Dobson and Tunnicliffe lead GP14 Worlds

by Justin Chisholm on 7 Aug 2008 Dobson and Tunnicliffe still lead despite mixed conditions on the Mailspeed Marine sponsored Day Three of the GP14 World Championships 2008. Following yesterday’s abandonment, racing got back underway Wednesday at the GP14 World Championships hosted by South Caenarvonshire YC in Abersoch.

Five time World Champions Richard Estaugh and Simon Potts found more familiar form, moving up the leader board to fourth after posting a first and a third in the two races sailed today. Overnight leaders and reigning champions Ian Dobson and Andy Tunnicliffe faltered a little in race one when they placed twelfth but hit back with a comprehensive win in the second race.

Race one got away cleanly in around ten to twelve knots of breeze and a short chop. Pathfinders Adam McGovern and Chris Robinson looked to be in a good place to take advantage of an early right hand shift and when they tacked on to starboard they looked to be leading comfortably. As the beat progressed however the wind shifted back to the left and it was those boats starting early who eventually found themselves able to tack and cross the fleet.

First around the windward mark were Richard Instone and Steve Parker just ahead of Richard Estaugh. In third was Andy Hately and Frank Nickless followed by Alastair Duffin and Stephen Nelson. Overnight leaders Ian Dobson and Andy Tunnicliffe rounded back in thirteenth place.

Down the first run Estaugh eased past Instone to take a lead that he held easily to the finish. Richard Instone was able to stay ahead of Alastair Duffin to take second with Andy Hately coming home fourth. Having rounded the first mark in seventeenth place, Neil Platt & Jane Alexander made steady progress throughout the race to finish fifth which was good enough to give them the overall Championship lead after three races.

Having been promoted overnight from the Bronze fleet, Devin Goonwaredena & Jeremy Bolling finished forty fourth and led the Silver fleet by one point from Championship Chairman Ian Sinclair crewed by Alan Jones. Duncan and Gail Fraser’s sixty second earned them first place in the Bronze Fleet at this stage, ahead of Maurice Cooper & Karen Jewkes.

As the fleet awaited the start of the second race the weather quickly closed in with dark clouds, heavy rain and sea mist making for unpleasant conditions for both the competitors and race team. After a long delay, the rain cleared and the wind settled down enough for the course to be reset. However there was a further pause in proceedings when the subsequent start had to be abandoned.

When racing finally got underway the breeze was up to around fifteen knots. Ian Dobson returned to his previous form to take race four by a comfortable margin ahead of Neil Marsden and Richard Estaugh. Ian Platt & Matt Johnson continued their consistent run of results with a fourth after a race long battle with Justin Jones & Lucy Evans. G.P.14 Class President Hugh Gill crewed by Ciaran Murphy had his best result of the regatta so far, finishing fifth.

In the overall standings and with one discard now in place, Ian Dobson & Andy Tunnicliffe had maintained their lead at the top of the leader board. Neil Marsden & Derek Hill moved up to second ahead of Neil Platt & Jane Alexander in third.

Gerard O’Sulivan & Ben Saunders lead the Silver Fleet from Mark Greenhalgh & Paul O’Neil in second and Ian Sinclair & Alan Jones in third. In the Bronze Fleet, Mike Butler & Steve Caladine are leading with Duncan & Gail Fraser in second and Maurice Cooper & Karen Jewkes third.

Racing in the GP14 World Championships 2008 continues tomorrow with two more races scheduled. The final two Championship Races are scheduled to be sailed on Friday.

GP14 - Leading positions (106 entries)

1st 14021 Ian Dobson Andy Tunnicliffe Burwain SC/ RWYC Gold 1 1 -12 1 3pts
2nd 13654 Neil Marsden Derek Hill Blackpool&Fleetwood SC Gold 2 3 -6 2 7
3rd 13924 Neil Platt Jane Alexander West Kirby SC Gold 3 2 5 -9 10
4th 14017 Richard Estaugh Simon Potts Chase SC Gold 7 -15 1 3 11
5th 13849 Ian Platt Matt Johnson Bolton SC Gold 6 4 -9 4 14
6th 13931 Richard Instone Steve Parker Chase SC Gold -10 5 2 10 17
7th 13427 Justin Jones Lucy Evans SSSC Gold 4 10 -11 5 19
8th 14018 Matt Mee Sam Brearey Hollingworth SC Gold -20 7 8 7 22
9th 13901 Alastair Duffin Stephen Nelson Newtownards SC Gold 5 -24 3 20 28
10th 13966 Andy Hateley Frank Nickless SSSC Gold 11 13 4 -21 28
11th 13914 Mark Platt Malcolm Marsden Bolton SC Gold 8 6 -25 16 30
12th 13978 Dave Young Chris White SSSC Gold 12 9 -23 12 33
13th 13917 Curly Morris Laura McFarland East Antrim BC Gold 13 8 -16 13 34
14th 13195 Hugh Gill Ciaran Murphy Sutton DC Gold 17 12 -21 6 35
15th 13993 Niall Henry Ossian Geraghty Sligo YC Gold -36 19 10 14 43
16th 13907 Tim Jones Dale Knowles Holyhead SC/ Bolton SC Gold 25 (108.0 DNF) 7 15 47
17th 13417 Jim Hunt Andy Service Sutton SC Gold 14 16 18 -24 48
18th 13803 Paul Owen Adam Parry SSSC Gold 16 22 -24 11 49
19th 13956 Adam McGovern Chris Robinson Hollingworth SC Gold 21 11 17 -25 49
20th 13933 Gary Deighan Dave Jobson Bolton SC Gold -40 18 26 8 52