UK Global Flying Fifteen UK Nationals at Hayling Island SC - Day 1
by Simon Thompson 1 Jul 2016 15:40 HKT
30 June - 3 July 2016
Cracking one-design racing in typical Hayling Bay conditions
A dominant start by Richard Lovering and Matt Alvarado clinching a clean sweep of two bullets with Ollie Stewart and James Grant lying second overnight (even though it was Ossie's first time in a FF)!
The fleet features a plethora of former Olympic, World, European and National medallists proving the Flying Fifteen is one of the most competitive keelboat classes to race.
Richard Lovering and Matt Alvarado started the Championship in style having just returned from sailing in the 5o5 fleet at Keil Week, they were match fit and made all the right calls. Charles Apthorp was unlucky to suffer a broken main halyard when lying second behind Lovering/Alvarado in Race 1.
On the first day of the championships the weather as promised started with a SW force 3 building during the afternoon to force 4. The sea conditions were quite lumpy for the wind strength which challenged those crews from inland clubs.
The Race Officer set the race area off the Hayling Island coast, and chose to set windward leeward course for the two races. Strangely for the F15 fleet both races got off without a General Recall. (I am sure the competitors will try harder tomorrow!)
Both races were characterised by extremely tight racing enhanced by the lack of reaching legs. The fleet split at the start of both races, some taking the lee bow route to the windward mark on an early port tack and others going out into the stronger tide before approaching the mark. There was no consensus from the top of the fleet as to which was the right way to go with a number of the competitors taking a different route for the second beat.
All of this meant that mistakes or poor positioning as boats neared the windward mark could result in place changing amongst the top dozen.
The runs provided surfing conditions at their best resulting in many opportunities for place changing, and "diving practice" for the unwary.
The forecast for Friday is F5 Westerly which should make for another exciting and exhausting day.