Half-Full, Half-Empty at B14 Inland Championship

by Event media on 7 Nov 2007
Barnes and Nicholson in Seavolution/Blue Marine won a very hard fought Inlands by the skin of their teeth - The B14 Circus arrived at Grafham Water for their Inland Championship to be sailed in conjunction with events for the Musto Skiff, 49er and International 14 classes. Only one day was completed but plenty of incident - for a Half-Full, Half-Empty B14 Inlands.

Racing on the western course with starts at three-minute intervals, it was going to be a case of racing in clear air and still trying to go the right way.

Race 1 got underway in a SW 5 to 7 knot breeze and with the bias swinging further to the pin, 758 (Tim Harrison/Jonny Radcliffe) rolled the dice and just cleared the fleet on port tack to hit middle right and take control of the first beat. At the windward mark, they led from Ronstan, Mike Bees and Ferret.

Down the run the fleet compressed with Seavolution/Blue Marine (Mark Barnes/Pete Nicholson) being the guys finding the snakes and getting their teeth into the back of the front pack. Up the beat Harrison/Radcliffe and Bees/Ferret pulled away from the others with little to separate the next ten boats.

Rounding the windward mark Bees/Ferret and Harrison/Radcliffe were neck and neck, with little to chose all the way to the finish with Harrison and Radcliffe getting the gun. Behind them Barnes and Nicholson had got past Ince&Co, Mark Watts/Drew Malcolm to chase down CSC, Chris Bines/Dave Gibbons. At the gybe for the lay-line to the finish, Barnes and Nicholson, got inside Bines and Gibbons to claim third.

Race 2 and more of the same but no port flier to chase down this time. At the windward end, Bines and Gibbons got the best start followed by 770, Simon Hadley/Tristan Hutt at the pin end. Up the beat it was a case of go into lighter airs and wind bend to the left or right and stronger breeze but greater distance.

By the windward mark there was little between the two groups, with Bees and Ferret rounding first of tight group.

Down the run with the fleet splitting left and right with the middle empty, the right hand side juggernaut looked to be favoured. At the leeward mark it was still Bees and Ferret from Harrison and Radcliffe followed by Hadley and Hutt.

Up the next beat the front two covered the fleet. At the windward mark Bees and Ferret continued to lead from Harrison and Radcliffe followed by Hadley and Hutt.

Down the run Barnes and Nicholson got the jump on Ovington Boats, Dave Hall/Phil Ettringham, and Bines/Gibbons who split out left down the middle.

At the leeward mark, Bees and Ferret, followed by Harrison and Radcliffe erroneously rounded for another beat. Next Bines and Gibbons on starboard converged with Barnes and Nicholson on port, getting ahead on the gybe to head for the finish and taking the win. Bees and Ferret recovered to 9th and Harrison and Radcliffe to 8th.

Race 3 and with the 49er/Int.14 fleets general recalled to the back, the B14s had their first chance at a clean breeze on the first beat. Up the first beat it paid to go up the middle with Watts and Malcolm leading 774, Piers Lambert/Kathy Sherratt round the windward markup.

On the first run, Bines and Gibbons passed Lambert and Sherratt. Up the next beat, Watts and Malcolm led the charge to the right followed by Hall and Eltringham - Bines and Gibbons went to the left. At the windward mark the right had paid but it was still very close with only a few boat lengths separating the front-runners.

On the run to the finish, all were aware that the 49er/Int.14 fleets were closing fast.

At the finish it was Watts and Malcolm who held on from Barnes and Nicholson who in turn, held off Bines and Gibbons by the smallest of margins just beating 774, Lambert and Webster with Hall and Eltringham right astern.

After this group, with three fleets converging on the leeward gate with little wind, big snakes and ladders took place with Bees and Ferret being the biggest loser.

Race 4 and the final roll of the dice. Out of the blocks it was Barnes and Nicholson with Hall and Eltringham and Watts and Malcolm drag racing to right of middle, with Hall and Eltringham inside Barnes and Nicholson but beaten to the windward mark by Watts and Malcolm and 654, Daniel Cowin and Rachel Bennett from middle left. With Bines and Gibbons in contention and right on Barnes and Nicholson’s transom, there was no sure winner.

At the leeward gate the front-runners had held position other than Bines and Gibbons getting the overlap on Barnes and Nicholson at the mark rounding. Up the next beat Hall and Eltringham held the lead closely followed by the next four with nothing to choose between them. Round the windward mark with seven boat lengths separating the front five, it could not be closer.

Hall and Eltringham led to the right but Watts and Malcolm now had Barnes and Nicholson breathing down on them. Gybing to the finish lay line, Barnes and Nicholson, got the better of Watts and Malcolm and then soaked down to gas Hall and Eltringham on the run into the finish. At the finish, Barnes and Nicholson got the better of Hall and Eltringham with Watts and Malcolm third, and Cowin and Bennett holding off the ever present charge of Bines and Gibbons.

With only one race where the leading boat at the last windward mark won the race, most had a very hard day at the office.

The B14s as ever, partied as they know how to, at first the club and then the Wheatsheaf pub with a few stragglers form the Mustos.

Sunday dawned and alas another weekend where only one days sailing was held as the wind did not play ball, but not to be outdone the fleet retired to the clubs café for a hearty breakfast and packing up of tents and boats. The racing on Saturday had been well run and shore team provided good backup.

Barnes and Nicholson in Seavolution/Blue Marine won a very hard fought Inlands by the skin of their teeth which the results do not reflect. With virtually every race closely fought this year, 2008 can only get better. Next events are the Asymmetric Series at Grafham and Rutland followed by the Winter Pursuit Series.

B14 Inlands - Final results

1st Seavolution/Blue Marine GBR 768 Mark Barnes Pete Nicholson Whitstable/Brightlingsea (3) 2 2 1 8.0 5.0
2nd CSC GBR 775 Chris Bines Dave Gibbons Brightlingsea SC 4 1 3 (5) 13.0 8.0
3rd Ince&Co GBR 772 Mark Watts Drew Malcolm Weston SC 5 (7) 1 3 16.0 9.0
4th Ovington Boats GBR 777 David Hall Phil Eltringham Thorpe Bay SC (11) 4 5 2 22.0 11.0
5th GBR 758 Tim Harrison Jonny Ratcliffe Burnham SC 1 8 (9) 6 24.0 15.0
6th GBR 770 Simon Hadley Tristan Hutt Marconi SC (13) 3 6 8 30.0 17.0
7th Ronstan GBR 771 Mike Bees Fursty Ferrett Brightlingsea SC 2 9 (DNF) 7 35.0 18.0
8th Mess Around GBR 654 Daniel Cowin Rachel Bennett Ely SC 7 (14) 12 4 37.0 23.0
9th 2 Racks of Port GBR 774 Piers Lambert Nikki Webster Brightlingsea SC 9 (13) 4 11 37.0 24.0
10th Hyde Sails GBR 753 Alan Davis Kathy Sherratt Weston SC 8 5 11 (13) 37.0 24.0
11th Blue Marine GBR 761 Allan Stuart George Morris King George SC 6 (11) 10 9 36.0 25.0
12th XXXXXXXXX GBR 672 Steve Hollingsworth Chris Murphy Restronguet SC 12 6 (14) 10 41.0 28.0
13th Hydrotherapy GBr 776 Dick Roe Kate Dulieu Great Yarmouth & Gorleston SC 10 (12) 7 12 41.0 29.0
14th GBR 729 Alan Bennett James Lawton Etherow (14) 10 8 14 46.0 32.0
15th GBR 682 Mike Raine Jane Hill North Staffs 15 15 13 (15) 59.0 42.0
16th GBR 678 Barry Pine Alistair Storer King George SC (16) 16 15 16 61.0 45.0