Falmouth Week
By admin. Filed in Race reports |
Flying Fifteens at Falmouth Week 2009
Fourteen Flying Fifteens, from as far afield as Derwent Reservoir, Bewl, Grafham Water and Chew Valley Sailing Clubs entered Falmouth Week.
The first race was held in a light and variable force 1-2 wind on an outgoing tide. Ian Cadwallader and Dave Sweet and David and Catherine Brockbank got off to an early lead followed by Mike Thompson and Simon Millington. The latter chased a stronger breeze out in the estuary but the tidal advantage was along the shore and Doug and Gail Pattison in the new “Pink ffizz” gained third place and this was the finishing order.
On day 2 the breeze stiffened to Force 4 from the west and again Ian Cadwallader and the Brockbanks took the early lead with David and Carole Duke in hot pursuit. Mike Thompson came from behind to take third place on the first reach and second on the subsequent beat with the Brockbanks holding third and the Dukes keeping Tony Lee and the Pattisons at bay.
For day 3 two races were scheduled. Carrick Roads responded with brilliant sunshine and a northerly force 3 wind enticing a large fleet of boats onto the water. Particularly attractive were the local working boats with their colourful topsails. With the start near St Mawes and an out-going tide the Race Officer set a course up the estuary to the opposite shore necessitating crossing the tide. All the boats elected to short tack up the east out of the main stream. Keith Harris, however, decided to cross the stream much earlier than anyone else and took an enormous lead at the first mark and he was never challenged. Cadwallader, Nutt and Thompson were in a following bunch ahead of the rest of the fleet when their wind evaporated at the Falmouth Harbour entrance. The Pattisons and the Brockbanks sailed past on their own breeze with Cadwallader stranded somewhat. The second race was extraordinarily close with 6 boats rounding the leeward mark in line. Cadwallader and Sweet won with the Pattisons second and Colin Nutt third. Two boats were so enjoying the sun in Carrick Roads they missed the start!
Race 5 was in a freshening force 3 and was equally close with half the fleet abreast into the first downwind mark. The course options played little part.
Thursday was warm and sunny with a light breeze which evaporated from time to time. Everyone went the wrong way once. The Falmouth side paid for the first beat out to sea resulting in a huge lead for the group that chose that route. Their wind evaporated and the lead switched round. Doug and Gail Pattison were beginning to find the strings on their new boat and won after a close match with Ian Cadwallader and Dave Sweet. John Washington was third.
Going into the last race, the Pattisons had to be first or second with Cadwallader and Sweet 6th or lower. Form suggested this was an unlikely event. There was a Force 4 from the south-west. Colin Nutt took an early lead closely followed by Athol King and Dave Vasey reaching the windward mark in that order. There followed a long run to the opposite side of the estuary at St Just. Nutt elected to cross the outgoing tide early and King followed. Mike Thompson and Simon Millington stayed longer on the Falmouth side resulting in them taking the lead at St Just. They held the lead for the next two legs and the run to the finish at St Mawes. The Pattisons caught King and passed but the positions reversed so King took second by one third of a boat’s length, with Colin Nutt and Ian Cadwallader a very short way behind.
Thus, Ian Cadwallader and Dave Sweet won the series after one discard. However, the organisers of Falmouth Week introduced an “Ironman” prize for the series without discard and the positions were reversed, Doug and Gail Pattison winning. They also took the family prize.
Carrick Roads and the bay beyond provide a wonderful venue and once again Falmouth Week produced a terrific week of sailing in a variety of conditions and some extraordinarily close racing. The race management was good with interesting courses around the estuary.