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Thoughts from the final day...

Our end position was a little disappointing but the quality of racing was fantastic so I think we ended up where we should have done. Shame not to go out on a win though. 

Day 4 and the fog continued. After a short postponement the fleet was sent up beyond the bridge again where the race officer aimed to get in 2 races. The overall points saw us in 9th, 8 points from 4th showing how tight it was. 

Whilst we had two decent starts the shifty conditions but the building tide got the better of us. 

Race one we started middle starboard end of the line and tacked out right looking for a header on the shore before tacking back on to starboard. At first look it seemed we maybe crossing the whole fleet by a considerable margin, but then the fog came rolling in leading to a big shift back to the left. We rounded the top mark at the back of the fleet and never quite managed to get back in touch with the group in front. 

Race 2 we started the most starboard boat at full pace and held the fleet out left before tacking on the shifts up the beat. Coming in to the top mark we looked to be comfortably rounding in the top 5 before misjudging the tide on the layline causing us so be slow coming in to the mark allowing a number of boats past. We rounded in last and managed to use some smart downwind tactics to get back in to the race. On the final beat we triple gybe dropped (yes apparently that is a tactical call) to take the inside lane at the bias starboard mark allowing us clear air to sail fast and take 2 boats on the final short beat. 

The final day of racing has the fleets completing the "Parade of Nations" around Newport harbour. After this we headed out to a windless race course where we made best use of Barry's "toys" going wakeboarding and swimming around "Reina". 

Finally the wind came in and we managed to get a race in a slightly steadier 10 knots. We had a good start towards the pin eventually tacking back to the middle of the course and playing the shifts up the beat. Coming in to the top mark we gave ourselves a bit more room that the previous day and rounded in 2nd. The front 4 boats broke away and we managed to keep hold of our position til the last leeward mark. Due to the overall points and the current placings in the race we could not gain, or lose, any overall places so we decided to roll the dice and split from the leaders hoping to get a shift that may allow us to take the win. Unfortunately this was on the case and the other two boats came in from the right to overtake us on the line leaving us in 4th. 

Overall it was a fantastic week. We did ourselves proud in a very high quality fleet against some of the most respected and well represented yacht clubs in the world, and it's fair to say we have established ourselves as right up there with them. 

All of us want to say thank you to Barry Sampson for his unbelievable generosity and drive, without him none of this would have been possible.  He has given us opportunities we would never have otherwise enjoyed and has ensured that Itchenor Sailing Club "the little club that could" has left a lasting mark in the international yachting community.

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Day 1 of the NYYC Invitational Cup started in style. After a postponement waiting for the sea breeze to fill in which eventually did building to 12 knots. Racing was out in the bay with the 14 boat strong fleet proving to be the most competitive we have raced in including North American Champions, Farr40 World Champion, ex-olympians, dinghy sailors and yachties. The boats are identically set up with each team allowed one jib and one spinnaker making it the most competitive one design yacht race event I have ever taken part of.

Race 1 started with a crowded starboard end, we made a late approach and tacked out to the right and came in to the top mark just behind the leading group. Down the run we made good progress into the pack but when we rounded the leeward mark we were fouled by a boat taking room with no rights. The racing is fully umpired meaning that the team were given an immediate spin, unfortunately for us our position was already affected enough that we lost a few places and our clear lane out the mark. Up the next beat we worked up to the back of the group again, overlapped with 5 other boats rounding to top mark for the second time. Unfortunately down the next run we couldn't quite break through and finished 10th, only a few boat lengths from 4th, the racing is that tight!

Race 2 saw us make a great start out the middle right of the line. Holding out lane all the way out to the left, but unfortunately the right came out best and we rounded in the pack. We made an early gybe on the run and got back over to the paying side of the course gaining an inside overlap at the leeward mark and a clear lane allowing us to extend on the group behind. We headed back out right and at the windward mark came in just behind the lead group and at the front of the chasing pack. Tim sent us down the same plan on the next run and we ended the race with a photo finish against the home club New York YC which they just won placing us a well earned 6th.

The final race saw the wind pick up to 17 knots. Unfortunately we didn't make the best start but managed to find a clear lane left and half way up the beat we crossed with the right and were back in the race. We had a great hoist at the windward mark allowing us to make good progress down the run. At the leeward gate we had pulled through to around 7th, however disaster struck. A miscommunication led to running over our spinnaker tearing the middle section. Once we recovered what was left of the kite we were 13th but couldn't get going in the choppy water. With only one spinnaker and jib allowed we had to goose wing the jib downwind and just managed to keep the Swedish team behind us.

Tomorrow (today, depending on time zone) is another day.

Day Two

Day two was surrounded by delays with a lack of gradient meaning the promised sea breeze took a little bit longer to fill in, but it allowed us to make the most of the most of the artisan coffee and brekka made available from the NYYC. 

Race four saw us aim to pull out from a starboard end start and whilst we managed to find a clear lane, the competitive fleet didn't give us a chance to make headway back into the fleet. With a big right shift allowing a number of boats behind us back into the race. We ended 12th which was a punch in stomach following our top 10 rounding of the leeward mark. 

Race five again saw us default to type with a tough start at the starboard end followed by a good dig in to the building sea breeze on the right. When the time came to take the layline we had managed to work our way to the front. We held off competition from Thames and Sweden and earned a 2nd place finish. 

Race six For the final race of the day we wanted the left-hand side of the race course. After two restarts we finally got underway, with the left-hand side paying. We rounded mark one first, closely followed by Argentina and Southern. At the bottom of the run all teams rounded the marks together, with Itchenor aiming for the previously biased left, BUT unfortunately this didn't pay off. By the end we finished 3rd, producing one of the best days of the regatta!

Tomorrow is a new day!!!

Race 1 started in a nice 10-knot building sea breeze with the tide already ebbing and pushing boats over the line, which rather inevitably led to a general recall. True to his word the PRO Chris Darling brought out the black flag for the next race putting pressure back on the fleet to behave. Merlin cross-code sailor Olly Turner, and Rheanna Pavey, led the way with Alan Roberts and Emma Best in hot pursuit. Matt Mee and Emma Norris worked their way up through the fleet to finish third on the water and after 7 black flags were handed out, they took the first bullet of the event, with George Yeoman and Sophie Ormsby in second after finishing sixth on the water and Dicken Maclean and Hannah Young third.

The fleet were much better behaved for the start of Race 2 even though the tide was starting to run stronger. The wind had also picked up which led to a tough choice downwind between going high and trying to plane, or pushing low. It was Maria Stanley and Rob Henderson who took the initiative on the first lap taking the lead down the first run and not looking back. George and Sophie, and Dicken and Hannah made the most of the new breeze coming down and jumped the rest of the chasing pack to take second and third again.

Race 3 was Itchenor in full swing. 15 knots with wind against tide made the beats hard work but worth it for the blast downwind. George and Sophie got a jump on the fleet from a mid-line start to allow them to tack for the tide and lead at the top mark. Arthur and Mary Henderson rounded next closely followed by Dicken and Hannah and a crew of Ben Palmer and Claire Walsh. These three boats battled it out for two laps until Dicken and Hannah finally broke free and screamed down the last run hunting down George and Sophie but not quite having enough runway. Ben and Claire came through to take third place.

The final race of the day saw a couple of fresh faces lead the charge. Andy Shaw and Pippa Horne and Stewart and Jack Bowen got the best starts and along with Dicken and Hannah led the fleet around the top mark. Dicken and Hannah took off in a ball of spray and were not seen again whilst Andy and Pippa took a solid grip of second place. On the last lap George and Sophie managed to get a jump down the run to finish behind Andy and Pippa. Unfortunately for Dicken and Hannah their start had been a bit too good as they crossed the line to silence, meaning Andy and Pippa took their first race win of the weekend with George and Sophie in second, followed by Maria and Rob in third. This left George and Sophie leading from Dicken and Hannah and, with big scores already on the board, anything could happen going in to day two.

The beautiful weather continued on Sunday, which started for many with a full cooked breakfast as teams prepared for another big day of sea breeze hiking. But this time the sea breeze failed to supplement a south westerly gradient of about 6-7 knots that swung round to the south-east through the day.

In the first race of the day, a shifty first beat allowed five boats to separate themselves from the pack, with Rob Struckett and Kate Robinson leading at the first mark. Left was the only way out of the flooding tide on the beats but it was a tough call whether to take the shifts or get further out of the tide. In the end, a mixture of the two paid off as Maria Stanley and Rob Henderson took the race on the line from Owain Mathews and Rosie Sibthorp.

The committee boat and windward mark moved further out into the channel in Race 6, which led to a split fleet up the first beat. Those that escaped from the pile-up at the committee boat end were rewarded, though, as the right hand side paid more and more with each leg of the course. Arthur and Mary took the win from both Andy and Pippa, and Jack Holden and Alex Warren.

Race 7 was completely different as the tide started to flow up the course. Suddenly, boats were struggling to stay down-tide of the line and the leaders could come from all sides of the beat. George and Sophie regained the form that had won them day one to take the bullet, with Maria and Rob as well as Matt and Emma in hot pursuit.

The last race brought further challenges as the breeze dropped and tracked round to the left. Owain and Rosie took advantage of the light conditions to finish off with a win. It was all to play for at the top of the leaderboard, with three boats still in with a chance of victory. Matt and Emma and George and Sophie fought back from tough first beats, but it wasn't enough as Maria and Rob held their nerve to take second, and the win overall.

A very proud home fleet took first, second and fourth on the leaderboard but particular congratulations to winners Maria Stanley and Rob Henderson for taking home the Itchenor Burgee trophy.

The third race course took the fleet down-harbour towards East Head. Childerley and Croft led the fleet to the first windward mark – a lead they extended through the race. The battle for second place was very close with Jones and Tellwright just ahead of the James Allen’s Girls School crew of Julia Mellors and Eveline Suer.

A picnic lunch was enjoyed on the beach at East Head before the fourth race on a course set by race officer Alastair Shaw in the Stocker Lake area south of Thorney Island. With the wind variable in strength and deviating through 45 degrees, Childerley and Croft played cat and mouse with Jones and Tellwright up a conservative track up the centre of the course. However, those who went way left risked the stronger tide that flourished as the pressure built from the South. The windward mark saw the leaders Julian Fung and Elliott Marshall (Rugby School) ahead of Elliott and Bradley with Tonbridge School’s Rory Fulton and Harry Tilling not far behind. At the leeward mark the wind was very light and the subsequent beat tested the leaders. Fulton and Tilling made the best of the conditions to take first place with Elliott and Bradley second and Fung and Marshall a well deserved third place, their best of the day.

In races five and six Childerley and Croft re-established their winning ways to end the day on top of the leaderboard. Jones and Tellwright scored seventh and second to ensure they have a healthy gap ahead of the chasing pack.

Itchenor Sailing Club Schools Championships – Firefly Regatta Day 2

Ben Childerley and Ollie Croft win the final race in Itchenor Sailing Club's Schools Championships. Image David Priscott

The ebb tide was strong enough to get the 48 Fireflies to the start area in very still but sunny conditions. A weak breeze set in but it was fitful. Finally a breeze set in from the West and a race got under way. It soon became apparent that the wind was shifting back and forth through 90 degrees. First to the windward mark was the Tonbridge Firefly crewed by Dom Lewis and Oscar Wright. Then it was Harry Barker and Isaac Pylee in the Burford School boat ominously followed by regatta leaders Ben Childerley and Ollie Croft from Sherborne. Childerley and Croft soon established a lead downwind. The wind shifts were such that boats were close reaching on both upwind and downwind legs. None of this faxed the Sherborne pair as they showed their mastery of the tricky conditions to take the gun. Charles Elliott and Joseph Bradley from Portsmouth Grammar School took second place and Barker and Pylee third.

Trophy Winners

Sir Richard Fairey Trophy for the winning school
Sherborne School - Ben Childerley and Ollie Croft

Gavin Anderson Trophy for the school placed second overall
Winchester College – Miles Jones and Tiger Tellwright

Astral Cup for the first boat with an all female crew
James Allen’s Girls School – Julai Mellors and Eveline Suer

Nick Prosser Trophey for the winner of the Silver Fleet
Sevenoaks School – Matt Caiger and Alexander Foglu

Mini-series Trophy (Joint Winners)
Sevenoaks School - Dom Lewis and Oscar Wright
Burford School – Harry Barker and Isaac Pylee

Results here

The Jameson brothers took the second race with Johnson and Chandler a closer second. The Norwich School crew of William Pank and Finlay Campbell took the third slot.

Whilst the leading boats had started at the committee boat end of the start line in the first two races, a slight wind shift favoured boats at the pin end for the third race. At the first windward mark it was close order sailing with Fin Dickinson and Tom Gorringe from Ditcham Park School just ahead of Ben Hutton-Penman and Josh Sibthorpe from New Hall School and the Jameson boys. At the second windward rounding the Jameson crew had edged ahead of the other two teams. However as the boats crossed the finish line Dickinson and Gorringe had snatched back the lead from the Jamesons with the New Hall team taking third.

Follow @Itchenor1 for live updates throughout the Schools Week Championships

Itchenor Sailing Club Schools Championships – Feva regatta Day 2 - June 27th 2017

The hundred strong fleet left Itchenor Sailing Club in a gentle South-Easterly for the second day of this regatta. With the threat of decreasing breezes and rain the race officer Andy Penman got the fleet off on time for their first race. First to the windward mark was the Sevenoaks pairing of Will Caiger and Tom Baulkwill followed by Freddy Wood and Ollie Jameson (Portsmouth Grammar School) and Ben Hutton-Brown and Josh Sibthorpe representing New Hall School. The order would have remained the same had not Robbie McDonald and Emma Wells in a Portsmouth Grammar School boat just pip the New Hall team on the line.

The second race provided the only general recall of the day so a black flag was deployed and the fleet got away cleanly in decreasing pressure. Louis Wright and Thomas Cooke-Priest from Churcher’s College pulled off an outrageous port hand start from the pin end and crossed the fleet. They were contention at the windward mark only a metre or two behind the Ditcham Park School’s boat of Fin Dickinson and Tom Gorringe. Alex Holborn and Helena Watkins from Parkstone Grammar School made up the first three. At the second windward mark the Ditcham Park boat was still leading ahead of the improving William Pank and Finlay Campbell of Norwich School with the Churcher’s boys slipping to third. Pank and Campbell made the best of the increasingly variable wind and establish a significant lead on the downwind leg. At the finish it was Pank and Campbell ahead of McDonald and Campbell from Portsmouth Grammar, who had worked their way through the fleet downwind, and Wright and Cooke-Priest.

So to the final race of the regatta. With wind subsiding and the flood tide at its strongest, the course was moved to the relatively weak tidal area in the Stocker Lake, near the Thorney Island shore. The light breeze caused the fleet to stay together and at the windward mark six boats were closely aligned with Pank and Campell alongside Henry and Rupert Jameson making a return to the front of the fleet after a couple of poor results in the first two races. Barty Gray and James Shaw (Cokethorpe School) and Megan Ferguson and Adam Trubridge from Robert Mays School Odiham were also in contention. The race team shortened the race at the second windward mark and the order was Pank and Campell ahead of Dickinson and Gorringe by half a boat’s length with Ferguson and Trubridge third.

The overall winners of the regatta were William Pank and Finlay Campell who finished on the same points as Henry and Rupert from Hayling College. The final podium place went to Fin Dickinson and Tom Gorringe of Ditcham Park School. A fitting result as between them these three crews won seven of the eight races.

Full results

For the three classic keelboat classes that race during Points Week – XODs, Swallows and Sunbeams, race officer Roger Wickens had decreed that racing should take place each side of high water to give the maximum flexibility in course setting. He took full advantage of this to test the fleets with challenging windward legs both against and with the tide to the fours corners of Chichester Harbour followed by exciting downwind legs with full spinnakers giving a colourful addition to the Harbour background.

Of the 50 boats racing in Points Week, half were in the XOD fleet – 22 local boats augmented by three visitors from Cowes. Monday’s race provided one of the closest finishes with X55 Falconet (Peter Lawrence, Ron Parker and Jim Dunn) just half a boat’s length ahead of X80 Lass (Jeremy Lear and John Tremlett) after two hours racing. Tuesday’s race was more clear cut when X26 Catherine (Colin McKinnon with Neil and Ros Hart) established an early lead that could not be bettered by Lass who was again second. On Wednesday for most of the race it appeared that this would be Lass’s day but X90 Astralita (Mike Martell, Fraser Graham and Tim Copsey) thought better and overhauled her by the final leg home. Winds on Thursday were the strongest of the week, gusting 25 knots and clearly suited X50 Xcitation (Roger Yeoman with Roddy Bridge) taking first place ahead of Lass in the two spot yet again. In Friday’s medium breeze X50 established a lead from the start, took the direct route to the windward mark on the Winner Bank and was not challenged although Lass held on to make it a full set of second places. However, Lass’s consistency was more than enough to take first place overall in the series for the Benson Platter. Xcitation was second and Astralita third.

In the Swallow class the early races suggested the series might be a three horse race with Gwaihir (Mike Wigmore, Mark Struckett and Charles Hyatt) taking the first race ahead of Migrant (Charles Fisher, Richard Thompson and Nigel Glennie) and Darter (Tony Glover with Harry and Prue Roome). Darter then took honours in the two short races on Tuesday with Gwaihir scoring a third and a second place. Migrant took a second but then faded with a seventh. Gwaihir established a significant lead in the Wednesday race that wasn’t challenged, even by Darter in second position. This was the order again in the first of Thursday’s two short races. Gwaihir also took first place in the next race.
So with the series win for the Buccaneer Trophy secured by Gwaihir at the end of Thursday, Friday’s race was to decide the minor places. Migrant came back from midweek disappointments with a second place behind Gwaihir but it was only good enough for third overall behind Darter.

The winner of the Sunbeam series was not decided until the Friday, with at least four boats in contention after four races. The Evans/Leach partnership in Polly secured the win on Monday. It was Joe and Cathy Burnie’s turn on Tuesday to take top spot in Fleury. Then came Alan Stannah’s charge in Spray with three wins in a row to take the Wengen Cowbell for the series win ahead of the consistent Alchemy sailed by Richard and Sarah Pearson. Fleury was third overall.

Swift, having recovered Jeremy Sibthorp by his feet following a pre-start crash gybe to avoid a Swallow contretemps ahead, went on to open their score sheet with a win. Gwaihir lost a good initial lead but held off Echo to take second place.

By the two races in the afternoon Charlie Hartley, son of skipper James Hartley, had been substituted for the somewhat bruised and wet Jeremy and Swift was back to business but by then the Gwaihir team had recovered their form and posted back to back wins. In race two Christine Graves’s team Skua, helmed by Chris Creak was second, followed by Swift then Tony Glover’s Darter. Race three saw the same first two with Bluff, taking the last podium place ahead of Migrant. The course congestion as the fleet caught up the XOD fleet at marks where the favoured mark exit crossed the incoming fleet was exciting but all part of racing in Chichester Harbour.

The club was full in the evening as the current fleet and many past Swallow sailors gathered for a Gala Dinner to Celebrate 70 years since the formation of the class in 1947 in preparation for its featuring in the 1948 Olympics.

Sunday was to be a very different sort of sailing. PRO Phillip Pascall managed to find a zephyr of breeze to start race four but with its 40 degree shifts and vagaries of strength there were plenty of traps for the unwary. The race was initially led by National Swallow Class chairman Malcolm Green sailing Archon but it was Bluff who eventually won with Echo taking the third. Gwaihir were pleased that there would now be a discard score allowed as otherwise would have posted a very large total! The afternoon brought torrential rain but still hardly any wind so at 1500 the excellent race management team brought out the “N” flag and all were towed home for tea and prize giving.

Would you like to race a Swallow? The sponsored 'ready to race' spare Swallow is available for visiting guests to use at Itchenor SC Points Week 12-16 June, the Swallow Championships weekend at Cowes 15-16 July and Cowes Classics regatta 17-21st July. Contact isc.swallow.capt@gmail.com to book.

The final result was
1st Gwaihir. Mike Wigmore, Mark Struckett and Charles Hyatt
2nd Swift. James Hartley, Rob Sutherland, Jeremy Sibthorp and Ian Tillett.
3rd Bluff. Hugo Fisher, Nigel Masding and Richard House.
4th Echo. Simon Slater, George Miller, & James Cunnison.
5th Skua. Christine Graves. Chris Creak, David Maclean, Robin Knott and Nick Boyd.

Full results here