GP14 World Championships day 4

by GP14 Worlds on 18 Aug 2012 What a difference a lay day can make! After Tuesday’s light wind affair, the 254 competing sailors in the GP14 Aigua Charter World Championships, being held in Looe on Cornwall’s south coast, woke up on Thursday to a relatively calm, pleasant morning. How this belied the way the day would pan out.

The calling of an extraordinary briefing by Roger Hocking at 9.45, at the Lifeboat Station of all places, sounded ominous. The gathering crews were advised the Gin Place being used for the Race Committee was unable to cope with the conditions out in Looe Bay. 'We need a bigger boat' was the cry; a ‘bigger boat’ was found, a 50 foot trawler more accustomed to Arctic fishing trips, gave the sailors some idea what the conditions were like out there, away from the shelter of the headland.

Delta flag was raised, the boats were free to launch. The heavyweight pairing of Carl Jeffs and Steve Parker were the guinea pigs, guiding the remaining boats as to whether a further layday was to be taken. Launching looked tough, once out in the bay it appeared manageable. The assistance being offered by the club members was amazing; an army of volunteers chest deep in the breakers gave those somewhat unsure, the confidence to give it a go.

It was testament to them that so many made it to Race 6, sponsored by 'Optimum Watches', the gate being opened by Daniel and Hugh Gill in their gold Duffin. The first beat was long, the windward mark lost in the 3-4 metre swell, the wind surprisingly less than many expected – it was to build. By the time the leaders rounded, the Looe lifeboat was being scrambled to rescue one of the fleet in some distress on the rocks exposed off Looe beach at low tide. The racers were struggling with the wind/wave angle on that first reach, flying the kite cost those foolish enough to give it a go. The return across the third leg made up for it, the rolling waves most definitely surfable, the majority of the main pack three-sailing it.

Charging their way back into real contention were Ian Dobson and Andy Tunnicliffe after their tough day on Tuesday. The gun was theirs after three rounds of the triangle/sausage course, ahead of Simon Potts and Pete Grey, third going to Andy Davis and Andy Hateley, absent from the very sharp end of the fleet since Sunday. First of the Silver fleet home were Steve Boon and Richard Thomlinson coming in 13th, leading Bronze across the line were Lee Tennant and Finn O’Hirley.

There were several casualties from the first race of the day, rescue crews being kept exceptionally busy, getting boats safely back to shore – huge thanks to those that rescued Sarah and I after our rudder disintegrated as we went up the third beat – almost at the end of the race. Doh!

Race 7, sailed under sponsorship of Goacher Sails, was held in a building breeze and what felt to many, a better defined wave pattern; wave height and wavelength seemed extended, certainly whilst the fleet were powering across the perfectly angled reaches. Pathfinders in this race were brothers Jonny and Adam McGovern, who having been forced to go right, made the call to bang the far side of the course. Theirs was the first kite to be launched round the windward mark guiding the rest of the fleet the way to go for the second time round.

These two reaches were the best sailing I have ever experienced, the wind strong enough to get the 135kg GP14 almost literally flying downwind. By the leeward mark, Dobson and Tunnicliffe had taken the McGoverns, positions for these two hulls remained the same for the rest of the race, Goachers winning their sponsored race, just ahead of Speed Sails. It was tight for the final spot on the podium, Davis and Hateley taking their second third of the day, just pipping Shane MacCarthy and Andy Thompson.

Silver fleet line honours went to Rick Cornes and James Goodfellow, finally showing their usual speed once the breeze freshens, although possibly too late to catch Mark Wolf and Alain Renaud who currently lead the way in their fleet, in 16th. Bronze fleet were led across the finish by Chris Winters and Julian Forde, giving them the overall lead in their fleet with a day to go.

Friday draws to an end the Aigua Charter GP14 Worlds. With two races to go, one more discard to be taken, the defending champions Ian Dobson and Andy Tunnicliffe know it is in their hands. Dominate as they have done on Thursday, and the title once again is theirs. There are four crews within four points of each other for second, ready to take the event should Ian and Andy slip up. The forecast for Friday is for very similar conditions to what was seen on Thursday, 17-25 knots from the South-South-West, with a slightly smaller GP14 Worlds website