Phantoms at Creeksea SC

by Phantom Class Association on 20 Jul 2011 Phantom Creeksea Open 2011 took place over the weekend of July 15th-16th at Creeksea Sailing Club in Essex. Despite a truly dreadful forecast of force five gusting seven, more than a dozen boats assembled to contest the seventh event in the Tempera-tec / JJ boats sponsored Eastern Series.

With the wind being from a Southerly direction and thus blowing across the river, Race Officer Edwin Buckley and his stalwart crew set a long course with a close-reach against the flooding tide to navigation mark 11 off the Burnham Yacht harbour followed by a fast broad reach up river to Cliff. It was inevitable that the best windward sailing was going to a subsequent slog to Canewdon but few expected to have to do it twice after a downwind leg to Bridgemarsh.

Race one saw Lawrence Crispin set the theme for the days racing, powering away from the line to round well ahead and extend his lead from the chasing pack. Ingram was unlucky to touch the first mark and capsize whilst completing his penalty turn, leaving fellow club member Rod Thorpe to clinch second place.

Lunch ashore saw the inaugural use of 'Dave’s Marque' for which the fleet were grateful as the rain started to beat down. This did however seem to keep the wind below the forecast levels for the afternoons racing.

Race two was almost a re-run of the first race, being again held against the incoming tide, although this time it was Ingram who followed Crispin home and staying ahead of the hard pushing pack. James Jarvey took third place ahead of Darren Pike who was making a return to the circuit after a break of a few months and seemed to have lost none of his speed.

The third race saw the fleet being pushed over the line as the tide had turned by now giving a very fast reach to number 11.

It looked like Crispin again had the race in the bag but the fleet were by now getting a grip on the reaching leg and Ingram, Paul Jarvey, his brother James (in separate boats!) and Chris Roberts sailed over him to get to the mark ahead. Ingram however perhaps having sought the inner position on the mark rounding held Jarvey and Roberts wide of the Mark in the ebbing tide and Crispin nipped through to race after Paul Jarvey.

The reach downriver saw two pairs Phantoms of Jarvey/Crispin and Jarvey/Roberts pull ahead of the fleet and battle to overtake either each other or the opposing pair. Crispin seemed to hit the brakes before the Cliff mark allowing the Jarveys to get ahead and Roberts to close the gap, with all four rounding Cliff in succession.

Lee bowing the strengthening ebb to harden up and beat up river along the south bank the leading boats watched local Roberts free off toward the north bank and Bridgemarsh Island where the tide was slacker. Crossing the river again to consolidate his advantage Roberts tacked ahead of Crispin to round Canewdon in first. Staying ahead on the subsequent run Roberts looked like he was in with a chance of spoiling Crispins perfect score – but it was not to be. Slightly sailing too far inshore he could only despair as Crispin tacked earlier and easily laid the mark to then swiftly carry the tide back to the line and a third win.

Sunday dawned grey with ominous whit topped waves running across the river – always a bad sign! After waiting only briefly to review conditions and in the light of a deteriorating forecast it was decided to abandon racing for the day. This left Crispin with another resounding victory at Creeksea and a rather surprised Ingram (by now nursing strained ribs) and Roberts in second and Phantom website