gilly and Shandy leading at mark 1 with father and son team of Michael and Adam Whitehouse showing they had some pace not far behind. With the triangle first, teams quickly hoisted their spinnakers and worked hard to surf the swell on the first reach. With the second reach being much harder fighting across the swell. The second beat saw Gilly and Shandy extend their lead with Booth and Davenport sneaking past the Whitehouses. A tough downwind in the swell saw the fast finishing Willcocks brothers stealing 3rd place from Michael and Adam.

Race 2 and this time things were mixed up for the fleet as the race was started using a gate start. Young hotshot Ollie Meadowcroft and legend of the class Vyv Townsend were pathfinder. This added some complexity to team's decisions on when to start, do they start early to get out to the left hand side which favoured in the first race or do they start late and let the no doubt quick pathfinder boat do some hard work for them. Teams were spread along the gate and at the top mark it was once again Gilly and Shandy followed by a gaggle of boats including the Wady/Jono, Ollie/Vyv and the Willcocks. Quite a few teams ended up overlay the port lay line as there had been a substantial left hand shift this in turn made it difficult for teams on the first reach leg with many having to 'Aussie drop' their spinnakers or drop them completely. The second reach subsequently turned out to be very broad with some teams opting to gybe and come into the leeward mark on starboard. The second beat turned into a follow my leader due to the left hand shift making the beat very one sided. At the finish it was Gilly/Shandy, Wady/Jono and father and son team on Martyn and Dan Lewis.

Race 3 - another gate start with Kev Hope and Andy Stewart being the pathfinder, teams once again spread themselves down the line with Gilly and Shandy first out of the gate banking on finding the left hand shift that they got in race one. At the top mark it was Gilly and Shandy again followed by Ollie and Vyv. It was tight at the top mark for the following pack and teams were fighting hard to surf the waves which had become smoother now the tide was beginning to switch. The second beat saw quite a few place changes as the wind swung and they were pockets of pressure. At the finish it was Gilly/Shandy, Ollie and Vyv and the Willcocks brothers.

It was tough day on the water for a lot of teams, some finding it hard to be consistent in the tricky marginal trapezing with big swell conditions.

Fireball UK Nationals and Open Championship at Rock Day 4 - photo © Malcolm Lewin / www.malcolmlewinphotography.zenfolio.com/sail

Another three races were planned for day three to catch up from Saturday's abandonment. The fleet took to the ocean in much breezier conditions than day 2 with a steady force 4 along with chop on top of long yawning Atlantic waves.

Race 4 and a line start for the first race of the day with a recall and then off at the second time of asking. The first beat saw the fleet split evenly each side with the right paying big time as Mike Deane and Richard Botting picked up pressure and height on their starboard lay line and shot into an early lead by some margin at the windward mark.

Vince and Rob briefly took the lead from Mike up the next beat with Tom and Shandy snatching it from them almost immediately as they worked up the left side of the beat. Oli and Vyv also eventually passed them to take second with the twins Anthony and James Willcocks taking third.

Fireball UK Nationals and Open Championship at Rock Day 4 - photo © Malcolm Lewin / www.malcolmlewinphotography.zenfolio.com/sail

It felt like the breeze had eased slightly for race 5 as a number of teams changed their settings ready for the first gate start of the day.

Vince and Rob took a healthy lead at the windward mark and held it for two laps eventually being passed by Tom and Shandy who worked lower and faster on the first section of the reach. Georgia and Oli D came through in third adding another podium to their impressive results so far.

For the third race of the day the breeze came back up again Oli and Vyv did a Mike Dean and hit the right side of the first beat taking a good lead into the first mark, however they were passed by Tom and Shandy on the second reach who worked underneath with some good pressure.

Oli and Vyv eventually dropped to fifth after hitting the spacer mark and having to do turns. Another great win for Tom and Shandy with Dave Hall and Paul Constable coming through into second and Georgia and Oli third.

The final day and having all got ready for an early start for the final 2 races the fleet were held on shore while the race team went out to check the infamous 'Doom Bar'. The North West wind, although not very strong, was kicking up some interesting waves against the tide.

After a short delay racing commenced. The pattern for the event was a line start for the first race followed by and gate start for the second. Tom and Shandy had now won the week with a day to spare but the following places were all still to play for. The wind built to around 15 knots with a nasty chop over the Atlantic swell. Dave Wade and Jono led at the first mark followed by Dave Hall and Paul Constable - a tussle followed through the race with Dave W and Jono holding on to take the win. The ever-constant Georgia Booth and Oli Davenport climbing up to 3rd.

Fireball UK Nationals and Open Championship at Rock Day 4 - photo © Malcolm Lewin / www.malcolmlewinphotography.zenfolio.com/sail

The wind had eased for the last race of the championship, with the waves and swell still in place it was hard going for many crews. The gate start proved a problem for half the fleet as they found themselves too high and having to take some radical action to avoid the gate boat. Anthony and James Wilcox led the fleet with Dave W and Jono hot on their heels. As the race progress Georgia and Oli pulled through to take a well-deserved win.

Congratulations to Tom and Shandy who won six of the races and the Championship - it must be said though they did have to work hard for one or two of them!

Tom Gillard and Andy Thompson - with presentation by the Fireball Chairman Richard Botting - during the Fireball UK Nationals and Open Championship at Rock prize giving - photo © Malcolm Lewin / www.malcolmlewinphotography.zenfolio.com/sail

A big thankyou to all the volunteers from the club from the Race team, the onshore crew to the rescue team - who had to sit in RIBs and the committee boat in some very big and confusing waves.

The UK Fireball Association would like to thank their championship sponsors North Sails, P&B and Wessex Resin systems.

Overall Results:
If you finished in the top ten at the Fireball nationals then enter your Gear Guide information here

Silver fleet
1st Michael and Adam Whitehouse
2nd Angus Hemmings and Steve Chesney
3rd Mike Dean and Richard Botting

1st U26 Helm - Oli Meadowcroft
1st U26 Crew - Tom Goacher

1st U26 Champion team - Finley Lomas-Clarke and William Bailey
1st Lady Helm - Georgia Booth
1st Lady Crew - Evelyn Schotte
1st Master helm - Derian Scott
1st Master crew - Andy Thompson
1st Grand Master helm - Dave Hall
1st Grand master crew - Steve Chesney
1st Classic boat - Jem and Jo Line
Perseverance trophy - Barry Smith and Ricky Spring