2002 Flying Fifteen Championship of the British Isles

Race Day Sponsors

• Main Fleet
• Classic Nationals

The Open & Classic fleets sailed separate trapezoidal courses, on most days the leaders coming together on the penultimate mark for the run & reach to the line - the shouting at the final mark even more heated than normal!

The first day brought light winds and a victory for David McKee, crewed by daughter Emily, after a gybing match with second placed Alan Bax and Paul Busby. A brisker Force 4 on the second day brought new faces to the front, and in the first race David Lucas and Stephen Carson held off a strong challenge from defending Champions Steve Goacher and Phil Evans to win. But Goacher went one better in the second race, as he and current World Champion Charles Apthorp broke away to take the first two places.

The wind died in the afternoon race which was abandoned allowing just one race to be sailed on the third day, with Goacher taking a grip with another win, from Brett and Ben Dingwall. On the fourth day, there was a close battle from the first mark between Barry and Sue Parkin, and Brett and Ben Dingwall, in which Parkin took the lead on the final leg to win from Dingwall.

Race Officer Douglas Forrester put in another race on the Thursday, so with three races there was ample opportunity to make big gains or losses on the leader board. With winds again going up and down, consistency was hard to achieve, but it was newcomer to the class Richard Estaugh who made big progress that day, including a win and a second place, while leader Goacher suffered with three poor results as the Championship really opened up. Other race wins that day went to Peter & Sue Bannister, and Ireland's John Lavery.

These results left five boats well in contention for the Championship on the final day. Estaugh continued his good form with another win, from Howard Green in second. But in third place, Goacher and Evans did enough to take the 2002 title with a few points to spare. In second overall, Newcomer to the Class, Estaugh showed that he is more than capable in the future of adding a Flying Fifteen title to his array of dinghy titles. Olympians Barry and Sue Parkin were among seven different pairs to take a gun in a very well contested Championship, and took third overall.

Competition was keen in the Classics fleet too. Stuart and Jennifer Jones 2001 Champions opened with a win, and took another three second places later in the week, to finish third overall. Races two, three and eight all went to Jeremy Arnold and Mike Pearce, but they had to settle for second place behind David Hill and Johnny Armstrong, from Carrickfergus in Northern Ireland, who started slowly but then piled on the pressure with three wins and three second places in the last six races to take the Classic Championship in style in one of the fleet's oldest boats.

Thanks must go to Largs S.C, the Scottish Sailing Institute and the RNCYC for the warmth of their welcome, their hospitality, organization and excellent race management. Despite the weather Largs proved to be a great venue with unpredictable winds to mystify even the top crews together with a lively social programme for competitors and families.

With attendance in the Classics up by more than 100% from last year and crews enjoying some excellent, competitive sailing we are confident of an even better turnout at Royal Torbay in 2003 when all those Southern sailors should be persuaded to travel!

Lots of pictures available at :

• PFM Pictures
• N-D-K Watersports Photography
• Alan Henderson (email)

Gear Guide

Main Fleet

Classic Fleet