Sail-World.com : Gladitorial B14 Battle at Starcross
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Gladitorial B14 Battle at Starcross |
The B14 Flying Circus made its way down to the West Country for some great sailing. The 20 B14s were to probably have their best sailing of the year to date. Saturday consisted of training in the morning and a four race pursuit series, no discards in the afternoon. Then on Sunday, again a four race series, no discards counting towards the TT series.
The racing on Saturday was fast and furious with the fastest boats starting up to 4 minutes after the scratch teams with races lasting 20 minutes. With the sea breeze kicking in with un disrupted sun it was to be peachy sailing. There were 2 downwind gates, so racing was compact with the emphasis on tactics and boat handling. Each race had a different winner and most finished within one minute of the winner. However, having been the most consistent boat, bragging rights and the champagne went to Arkansas Chuggabug (Will/Matt McGrath) who started 2 minutes after the scratch fleet.
Saturday night and with the 80’s UK tour concert at Powderham Castle next door, the fleet were treated to a concert consisting of ten of the 1980s headline bands and a great fireworks display accompanied by a BBQ.
Sunday dawned and we waited for the sea breeze to come in on queue. Racing kicked off in more glorious sun and a building southerly breeze.
Race 1 and Winged Monkey (Mark Elkington/Charlie Game) hit the front off the pin and led out to the left chased by Seavolution/Blue Marine (Mark Barnes/Pete Nicholson). To the right Rowsell Sails (Frank Rowsell/Miles Harrison) led the pack along the Powderham shore. However, it was the left that paid with Winged Monkey rounding in front of Seavolution/Blue Marine, Asbo (Crispin Taylor/Tom Baker) and Acxiom (Mark Emmett/ Alan Stuart).
Down the run the leading two played cat and mouse with Winged Monkey holding on. On the next lap at the leeward gate, Seavolution/Blue Marine broke through, with Rowsell Sails and Acxiom fighting for third. Over the last lap, Seavolution/Blue Marine pulled away but the next 5 boats were neck and neck. So it was a resurging Simmons&Simmons (Mark Watts/George Morris) coming back from the back, found a way past the tight group to claim second at the finish with Acxiom third and Rowsell Sails DSQ for rounding the gate wrong on one lap.
Race 2 and more of the same. With the same two leading off the line chased by Buzz Wagon (Mark Pollard/Richard Hingston), but the twist was that the right paid this time with Credo (Theo Gayler/Jack Spencer) leading in from the right. These two were never to be passed and led to the finish by three boat lengths. Behind them, there were many place changes throughout. Seavolution/Blue Marine, slipped back with weed on their plate and Winged Monkey, used all that local knowledge to slide through to grab second from North Sails/MJF (Dave Hayes/Sean Dwyer), Acxiom and Buzz Wagon.
Race 3 and the fleet mainly went right but the usual small group headed left. Winged Monkey led from Seavolution/Blue Marine and Das Boot (Mark Philips/Paul Bartlett). From the right, it was Credo, Rowsell Sails and North Sails/MJF. Over the next lap these six fought a close battle with nothing to choose between them. However, Seavolution/Blue Marine broke through to take the win from Winged Monkey, North Sails/MJF, Credo and Simmons&Simmons.
Race 4 and with the tide changing, all to play for with at least 5 boats in the hunt, some jumped the gun. Seavolution/Blue Marine returned but Rowsell Sails did not so DSQ for them. Up the first beat Chattanooga Cho Cho (Dan Cowin/Kathy Sherratt) led and held on for one lap but were hounded by Acxiom, Winged Monkey and Arkansas Chuggabug. However on the downwind leg of lap 2, it was Seavolution/Blue Marine and Simmons&Sommins that were to pass the Chattanooga Cho Cho who slipped back to 5th.
Over the next lap, the front two had a battle royal but by the windward mark, Seavolution/Blue Marine had the upper hand by a boat length. Down the run these two cross gybed with little between them. At the finish, Seavolution/Blue Marine gybed on top of Simmons&Simmons to win by a pole length. They were followed by a resurging Chattanooga Cho Cho, Acxiom and Winged Monkey.
However, the last roll of the dice was played ashore. In race 4 Seavolution/Blue Marine was found by the Jury to have tacked too near to another boat (no collision) and subsequently DSQd. So the winner of the event was Winged Monkey who sailed a very consistent series. The first tin rig was the ever consistent Das Boot.
The class would like to thank John Donovan and his team for slick turn arounds and good courses and the ladies ashore for their great service in the canteen.
The next event is the Torbay Regatta 23 – 25 August for the SW series and 30 – 31 August Lee-on-Solent for the TT circuit. Not to be missed.
by Mark Barnes
7:22 AM Tue 29 Jul 2008 GMT
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