Edwards & Wagstaff lead Fireball UK Nationals

by Fireball media on 4 Aug 2006 Fireball UK Nationals at South Caernarvonshire Yacht Club, Abersoch, in North Wales.

Day 1.
Fifty Six boats started off 13 knots winds with pleasant sunshine. Matt Mee / Graham Nelson were first to the windward mark but failed to spot the wing mark and was rolled by several boats. MacCarthy / Potts and Edwards /Wagstaff had a dual to the finish with Edwards / Wagstaff to take the win and MacCarthy / Potts to find out that they had been OCS with a number of other boats. Mettam / Anderton came in 2nd, Mee and Nelson 3rd.

The second race started with winds and seas increasing to 20 knots gusting 30 knots. Edwards / Wagstaff lead start to finish. MacCathey / Potts came seconds and Horey and Thompson third. With Edwards / Wagstaff leading day one the fleet returned to shore to have a good rest and repair minor boat damage.

Day 2:
No Racing because it was raining and warn out from previous day racing

Day 3:
With winds remaining the same as Sunday, the fleet, now recovered, looked forward to a good days racing. Winds steadily increased throughout the day providing thrills and spills for all competitors with some fantastic two and three sail reaches.

Race 3 Adam Whitehouse and Pratt lead to the windward mark but choose not to hoist the kite and was overtaken by Edwards/ Wagstaff at the wing mark who then lead to the finish. Second Whitehouse / Pratt, third Hope / Thorne.

Race 4 start with an increase breeze (23- 27 knots). Edwards waggers lead start to finish with second Mattam / Anderton place and third Cullen / Broome.

Race 5 now required surval tactics with winds increasing again and lots of rain. The best technique was to keep upright and playing safe whilst others capsized. The race officer shorten course finishing the fleet on the second beat at the windward mark Edwards / Waggers taking first, second MacCarthy / Potts and third Hope / Thorne. The tired fleet sailed straight back to shore for the evenings Hog Roasts.

Day 4:
The day dawned with the wind still blowing 20+ knots, but it had now shifted to the North West. Race six of the series saw more shifty conditions as the course area was closer inshore with an offshore breeze, Adam Whitehouse and Mike Pratt lead at the windward mark, followed by DJ Edwards and Richard Wagstaff who chased hard gaining the lead on the 2nd lap.

With the leaders well ahead a battle for third ensued between Sam Mettam and Richard Anderton, Shane MacCarthy and Simon Potts and Kev Hope and Russell Thorne. The race finished with Edwards/Wagstaff winning followed by Whitehouse/Pratt and Mettam/Anderton.

MacCarthy/Potts had an excellent first beat to lead at the windward mark in Race 7 a position he retained to the finish despite Edward’s and Wagstaff’s efforts. Behind the lead two Hope and Thorne showed blistering pace to pull through to third.

With three races to go Edwards / Wagstaff lead by 12 points from MacCarthy / Potts. In the Silver Fleet Keryn and Gary Henwood Fox lead from Terry and Simon Forbes with John Piatt and Rick Cornes leading the Bronze Fleet.

The lady helm prize is also being hotly contested with Derian Chandler, Veronica Falat and Becky Priest all within 3 points of each other overall in 11th, 12th and 13th places.

Overall positions after 7 races, 1 discard:
1 D.J Edwards Richard Wagstaff Corus SC 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 6pts
2 Shane Mac Carthy Simon Potts Greystones SC/Shustoke SC 57 2 5 4 2 4 1 18
3 Kevin Hope Russell Thorne Notts County SC 57 4 3 6 3 5 3 24
4 Sam Mettam Richard Anderton Royal Navy SC/Weston SC 2 8 8 2 5 3 7 27
5 Vincent Horey Andrew Thompson King George SC/Fishers Green SC 57 3 4 5 8 8 4 32
6 Adam Whitehouse Mike Pratt Draycote Water SC 6 5 2 16 4 2 57 35
7 Matt Mee Graham Nelson Hollingworth Lake 3 6 7 7 20 7 9 39
8 John Curzon Peter Elver Staunton Harold SC 57 9 6 12 9 6 5 47
9 Paul Cullen Dave Broome Weirwood SC/Bognor Regis SC 9 14 10 3 7 11 57 54
10 Tom Foskett Tim Needham Staunton Harold SC 17 7 9 57 14 10 6 63
11 Derian Chandler Andy Scott Chew Valley Lake SC 5 17 12 8 13 16 11 65
12 Veronica Falat Ben Falat Waveney & Oulton Broad YC 10 12 11 17 6 12 15 66
13 Becky Priest Tim Saunders Staunton Harold SC 8 57 17 9 11 13 10 68
14 Alex Taylor Bryan Mobbs Budworth SC 13 11 57 27 10 9 8 78
15 Noel Butler Seamus Moore Dun Laoghaire Motor YC/Skerries SC 7 18 18 10 18 17 13 83
16 Philip Popple Stuart McKnight Shoreham SC 20 13 13 11 12 31 14 83
17 Andy Willcocks Andrea Willcocks Clevedon SC 15 15 14 37 17 24 18 103
18 Alex Bale Jonathan Bale Spinnaker/Chew Valley Lake SC 14 16 15 19 23 18 28 105
19 Gary Russam Jeremy Shinton 19 31 16 34 15 15 16 112
20 Keryn Henwood-Fox Gary Henwood-Fox Thornbury SC 22 32 20 14 21 23 23 123
21 Andy Foskett Howard Jones Staunton Harold SC 12 27 28 18 25 21 36 131
22 John Piatt Rick Cornes Plymouth University SC 24 23 19 24 30 14 39 134
23 Graeme Brislow John Coleborn Budworth SC 16 28 21 13 57 37 25 140
24 Terry Forbes Simon Forbes Staunton Harold SC 23 57 27 21 22 26 21 140
25 Elaine Slater Graham Slater Paignton SC 31 57 25 15 28 19 26 144
26 Russ Cormack Ali Cormack Budworth SC 11 24 29 35 19 32 32 147
27 Stephen Campion Leo Bishop Royal St George's 21 21 33 22 32 20 31 147
28 Daren Fasey Colin Davis Staunton Harold SC 18 57 22 28 29 33 20 150
29 Alex Shaw Jo Line Portishead Yacht & Sailing Club 57 29 23 32 16 36 17 153
30 Euan Sellar Dave Philp Royal Tay YC 57 20 24 23 57 22 12 158
31 Neal Gibson David Graham Sunderland YC 33 19 31 31 35 28 19 161
32 Ian Priest Debi Gibson King George SC 25 22 35 25 27 27 37 161
33 Rupert Smith Chris Turner Newhaven & Seaford SC 28 57 34 26 26 29 27 170
34 Micheal Jones Jean Jones Chelmarsh SC 32 57 32 29 31 25 22 171
35 Simon Kelsall Rob Watson Staunton Harold SC 26 33 36 30 24 35 24 172
36 Jemima Line Gavin Tillson Tipplers Cruising 4 10 26 20 57 57 57 174
37 Graham Wilson Steve White Draycote Water SC/Leigh & Lowton 27 26 30 36 57 30 34 183
38 Peter Mason Judith Thomas Paignton SC 35 30 57 33 33 34 30 195
39 David Festing Karen Festing Shoreham SC 45 34 38 38 34 42 40 226
40 Ian Noble Nicola Noble Budworth SC 39 35 37 57 57 45 41 254
41 Mike Whitehouse Karen Whitehouse Chelmarsh SC 30 25 57 57 57 57 29 255
42 Steven Crossley Jenny Crossley Budworth SC 43 57 39 57 57 39 35 270
43 Samantha Bunn Jane Stanley Chelmarsh SC 34 57 57 57 57 38 33 276
44 Richard Clayton Peter Clayton Scaling Dam SC 48 36 57 57 57 41 42 281
45 Christine Slater Nigel Williams Paignton SC 36 57 57 57 57 40 43 290
46 Geoff Holden Sophie Holden Ogston SC 44 57 57 57 57 44 38 297
47 Bob Tuckwood Debbie Tuckwood Notts County SC 41 57 57 57 36 57 57 305
48 Steve Greenhalgh Caroline Still Staunton Harold SC 47 37 57 57 57 57 57 312
49 Steve Duncan Penelope Kelly Newhaven & Seaford SC 38 57 57 57 57 46 57 312
50 John Lang Malcolm Clark RYA 29 57 57 57 57 57 57 314
51 Tom Williamson Clare Williamson Staunton Harold SC 46 57 57 57 57 43 57 317
52 Sandra Davis Mike Davis Chew Valley Lake SC 37 57 57 57 57 57 57 322
53 Barbara Newson Guy Newson Pentland Firth YC 40 57 57 57 57 57 57 325
54 Iain Dennison Suzie Capey Shoreham SC 42 57 57 57 57 57 57 327
55 Richard Rawson India Woof Ogston SC 49 57 57 57 57 57 57 334
56 Tom Burrows Tom Greenhalgh Staunton Harold SC 57 57 57 57 57 57 57 342