Mason and Hextall are Fireball Inland Champs

by PR on 19 Oct 2007
Richard Mason and Simon Hextall came out of the mist and the rain to win the Fireball Inland Championships held at Draycote Water over the weekend of the 13 and 14 October. Sixty-two crews gathered On the same weekend as the great storm 20 years ago, all were greeted by mist and no wind.

The race team did a good job and waited until 2pm to send the fleet out in a very light but consistent enough breeze for a fair race.

Andy Smith and Jonny Mildred (Notts County) led at the first mark to be passed by Tom Fenn and Mike Lewing (also Notts County). Fenn and Lewing stayed in front to the end. Dave Wade and 'Pumping' Rob Gardner (Northampton) passed Smith and Mildred to finish second. The fleet drifted to the bank with rugby and drinking planned for Saturday night.

Sunday morning and still 'Bugger all wind' as they say up north. All set off to sail, on the first start a few were sent in by the black flag and a general recall. Richard Mason and Simon Hextall (Notts County) led for three laps being followed by Peter Gray and Simon Forbes (Staunton Harold) who passed Wade and Gardner on the second lap.

The final race was led from start to finish Becky Priest and Tim Saunders (Staunton Harold) being followed by Matt Mee and Richard Wagstaff (Hollingworth Lake). Mee and Wagstaff needed a first in this race to take the championship and tried to out-tack Priest and Saunders on the final beat.

However Andy Pearce and Gary Henwood-Fox (Thornbury) had found a useful area of pressure and a favourable shift on one side of the course and just pipped Mee and Wagstaff on the line. As lunch was served the wind dropped almost to nothing so the Race Officer wisely decided to call it a day leaving Mason and Hextall the Inland Champions for 2007.

Wade and Gardner ended up second overall and Fenn and Lewing third. The prize giving and event was sponsored by Speed Sails. Thanks also to Draycote for a well-run event, great food on the Saturday night and a big screen to make England’s rugby world cup win seem all the more impressive. Just a pity the international contingent to this Fireball event was Irish and not French!

Fireball - Finla overall results

1st 14969 Richard Mason Simon Hextall NA 7 1 4 5pts
2nd 14929 David Wade Rob Gardner Northampton 2 3 15 5
3rd 14945 Tom Fenn Mike Lewing NC 1 29 5 6
4th 14919 Matt Mee Richard Wagstaff Hollingworth Lake 3 9 3 6
5th 14873 Andy Pearce G Henwood-Fox Thornbury DNC 5 2 7
6th 14895 Andy Smith Jonny Mildred Notts County 4 4 DNC 8
7th 14954 Becky Priest Tim Saunders Staunton Harold 13 12 1 13
8th 14955 Ian Western Keith Bundy DWSC 5 8 37 13
9th 14893 Elaine Tudor Warren Tudor Brightlingsea 10 19 7 17
10th 14805 Mark Maskell Jon Watkins Fishers Green/Hunts 8 DSQ 9 17
11th 14723 Simon Lomas-Clarke Gavin Tillson Tipplers Cruising DNC 13 6 19
12th 14953 Noel Buttler Jon Bale Chew Valley Lake 12 18 11 23
13th 14864 John Curzon Pete Ewer SH DNC 6 18 24
14th 14837 Russ Cormack Ali Cormack Budworth 14 24 10 24
15th 14941 Derian Scott Andy Scott Chew Valley Lake 23 10 14 24
16th 14920 Vince Horey Andy Thompson KG 18 7 24 25
17th 14950 Kevin Hope Russell Thorne Notts County DNC 17 8 25
18th 14840 Conor Clancy Francis Rowan National Yacht Club 6 20 26 26
19th 14973 Peter Gray Simon Forbes NA DNC 2 25 27
20th 14843 Adam Whithouse Mike Pratt DWSC 9 21 27 30
21st 14807 Tom Foskett Tim Needham Staunton Harold DNC 14 16 30
22nd 14780 Alex Piggott John Rowell Notts County 15 15 32 30
23rd 14778 Mike Deane Kath Jackson DWSC 20 11 22 31
24th 14442 David Stanley Jane Stanley Chelmarsh 22 DSQ 13 35
25th 14630 M Lewis Richard Byne DWSC 16 22 40 38
26th 14885 Jez White David Turner DWSC 11 DSQ 28 39
27th 14797 Roger Tait Bob Yeamans Lerwick /Aberdeen & Stonehaven 17 25 34 42
28th 14963 Mo Turner Paul Brigley DWSC 27 27 17 44
29th 14266 Bob Tuckwood Debbie Tuckwood Notts County 41 33 12 45
30th 14883 Mike Whithouse Karen Whithouse Chelmarsh 19 30 42 49
31st 14909 Ian Priest Maria Boyle South Cerney/DWSC 21 28 47 49
32nd 14949 Tom Jeffcoate Mark Hogan Notts County 32 32 20 52
33rd 14779 John Hobson Amy Clay Notts County 25 34 29 54
34th 14463 Philip Popple Ed Toucz Hobson Shoreham DNC 26 30 56
35th 14865 Andy Bines Kerrie Forster Brightlingsea 24 DSQ 35 59
36th 14322 Ian Macwhinnie Nick Lewis DWSC 39 48 21 60
37th 14882 S J Kelsall Rob Watson SH 29 40 31 60
38th 14111 John Tenney Tom Vian DWSC 30 44 36 66
39th 14452 Matt Cook Abi Morgan West Riding 35 31 48 66
40th 14903 Mike Jones Jean Jones Chelmarsh 26 DSQ 41 67
41st 13951 Peter Slack Will Jones Staunton Harold 31 36 50 67
42nd 14755 Dave Ryder Michelle Ryder Blackwater 34 35 39 69
43rd 14940 Miles Thomas Peter Greenrod Chelmarsh 38 38 33 71
44th 14285 Colin Snowdon Karen Hiles DWSC 28 45 45 73
45th 14391 Alex Shaw Jo Line Portishead 37 42 38 75
46th 14870 Peter Wood James Wood DWSC DNC 16 DNC 79
47th 13984 Tom Burrows Tom Greenhalgh Staunton Harold 36 49 43 79
48th 14370 Daren Fasey Colin Davis Staunton Harold DNC DSQ 19 82
49th 14099 Maria Richards Naomi Chetland Blackwater DNC 37 46 83
50th 14468 Ian Elkington Nicola Elkington Langstone 33 52 53 85
51st 14899 Tim Rush R Anderton Dell Quay DNC DSQ 23 86
52nd 14966 Grahame Newton Mark Stevens Staunton Harold DNC 23 DNC 86
53rd 14789 Rhys Lancester Jason Richards BC DNC 43 44 87
54th 13887 James Hadden Richard Rawson NA 40 50 55 90
55th 14891 Paul Roe Helen Salisbury DWSC 43 47 49 90
56th 11/13884 Mike Shreeve Adam Race DWSC 44 46 54 90
57th 14818 Pete Badham Paula Symons DWSC DNC 41 51 92
58th 13847 Joe Matthews Kate Pell West Riding 42 53 52 94
59th 14625 Steve Greenhalgh Max Greenhalgh Staunton Harold 45 51 DNC 96
60th 13013 James Hamilton David Bruce Herts Youth Dinghy Racing Squad 46 54 56 100
61st 14803 Ian Kelly Neal Gibson Staunton Harold DNC 39 DNC 102
62nd 14716 Paul Anthony Quentin Hayes DWSC DNC DNC DNC 126