Matt Howard is UK Finn National Champion

by Sail-World/GJN on 11 Sep 2006 Matt Howard is the new UK Finn National Champion. Howard won the championship from a competitive field of 59 entries at the Mengeham Rythe SC. Racing in Hayling Bay the championship had a wide range of conditions which tested the competitors at one of the best attended series for some years. Howard put in a consistant series, winning three of the races, to finish five points ahead of former winner, Ed Greig; with Mark Andrews in third place.

A fleet of 59 Finns, buoyed by the presence of most of the squad and by four boats from Scotland, gathered at Mengeham over 8 - 10 September for one of the best attended Nationals ever.

Friday produced a veering easterly wind in Hayling Bay in excess of 12 knots allowing a triangular course with unrestricted pumping. An adverse tide and a good line saw the fleet away first time. Having tacked inshore Matt Howard led at the windward mark followed by Alan Burrell and Mark Andrews (the new Junior World Champion). Both Burrell and Andrews were challenged hard by Irishman Tim Goodbody over the reaches, Goodbody taking Andrews by the leeward mark. Andrews fought back up the beat overtaking Goodbody, and Burrell on the run, to finish second behind Howard.

Race 2 started promptly with no recalls with a strengthened wind of 16 knots. Ed Greig won the start, tacked inshore and was first to the windward mark from Andrews followed by Henry Bagnall, Nick Craig (last year’s champion) and Matt Howard. After the reaches Howard was second, then Andrews and Andrew Mills. Thereafter Greig held his lead and Goodbody worked his way through to 5th whilst Bagnell slipped to finish 7th.

Saturday brought much the same wind and the only general recall, saving a few late comers. The black flag ensured a clean second start. Mills was first to the windward mark with Greig and Howard following closely. Howard passed both to gybe first at the wing. Mills was unable to hold the challenges on the second beat from Greig, Andrews and Goodbody.

With the wind holding steady Race 4 started promptly but with 2 premature starters. The fleet again favoured the inshore tack although some overstood after failing to notice the shorter beat. Greig rounded the windward mark ahead of Andrews, positions held to the finish. The second beat produced a number of place changes with Howard, Mills and Craig rounding the windward mark 3rd, 4th and 5th respectively, which they held to the finish. This race produced some of the closest finishing throughout the fleet with boats barely a second apart.

Race 5 saw Howard take an early lead to lose it temporarily up the second beat to Andrews. The run back re-established Howard who took the gun ahead of Andrews. Greig maintained a steady 3rd position throughout, with Goodbody fighting his way down the last run to finish ahead of Mills.

Sunday saw the predicted lighter airs, much to the relief of the recreational sailors!. A nine knot wind provided the variation of a windward- leeward course and different leaders. In Race 6 Ben Mansfield in his first nationals established a lead by the windward mark and held off Howard, Greig, Andrews, and Goodbody throughout, despite the wind swings of 15 degrees. Howard managed to hold 2nd place despite slipping behind Goodbody down the first run, while as Greig faded in the fluky airs so did any challenge to Howard for the Championship. Andrews worked his way steadily up the second beat to 3rd, ahead of Goodbody, positions maintained to the finish.

The last race saw the fleet split evenly up each side of the first beat. Mills won through to reach the windward mark ahead of Marc Allain des Beauuvais, desperate to make up for his earlier premature start, ahead of Martin Hughes. In the shifting 7 knot wind Mills held his lead whilst Beauvais lost out to Hughes on the run ahead of Howard, with Anthony Osman borrowing his father’s boat 5th.

Finn 2006 - Final overall results :-

1 GBR 550 Matt Howard RYA 1 2 1 -3 1 2 -4 7
2 GBR 625 Ed Greig Warsash SC 5 1 2 1 3 -10 (60 DNF) 12
3 GBR 88 Mark Andrews Largs SC 2 -3 3 2 2 3 -11 12
4 GBR 634 Andrew Mills Queen Mary SC -6 4 5 4 5 -13 1 19
5 IRL 5 Timothy Goodbody Royal Irish YC 4 5 4 -7 4 4 -8 21
6 GBR 628 Nick Craig Frensham Pond SC -13 6 8 5 6 5 -9 30
7 GBR 2 Alan Burrell Thorpe Bay YC 3 9 6 6 8 -27 -12 32
8 GBR 650 John Greenwood Budworth SC 7 8 10 8 7 -11 (60 DNF) 40
9 GBR 8 Tim Carver Burghfield SC 8 -13 9 10 9 -16 10 46
10 FRA 862 Marc Allain des Beauvais Sport Nautique de l'Ouest 9 11 13 (60 OCS) 14 -24 3 50
11 BAR 2 Dave MacGregor Hayling Island SC 18 14 12 -24 -24 9 6 59
12 GBR 651 Neil Robinson MRSC 11 10 22 11 -35 6 -23 60
13 GBR 99 Henry Bagnell Royal London YC 12 7 -20 13 11 -20 18 61
14 GBR 65/565 Sander Kooij N/A 16 12 19 9 12 -22 -20 68
15 GBR 567 Martin Hughes Warsash SC 21 22 -32 15 -26 12 2 72
16 GBR 649 David Harcourt Dalgety Bay SC 10 17 -30 17 17 19 -24 80
17 RSA 540 Alan Tucker Aeolians SC 17 23 -28 16 10 17 (DNC) 83
18 GBR 602/23 Ashley Taylor Christchurch SC -23 21 16 18 -22 15 16 86
19 GBR 33 Graham Page Warsash SC 19 19 14 -20 -23 18 17 87
20 GBR 648 Adrian Brunton MRSC 14 16 18 (60 OCS) 18 23 (DNC) 89
21 GBR 13 John De Leeuw Dalgety Bay SC 22 34 7 12 16 (DNC) (DNC) 91
22 GBR 10 Robert Deaves Waldringfield SC 29 -32 15 14 15 -42 21 94
23 GBR 635 Simon Percival Christchurch SC -28 20 -36 27 20 14 15 96
24 GBR 640 Stuart Glover Prestwick 24 15 29 (60 DNF) 25 7 (60 DNF) 100
25 GBR 18 Ben Mansfield Royal Southern YC (60 DNF) -47 23 31 33 1 14 102
26 GBR 562 Jerry Andrews N/A 26 24 31 19 13 (DNC) (DNC) 113
27 GBR 610 John Heyes Thorpe Bay YC 20 -31 17 -32 19 26 31 113
28 GBR 631 Richard Hart MRSC 15 -29 24 23 27 -34 26 115
29 GBR 595 Ed Thorburn Newhaven & Seaford SC -44 18 21 26 32 -43 25 122
30 GBR 572 Mark Macdonald MRSC (DNC) (DNC) 11 25 28 38 28 130
31 GBR 656 Graeme Macdonald MRSC -39 33 -35 21 21 31 27 133
32 GBR 77 Howard Sellars Warsash SC -32 30 25 28 (60 DNF) 29 22 134
33 IRL 2 Guy O'Leary Royal Irish YC 33 26 26 22 30 -37 -34 137
34 GBR 636 Merrick Gill Christchurch SC 31 28 -43 29 31 -44 19 138
35 GBR 20 Andy Dennison Christchurch SC 27 -35 27 -36 29 25 35 143
36 GBR 28 Anthony Osman Parkstone YC -42 -40 34 35 38 32 5 144
37 GBR 17 Nick Roberts RYYC 36 27 -41 33 36 30 (60 DNF) 162
38 GBR 24 Rory Barnes Christchurch SC 30 (60 DNF) (DNC) DNC DNC 8 7 165
39 GBR 611 Tony Lock Christchurch SC (DNC) (DNC) 60 DNF 37 34 21 13 165
40 GBR 644 Julian Smith MRSC 34 25 33 -45 -47 33 42 167
41 GBR 22 Martin Allen MRSC 35 39 -44 30 37 -50 32 173
42 GBR 555 Chris Farrell Dalgety Bay SC 38 38 37 34 -43 -46 30 177
43 GBR 11 Cliff English South Shields SC -46 36 -46 38 41 36 29 180
44 GBR 620 Laurence Peters Christchurch SC -45 -46 38 41 39 40 33 191
45 GBR 100 Matthew Walker MRSC -52 41 47 43 -48 28 38 197
46 IRL 4 Daniel Belton Warsash SC (DNC) (DNC) 39 39 40 47 36 201
47 GBR 55 Mike Till Royal Corinthian YC 40 43 -45 -47 44 39 37 203
48 GBR 556 Robert Smagon MRSC -48 44 -50 40 46 45 39 214
49 GBR 542 Adrian Buswell MRSC -47 45 42 44 45 -49 40 216
50 GBR 48/580 Anthony Walker MRSC 41 (60 DNS) 40 46 (60 DNF) 41 60 DNF 228
51 GBR 576 James Wyburd Bosham SC 49 48 (DNC) (DNC) DNC 35 41 233
52 GBR 64 Craig Kirkpatrick-Whitby Warsash SC 43 (DNC) 48 42 42 (DNC) DNC 235
53 GBR 51 Phil Laycock Graffham Water SC 25 42 (DNC) (DNC) DNC DNC DNC 247
54 GBR 629 Ray New Christchurch SC 37 37 (DNC) (DNC) DNC DNC DNC 254
55 GBR 79 Mike Cheshire West Kirby SC 51 50 49 (60 DNF) 49 (60 DNF) 60 DNF 259
56 GBR 189 Alan Harris Gallants SC 50 49 (60 DNF) (DNC) DNC 48 DNC 267
57 GBR 454 Jack Ward-Golden MRSC 53 (60 DNF) (60 DNS) DNC DNC 51 60 DNF 284
58 GBR 74 Graham Brookes Roadford Lake SC (60 DNF) (DNC) DNC DNC DNC DNC DNC 300
58 GBR 609 James Howells MRSC (DNC) (DNC) 60 DNF 60 DNS DNC DNC DNC 300