UK 18ft Skiff Nationals - Pindar Radii leads

by Event media on 27 Aug 2007
After two races at the UK 18ft Skiff Nationals being held at the Royal Torbay Yacht Club it was reigning UK champions Pindar Radii who led on the opening day. Helmed by Andy Richards with Andy Fairley and Dave Richards, Pindar Radii leads from Gill Wet and Wild with Fat Face in third.

The english Riviera lived up to its name when Torbay laid on blue skies and sunshine for day 1 of the Formula Spars UK 18ft Skiff National Championship. With a high pressure sitting over the south coast, the only hope for any wind would be a sea breeze, and by 11 o'clock 5-8 knots started to place some ripples on the glassy calm. By the time the fleet got to the start line nearly 10 knots had built, however this was pretty variable in direction and kept all the teams on their toes.

In a marked improvement on previous years, the fleet has now matured with a depth of talent that could have any one of 4 or 5 boats capable of taking this years title.

In race one, it was reigning UK champions Pindar Radii who got a great start and overhauled early leaders Gill Wet and Wild by the second leg. It was a day of 'heads out of the boat' as several teams played snakes and ladders. Pindar Radii held their nerve to the end and took the first gun of the series by a convincing margin. Gill Wet and Wild held onto 2nd while GE Commercial Finance climbed back up to third after struggling on the fist leg. Some of the teams at the back of the fleet found it hard going, with a couple finishing outside of the time limit.

In the second race, it was Gill Wet and Wild who led at the first mark with Fat Face and Grapefruit graphics just behind. Pindar Radii followed in fourth, but gybe set having spotted a shift in the breeze and managed to take the leading pack by the end of the downwind leg. They then proceded to pull out an unnasailable lead to take their second bullet of the day. Gill Wet and Wild put in another consistent second, while this time Fat Face got the better of GE Commercial Finance to take third.

The Royal Torbay Yacht Club race committee then tried to run a third race, however just after the start what little gradient breeze there was got the better of the sea breeze and turned the upwind leg upside down. This led to the race's abandonement, with time running short to bar opening the race officer called it a day. Forecast is for better sea breezes to build over the the last two days of the championships when hopefully the skiffs will be able to stretch their legs a bit.

18ft - Overall Results (2 races, no discards)

1st Pindar Radii 2pts
2nd Gill Wet and Wild 4pts
3rd Fat Face 7pts
4th GE Commercial Finance 7pts
5th PICA 10 pts
6th Base 1 12 pts
7th Grapefruit Graphics 15 pts
8th Hurley Palmer Flatt 17pts
9th SBR Racing 20pts