Contender open meeting at Shoreham Sailing Club

Sunday's first start - Contender open meeting at Shoreham © Warwick Baker / www.warwickpics.com

Shoreham Sailing Club is perfectly formed for Contenders; A lumpy sea venue, but one with a handy harbour to launch into, to save on bow erosion. So good in fact, it will be the Venue for the 2025 Nationals, this then would be the pre-event.

Local talent Tyler Harmsworth and Peter Snowdon assured us that it's never normally like this here, as the conditions appeared to be a complete repeat of the previous year, very light breezes and a wheel of fortune for the direction.

Arriving in sunshine and shorts, it was hard not to notice the 30 short, fat boats with many components in the dinghy park, these techy carbon craft in stark contrast to the simple great clumps of epoxy that form a Contender, in contrast as well were the sailors, young, fit and keen versus weathered and lumpen. Merlin's they called them, and fast they would be in light stuff. Thank fully they start ahead of us.

Once launched in an orderly fashion, the truth about the wind was discovered, it was in fact light! exactly as forecast. Plenty of tide pushing us over the line added some peril to the start, but it was a first-time success. The pin was the place to be but going more than 100 yards left would result in overstanding, Gary Langdown got the balance right as he tacked off to port early leaving Ed Presley to go too far. Mr S Jones of Brackley started nearer the boat and came in from what was jovially considered the right, to squeeze into 2nd behind Gary. For the rest of that race, nothing happened, everyone stayed exactly in their start positions, which was relatively boring, or, to use an alternative simile, like the most exciting F1 race in history.

Tyler Harmsworth - Contender open meeting at Shoreham - photo © Warwick Baker / www.warwickpics.com

Race 2 had a bit more about it, with Pete Snowdon picking the shifts to lead around the top mark with a large group just behind, Pete extended his lead throughout the race, it was his to lose, and he almost did when Tom Hooton made a late attack and took the lead, Pete sprang into action to defend and take the win. Tom did take second with Gary taking 3rd.

With wind dying further, the RO took stock of the glum faces around him and chose benevolence by sending us in for the day. Gary Led the fleet overnight and also won the egg throwing competition, as part of team Highcliffe for good measure, even without his glasses. Too easy! The Shoreham hospitality machine provided everyone with BBQ in large amounts and it was most appreciated.

The second day promised more breeze and some build, a new direction was discussed, but it felt very similar to me in the first race. An even line encouraged a few to take the classic Contender line of hit the left hand corner, but this was not to be endorsed as the top places were full of those that got out to the right earlier. Tom Hooton did this the best and led Stuart Jones for the lead, now Stuart still hadn't won a race, but these sloppy and uncomfortable conditions are his particular area of expertise, so it would surely only be a matter of time before he ground someone down. It would not be Tom in this race, however.

The end of the race started to signal a wind direction change and RO shifted the course to the Southwest, this aligned the course with the tide and made starting more perilous, a fact illustrated by general recalls for both Merlin and Contender fleets. This delay in starting the Contenders meant that the peloton of the Merlins sailed through the start line of the Contenders, causing various tactical, verbal and cerebral apoplexy. Getting onto port early seemed to solve this issue as it took you away from the melee.

Richard Batten did this best, but it was Gary Langdown who was first to the windward mark after deciding that the best action was to aim straight into trouble. Gary Extended his lead throughout the race which was now fully integrated to the Merlin fleet and with a slight uptick in wind strength we were decidedly even on pace too. Gary won easily with Tom in second, Stuart once again being 2nd bridesmaid.

The final race started with quite some line bias to the pin, so much in fact that it led the fleet to believe that as long as the majority were on port at the start, then safety in numbers would fend off all starboard tackers; this was wrong, so very, very wrong. As the eight or nine smug gits lined up on port at the pin, it came as a total surprise when the last seconds shout of starboard came, especially as Ed Presley and Tony Cook, on starboard, could no longer make the line (apart from the Tide dragging them over), but rules is rules and they sent the port tacker into panic, the scene was reminiscent of sending pins flying following a strike in ten pin bowling.

After that level of satisfaction, a quick tack put Ed in a good position with only Carl Tagoe and Richard Batten Surviving the chaos from team "Port is good". These three making short work of the skewed beat in almost one tack.

Gary Langdown, third overall - Contender open meeting at Shoreham - photo © Warwick Baker / www.warwickpics.com

Richard led off wind with 4-5 boats in close formation all the way to the leeward mark, he maintained the inside lane and had rights on Ed Presley and Stuart Jones, both gave ample room, unfortunately you can call water as much as you like, the tide doesn't care. This fight with the moon allowed Ed Presley to take a wide lane but still come out in front, Stuart Jones also somehow gained to take second spot.

The bias on the course continued making overtaking lanes rare and Ed follow by Stuart took the line honours Overall, it was Tom Hooton who provided the most consistent score to take the event with Mr "string of 2nds" Jones doing exactly that and coming 2nd, Flashes of brilliance and pace from Gary Langdown peppered his third overall.

Shoreham had been a wonderful host in tricky conditions, no fewer than three separate course changes for 3 races on Sunday did not detract from a great event in both Race and social organisation and all the Contender agreed it will prove to be a fantastic Nationals venue, and some day, a Worlds, (150+ Contenders?).

With this fantastic venue now booked for the British Contender Nationals in 2025, we are looking forward to a bumper turnout of both new and old time Contender sailors, The BCA committee is working hard in the background to look at providing both technical advice and possibly loan boats for this event, so keep an eye on the BCA Website www.sailcontender.org.uk or join our Facebook page for up to date information on the goings on within the fleet including information on some of the wonderful overseas events taking place in both 2024 & 2025 including two trips to the northern Italian lakes of Como and Garda, a trip into picturesque Silvaplana in Switzerland and not forgetting the chance to sail what I believe is one of the best single handed sailboats, in the waters of Florida.

The next event on the UK calendar is a 2 day open meeting at Weston SC on 3rd/4th August. For entry to this event and the NOR go to members.weston.org.uk/event/august-cup-and-contender-open, looking forward to seeing a good turnout at what is thought to be the ancestral home of the UK Contender fleet.

Tom Hooton, overall winner - Contender open meeting at Shoreham - photo © Warwick Baker / www.warwickpics.com

Overall Results: