420 Nationals at Royal Norfolk & Suffolk Yacht Club Overall

12th –17th August 2001

The Daewoo International 420 class championship enjoyed a wonderful week sailing on the North Sea at Lowestoft on the week 12 –17 August. The two in form teams of Nick Asher and Paul Davies, and Vicki and Emma Rawlinson continued their successful seasons taking the Overall and Girls trophies. And the continued strength of the class was shown by the fact that there were 11 different race winners, both experienced international sailors and several of whom are quite new to the class. The championship was hosted by the Royal Norfolk and Suffolk Yacht Club who made all competitors welcome at their lovely clubhouse on the harbour entrance. From here competitors were able to launch off the beach while the support boats worked from the comfort of the new marina. Somehow there was also space to run the great social programme which sponsors Daewoo, showing extremely good judgement of priority, made happen.

The 53 entries made for a crowded starting line, where good boat handling and big fleet experience were essential to getting away to a fast start. Once away there were some shifts on the course, but with mainly south and south westerly winds, it was good speed that counted. The race officer, Ben Falat set accurate trapezoidal courses out on the Lowestoft shelf away from the main tide. Generally three races were sailed each day with competitors back in the club by around 4.30 pm.

The practice race on Sunday was a bit of a surprise to many. The wind was force 5 and slightly offshore. On the outer loop the waves were huge. There were many capsizes but most people got round. Nobody won. All except four boats were disqualified for being over the line at the start, and by bad luck none of these were finishers. This is what practice is about, after the days events everything would seem straightforward.

Monday was again sunny and windy from the south west, but the waves were not so big. In the first race it paid to go deep right on the first beat. Athol and Eamonn King got to the front early on in the race and held on to win. On the second race left was better, and Sam Carter and Paul Jones slipped through to win from the Kings. By the third race it was more even, but Myles and Elliot Willis managed a perfect port end to start to lead from beginning to end. Nick Asher had the best of the day with 2,3,2. How competitors had then energy left for Games night with its human table football and other games, we don’t know.

Fog on Tuesday kept the fleet on shore until 10.15, then the wind filled in steadily to give a perfect days sailing. Nick Asher continued to impose his standards with scores of 2,1,1. In the lighter race 4 the King brothers set the pace. In race 5 the Kings again applied pressure finishing second, while in race 6, Sam Carter was once again at the fore. Laurie Fitzjohn Sykes, fresh from a sabbatical crewing in the youth squad had a good day with 4,5,6 and Pippa Wilson new to the class from success in the Cadets moved up to head the Rawlinsons overall. The Seventies evening was superb with a live band keeping everyone on the dance floor till late in the evening.

The sun was still shining on Wednesday. The fleet had a slow sail to the start and the first race was light until the sea breeze filled in around midday. In race 7 the Rawlinsons made the windward mark first followed by Charlotte Savage and Maia Walsh. These two boats moved well away from the fleet with Savage slipping past the Rawlinsons to win a race at her first 420 nationals. Proving it was not luck she held on to second in the next race , only to find she had been over the line at the start. This race was won by a long way by Callum MacDonald and Andrew Greer from Laurie Fitzjohn Sykes and Tom Mapplebeck. The final race of the day, race 9, was a Rawlinson benefit. They sailed to a huge lead from Nick Asher and Paul Davies which consolidated both their positions in the competition.

A-levels affect some of the fleet. Racing on Thursday was due to start at 1300 to allow results to be collected. However an overnight front had left bright sunshine and winds of 25-30 knots from the west. A further postponement was called while the course was moved inshore. When the fleet went to sea the wind had dropped considerably. Laurie Fitzjohn Sykes and Tom Mapplebeck were first to the weather mark, but were unable to hold off Philip Goodwin and Tim Ashworth who won by the smallest margin. The wind then went light and switched to the south. Several black clouds later the race officer got race 11 away into a good breeze. Elliot and Miles Willis set the pace but were finally overtaken by Athol and Eamonn King and Nick Asher and Paul Davies. After all the delays the competitors finally returned to the beach just in time for the barbecue and Hawaiian / Karaoke evening. Some party.

This left three races for Friday. An early start was called which proved perfect. The sun shone again. The wind rose steadily from force 3 to Force 5 as the day progressed. Starting against the tide gave some of the competitors a problem at the pin end of the starting line but Gemma Farrell and Jo Allen were first away, and tacking out to sea held a large lead at the first mark which they extended as the race proceeded. Ben Field and Dan Allin were distant spectators in second place at the finish. Race 13 was similar, but this time Pippa Wilson and Lauren Morrison won from Gemma Farrell. By this time the wind had increased to a good force 4, but this was not slowing the girls. The sea was quite rough for the final race. This suited Iain Watson and David Putt who finished well ahead of Nick Asher and Paul Davies. But this pair had been over the line and Nick Cherry and Chris Evans were promoted to second place. The final prize giving was a grand affair which rounded off a great weeks sailing on the east coast.

The success of the week was due both the expertise of the Royal Norfolk and Suffolk Yacht Club and the generosity of the sponsors Daewoo. And it is a good sign for the future success of the class that there were so many young race winners.

Overall Results:

More Information:

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