Yachting World Dayboat Nationals at Rock Sailing and Waterski Club

Action from the Yachting World Dayboat Nationals at Rock © Alan Davis

Celebrating the 50 years of championship weeks he Yachting World Dayboats Class Association held its 2007 National Championships at Rock, one of its favourite venues. Twenty-three boats took part in the racing with one sadly put out of action with damage on the first day, unable to take part further.

The sailing featured heavy weather on Sunday and Wednesday; on Sunday, the first scheduled day of racing the fleet was lulled into a false sense of security that vanished soon after boats had left their moorings as winds well at the top end of Force 6 suddenly blew up. In fact, racing was abandoned before the start and the patrol boats were kept busy as one boat capsized at its moorings, another was rescued from being blown on to rocks on a lee shore and others found themselves in trouble.

Race Officer Martin Hough ran one race on the Monday in a brisk 21 knot breeze. To catch up with schedue he ran three short races on Tuesday in moderate breezes.Wednesday's Long Distance race was cancelled in view of the strong wind leaving Thursday for the final points race. Thursday was also the day when the Cadets and Ladies races took place, won respectively by Rachel Bullingham crewed by Peter Hewitt in Mandarin and Pauline Bird crewed by Michael Aldred in Sunshine.

The National Champions for 2007 are Bob and Margaret Clewer in Black Pig. In second place overall were Peter Hewitt and Michael Hewitt in Mandarin and third were Andrew and Camilla Sidford in Django.

In spite of sometimes gruelling conditions, the series was sailed in an excellent spirit and demonstrating the character of the boats and the Class Association, well over half the competitors’ boats had related crews.

Race Officer Martin Hough and his team were congratulated on running an excellent series under trying conditions.

Report from Cass Macpherson:

'Black' strikes fleet

The 2007 Yachting World Dayboat Nationals were held at Rock Sailing & Waterski Club between 26th May and 1st June. 23 crews enjoyed an active week of sailing in conditions ranging from rain and gales to sunshine and flat calms . Rock SWC staged a thoroughly efficient and friendly event and, despite the conditions Martin Hough, the very experienced race officer, contrived to fit in all five points races.

The opening race was postponed before the start after a number of capsizes (some surprisingly early in the proceedings) in the F7 gusts with shifts of 45 or more degrees. Race 2, the following day went without mishap in sunny weather and a F4/5 NE breeze. Peter Hewitt (Mandarin, PYC) took first place, with Colin Blewett (Alice, PYC) second. On Tuesday three points races were sailed back to back in the day's window of sunny conditions and light westerly winds. David Cake (Instant Sunshine, PYC) got away from the fleet and came home first by a distance, followed by Sue Clayton (Hullabaloo, PYC) In Races 3 and 4 Bob Clewer (Black Pig, PYC), came to the fore with two successive wins. Second places went to Mandarin and Ron Lovett (Eliza, PYC), respectively. After four races Black Pig and Mandarin were level on six points after discards.

Wednesday saw Flag N with a north westerly F7 and most people gratefully succumbed to the blandishments of Cornish Cream Teas in place of the scheduled Long Distance Race.

Thursday's Cadets’ and the Ladies’ Races were sailed in winds of F1/0 amid periods of torrential rain. Alanah Honey (Mandarin GSC) won the Cadets’ Race, Chrissy Blewett (Alice, PYC) took the Ladies’ and Emma Clayton (Hullabaloo, PYC) was the under 15 winner.

After general recall for the first start of Race 5 Martin Hough implemented the one minute rule. Failing wind and strong tide resulted in two previous race-winners being black-flagged at the second start. John and Phil Lokier (Don't Panic, PYC) slipped over the finish line at the first mark , ahead of Andrew Hewitt (Django, SSC), after a nerve racking search for such breaths of wind as still haunted the Camel Estuary that afternoon. Mandarin's retirement after failing to find enough wind to stem the flood tide and Bob and Margaret Clewer's 4th place in Black Pig in this last race resulted in the latter's well sailed championship win.

Overall Results: (Click here to fill in Gear Guide information)

1st Black Pig, Bob and Margaret Clewer (PYC)
2nd Mandarin, Peter and Michael Hewitt (PYC)
3rd Django, Andrew and Camilla Hewitt (SSC)
4th Eliza, Ron Lovett and Peter Sandham (PYC)
5th Instant Sunshine, David Cake and Steve Claxton (PYC)
6th Hullabaloo, Sue and Howard Clayton (PYC)
7th Alice, Colin and Chrissy Blewett (PYC)
8th Frin, Bob and Kath Davis (PYC)
9th Don’t Panic, John and Phil Lokier (PYC)
10th Debut, John and Gill Dacke (PYC)
Cadets’ Race: Tru-Grit, Alanah Honey (GSC)
Under-15s: Hullabaloo, Emma Clayton (PYC)
Ladies’ Race: Alice, Chrissy Blewett (PYC)