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International
Flying Dutchman |
FD UK 1997 Midland Area ChampionshipRutland Sailing Club - 4/5 October 1997As usual the biggest turnout of the year was for the Midland Area Championship at Rutland Water. Also as usual, David Wilkins, who organises the weekend, showed everyone the way round, with his local crew Simon Stonehouse. Saturday was a good breezy force 4 and John Best and James Cole stormed away to win the first race quite easily. The chasing group was led by Peter Weeks and Robbie Lammiman, Peter Doran and Richard Phillips, and Wilkins/Stonehouse who dropped out with a broken pole end fitting. Steve Parry and David Parr, and Hugh Myers and Gordon Kingston were both late starters racing through to 5th and 3rd respectively. Parry/Parr just missed 4th place in an exciting close downwind finish with Doran/Phillips. Weeks also broke a spinnaker pole fitting on the last leg, which kept him out of the second race. Steve Parry and Dave Parr also missed the second race as they stopped to help a capsized boat whilst the rescue fleet looked on. (at least they were there!) The second race was one of the closest anyone could remember. Best/Cole stormed away to lead again but had Wilkins/Stonehouse and Myers/Kingston close behind. These three pulled clear of the rest of the fleet. Both Wilkins and Myers passed Best on the spinnaker reach and Myers/Kingston took the lead on the second beat, which they held for a couple of laps, with Wilkins and Best swapping places behind them! A missed windshift eventually dropped Myers/Kingston behind the other two and Wilkins led to the finish. Needless to say Best and Myers exchanged places twice more before the finish of the day's racing! Doran/Phillips were a consistent 4th with Simon Britten and Tom Walker surviving a certain amount of carnage to take 5th from an improving Keith Martin and John Lansley. Sunday was a slightly lighter affair although the tail of the fleet still suffered some problems in the shifting gusty conditions. David Wilkins led Race 3 from Hugh Myers but both set off for the wrong wing mark allowing Peter Weeks through into the lead. Myers passed Weeks but then lost 4 places after sailing over the spinnaker sheet. It is not fast to sail with even a very thin sheet under the boat! Peter Doran found the windshift which stood him in good stead for the rest of the day, moving through to 2nd place. Steve Parry and Dave Parr came through well to 4th behind Weeks/Lammiman. Wilkins and Stonehouse were leaders again for the whole of the final race after a pretty risky port tack start across Hugh Myers' bow. Second at the first mark were Andrew Moss and David French who held off Myers/Kingston to the gybe where Hugh ran into their transom and had to do a 720! Another fast move! At this stage Doran and Phillips were 13th but gaining fast. As Best, Moss, Myers, Weeks and Parry swapped places in the shifty conditions, Peter Doran was benefiting from the "Doran Effect" on the left of the course almost every time, moving relentlessly through to another 2nd. Myers and Kingston salvaged another 3rd place which put them on equal points with Weeks/Lammiman and Best/Cole. Doran and Phillips were just one point ahead, but the clear winners were, of course, David Wilkins and Simon Stonehouse. How Simon copes, being dragged out once a year always amazes the more practised crews. At least we saw him at Bosham this year, even if it was in his Finn! We held a lively AGM on Saturday evening, followed by an excellent dinner in the Clubhouse. Inevitably, one of the main topics of conversation was the 1999 World Championship, which it had just been decreed would be held at Lee-on-Solent. The two Sunday races were held back to back which may have been slightly less sociable, but it did mean that we got away earlier! The event being in early October these days also helps as it is definitely warmer and stays light longer than November! Overall Results after 4 races1 IRL 8 David Wilkins/Simon Stonehouse 2 GBR 377 Peter Doran/Richard Phillips 3 GBR 378 John Best/James Cole 4 GBR 350 Peter Weeks/Robbie Lammiman 5 GBR 374 Hugh Myers/Gordon Kingston 6 GBR 373 Stephen Parry/David Parr 7 GBR 360 Andy Moss/David French 8 GBR 363 Keith Martin/John Lansley 9 GBR 369 Simon Britten/Tom Walker 10 GBR 365 Peter Hankey/Alan Ferens 11 GBR 264 Tim Lester/Roy Poole 12 GBR 359 Peter Daigneault/Brian Holt 13 GBR 338 Matt Stephenson/Catherine Stephenson 14 GBR 300 Neil Pye/Mike Williams 15 GBR 341 Victor Bateman/Liz Stewart 16 GBR 375 Tony Lyall/Colin Burns |
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This page was last updated on 06 December 1998 - Please send contributions and comments to Richard Phillips mailto:100446.2371@compuserve.com . For more sailing links see www.sail-cd.demon.co.uk/index.htm |