Pyefleet Week - An epic Day 4

by Brightlingsea Sailing Club on 14 Aug 2014 Day 4 of Pyefleet Week 2014, in Brightlingsea, Essex, was epic in every sense with a record turnout of Brightlingsea One Designs for their first race of the series, some awesome sailing with monster gusts and shifts, a spectacular high speed all in handicap Big Wednesday Gold Medal race and a rocking beach BBQ and reggae party.

Day four of the regatta at last brought sailable conditions for the historic Brightlingsea One Design Class (BOD) and twenty two of these 18' day boats which date back to 1927, thought to be the largest number of BODs ever to race together, came to the line for their first race of the series. Conditions were extremely tricky with an average wind speed of around fifteen knots from the northwest, but violent heavy gusts into the mid twenties and shifts of up to 40 degrees.

Jeremy Newman, Chris Rust and Ollie Newman, sailing C32 Avocet, made a good start and sailed a blinding first beat up the river to lead at mark one by a generous margin. From there on they sailed a beautiful race to claim victory by a comfortable margin. But behind Avocet the pack was tightly bunched and with a strong flood tide and tricky conditions to contend with the place changing was constant as the fleet battled for positions.

Sailing in only his second ever BOD race, Cherub National Champion and Eighteen Foot Skiff sailor Graham Bridle, sailing C24 Endeavour with son Will Bridle and Graham Eales, got a fantastic start at the pin end and followed Avocet round the first mark. Hot on his heels were John Payne in C11 Graying, Alan Hicks in C54 Storm Petrel, Colin Willett in C8 Egret and Phil Rust in C16 Dulcet. Malcolm Goodwin, sailing C4 Cormorant, had a lousy start and first beat to round almost last - a position from which recovery seemed unlikely.

On the long reach out to sea Endeavour and Grayling began to drop back a little while Cormorant began to make gains. At the leeward mark Storm Petrel had moved up into second and, along with Avocet, chose to stand on to the left side of the second beat. Dulcet chose to tack off early and it proved to be a smart move jumping them up into second place with Storm Petrel now third. The leading three held their places around the first lap and half way around the second, but Cormorant was relentlessly grinding her way through the fleet and passing boats on every leg. On the final beat Cormorant squeezed past Storm Petrel and was catching Dulcet on the way to the finish, but she simply ran out of runway and had to be content with third.

Once the BODs were home it was time for the main feature of the day, the Big Wednesday Gold Medal Race. This race is run in memory of the late Reg White, Olympic Gold Medallist, double Tornado World Champion, five time Little America's Cup winner and lifelong Brightlingsea resident. Following his death, from a heart attack whilst sailing his BOD, Reg's family established the Reg White Memorial Fund, which supports sporting programmes for young people in Brightlingsea. Big Wednesday helps to raise awareness of and money for the fund.

The average wind speed had moderated a little, but there were still regular strong gusts and plenty of shifts as the massed fleet came to the line. Hundreds of spectators thronged Brightlingsea’s famous beach hut lined Promenade to enjoy the spectacle and the sailors did not disappoint. Off the crowded start line the best start of all went to two of the youngest sailors, Tom and James King, sailing an SL16 catamaran. They showed the entire fleet how it should be done and then went on to sail a lovely race to finish ninth overall and win the Cadet Gold Medal Trophy.

Simon Hisckock's International Moth held back at the start, but then sped through the fleet rapidly overtaking first the monohulls and then the catamarans, but gear failure sadly forced him to retire early. Graham Bridle also brought his Eighteen Foot Skiff to the line, but having selected their big rig based on the average wind speed, they found the heavy gusts too much to handle so were also forced to pull out of the race.

Conditions were absolutely perfect for the cats and as the boats rounded the first mark Rupert White, grandson of Reg, and his crew Nikki Boniface had taken the lead in their Nacra 17. With kites hoisted the cats flew out to sea leaving their nearest monohull rivals trailing in their wake.

The sun shone, the blue sky was dotted with scudding clouds, and the sight of the fleet hurtling around the course at break neck pace kept the spectators enthralled from start to finish.

On the line Rupert White and Nikki Boniface took first place with Will Sunnucks, sailing an F18 with Rupert's brother Freddie second. Third were Nick Barnes and John Payne in a Viper and fourth was another of Reg's grandchildren, Henry White, also sailing an F18. The first mono hull was Chris Bannister's Contender in fifth with Pete and Tom Kyne's Fireball sixth.

After racing everyone repaired to the beach where prizes were presented, the rum punch flowed, Reg's family, led by sons Robert, Mark and David and daughter Sally, cooked a spectacular sunset BBQ and everyone danced late into the night to a live reggae band.

The forecast for tomorrow is for lighter winds which will come as a welcome relief to many in the fleets, and Pyefleet Week continues until Saturday 16 August.

Results

BIG Wednesday 2014

Brightlingsea Sailing Club

Big Wednesday

R1

Rank	Fleet	Class	SailNo	Club	HelmName	CrewName	PY	Elapsed	Laps	Corrected	Points
1	Gold Medal	NACRA 17	120	BSC	Rupert White	Nikki Boniface	662	+1:18:10	4	1:58:05	1.0
2	Gold Medal	F18	501		W. Sunnucks	F White	670	+1:21:24	4	2:01:30	2.0
3	Gold Medal	VIPER	239	BSC	N. Barnes	J. Payne	695	+1:28:26	4	2:07:15	3.0
4	Gold Medal	F18	6	BSC	H. White		670	1:27:24	4	2:10:27	4.0
5	Gold Medal	CONTENDER	708		C. Bannister		985	+1:04:50	2	2:11:38	5.0
6	Gold Medal	FIREBALL	14860		P. Kyne		975	+1:04:11	2	2:11:39	6.0
7	Gold Medal	TORNADO	6		P. Mines	S Smith	638	+1:24:37	4	2:12:38	7.0
8	Gold Medal	MERLIN-ROCKET	3671		P. Lambert		980	+1:05:07	2	2:12:53	8.0
9	Gold Medal	SL16	791		T. King	J King	796	+1:19:25	3	2:13:02	9.0
10	Gold Medal	SCORPION	2003	BSC	S. Gillow		1058	+1:12:31	2	2:17:05	10.0
11	Gold Medal	RS 200	1126		A. Bines		1071	+1:13:31	2	2:17:17	11.0
12	Gold Medal	LASER	172807		Edd Slack		1120	+1:19:39	2	2:22:14	12.0
13	Gold Medal	LASER RADIAL	179834		Julie Eeles		1150	+1:22:14	2	2:23:01	13.0
14	Gold Medal	MERLIN-ROCKET	3620	BSC	O. Newman		980	+1:10:08	2	2:23:08	14.0
15	Gold Medal	FIREBALL	14774	BSC	R. Etherington		975	+1:09:47	2	2:23:09	15.0
16	Gold Medal	LASER RADIAL	146441		B. Richardson		1150	+1:23:42	2	2:25:34	16.0
17	Gold Medal	LASER	186353		S. Carr		1120	+1:22:51	2	2:27:57	17.0
18	Gold Medal	BOD	C27		C. Matthews		1150	+1:25:20	2	2:28:24	18.0
19	Gold Medal	SPRINT 15	1240		D. Swan		945	+1:10:08	2	2:28:26	19.0
20	Gold Medal	RS 700	761	BSC	Peter Purkiss		845	+1:03:10	2	2:29:30	20.0
21	Gold Medal	LASER	204979		S. Parsons		1120	+1:23:59	2	2:29:58	21.0
22	Gold Medal	DART 16	9	BSC	C. Rust		910	+1:08:58	2	2:31:35	22.0
23	Gold Medal	TOPPER	10961		Josh Elson		1370	+53:41	1	2:36:44	23.0
24	Gold Medal	TORNADO	403		R. Amerson		638	1:18:33	3	2:44:10	24.0
25	Gold Medal	C20	C20	BSC	J. Bray		1150	+1:34:28	2	2:44:17	25.0
26	Gold Medal	RS FEVA	6		S. Phillips		1200	+52:07	1	2:53:43	26.0
27	Gold Medal	BOD	C53	BSC	M. White		1150	+1:41:50	2	2:57:06	27.0
28	Gold Medal	TOPAZ	10333	BSC	S. Fisher		1278	+58:13	1	3:02:13	28.0
29	Gold Medal	TOPAZ	17		A. Reed		1278	+60:09	1	3:08:16	29.0
30	Gold Medal	WOD	17	Wivenhoe SC	R. Maloney		1180	+59:20	1	3:21:08	30.0
31	Gold Medal	LASER RADIAL	200654		J. Ferber		1150	DNF			46.0
31	Gold Medal	LASER RADIAL	173532		H. Parsons		1150	DNF			46.0
31	Gold Medal	FIREBALL	14471		R. Mander		975	DNF			46.0
31	Gold Medal	LASER RADIAL	85848		Jacob Elson		1150	DNF			46.0
31	Gold Medal	MERLIN-ROCKET	3584		J. Spikesley		980	DNF			46.0
31	Gold Medal	TOPAZ	2380	BSC	C. Walker		1278	DNF			46.0
31	Gold Medal	TOPPER	44351	BSC	L. Walker		1370	DNF			46.0
31	Gold Medal	LASER 2000	22321	BSC	C. Jordan		1133	DNF			46.0
31	Gold Medal	420	48843		M. Mansfield		1100	DNF			46.0
31	Gold Medal	NACRA 17	162	BSC	Maddy Anderson	Ollie King	662	DNF			46.0
31	Gold Medal	MUSTO SKIFF	52	BSC	G. Bridle		845	DNF			46.0
31	Gold Medal	RS 800	1073	BSC	D.Conlon		805	DNF			46.0
31	Gold Medal	RS FEVA	6	BSC	Stuart Phillips	Thomas Phillips	1200	DNF			46.0
31	Gold Medal	F18	424	BSC	E. Carr	T. Carr	670	DSQ			46.0
31	Gold Medal	MOTH - FOILING	3985	WPNSA	Simon Hiscocks		650	DNF			46.0