2015 Firefly National Championships – Day 3

by Firefly Class Association on 30 Jul 2015 2015 Firefly National Championships – Race 3 – Barney Smith and Allanah Hebbert opened the gate and got the fleet started in very shifty conditions. The first beat was characterised by a long right hand shift that paid dividends for the late starters. First around the windward mark were the Vines again with the fleet closing in on the next two legs of the trapezoid course. Locals Phil and Jilly Slater and Ben Lumby/Liz Evans made gains on the run and early on the second beat another right hand shift gave Lumby/Evans the greatest gains, taking the lead by the weather mark.

For lap three the Race Officer moved the windward mark to the right and as the wind dropped the leaders frantically searched for the new mark off Loe Beach. Ben and Liz narrowly held onto the lead and managed to hold off Stuart Hudson and Holly Marston around the final trapezoid to the finish with Alex and Rosie Davey coming in third.

Race 4

A big melee at the committee boat end of the start line allowed those in the middle and further down the line to get away fast and cleanly. Melanie McGregor and Steve Niccol hit the left hand corner and powered into the windward mark ahead of Ben and Jenny Vines and Ben Lumby and Liz Evans. The local pair slipped between the two leaders down the run to take the lead at the leeward mark. Ben and Liz held their lead to take their second bullet of the day but in the typically very shifty conditions there were a lot of other position changes throughout the fleet with Jamie Mcewan finishing second and the Vines third.

Race 5

Wind seemed to build for the final race of the day and went off a line start and a change of course to triangle/ sausage. The wind still shifted through 20-30 degrees and this time the leaders emerged from the middle of the beat. Jamie McEwen and Georgie Corlett rounded first ,with Hudson/Marston second and Lumby/Evans again up at the front.

Places were to change all the time through the race – Steve Greaves and Caroline Edwards led at the next upwind and Lumby at the bottom of the run.

Hudson and Lumby pulled a bit clear of the pack up the next upwind and Hudson got a lucky shift at the top to lead and hold on for win with Lumby second , McEwen third and the Kameens with a remarkable recovery in fourth.