Flying Fifteen Southern Championship at Parkstone Yacht Club

Wall-to-wall sunshine for the Flying 15 Southerns at Parkstone © David Harding / www.sailingscenes.co.uk

Wall-to-wall sunshine for the Flying 15 Southerns at Parkstone © David Harding / www.sailingscenes.co.uk

The Flying Fifteen Southern Championship was hosted by Parkstone Yacht Club over the bank holiday weekend, 23 and 24 May. The event attracted 39 entries from all parts of the country. The entry list included thirteen Parkstone boats as well as many regular travellers but it was particularly encouraging to see a number of new faces who proved to be very competitive in what is a very strong class.

The Class association, BIFFA, and Parkstone Yacht Club had organised a training day on the Friday with professional coaching by Mike Hart who is an RYA coach and former Flying Fifteen World and National Champion. Conditions in Poole Harbour were perfect with sunshine and a stiff breeze.

The forecast for Saturday and Sunday was less favourable, with winds of five knots or less. It was clear on Saturday that the forecast had been accurate. The day started fairly overcast with a very light easterly wind. PRO Bryan Drake set up the course in Poole Bay but, with the wind remaining light and fickle, it was some time before he could attempt the first start.

Two starts had to be abandoned as the wind was not sufficient for the boats to get away cleanly against a west going tide. After a long postponement, a weak sea breeze came in from the south to get the fleet away for what was to prove the only race which was possible that day. There were significant shifts up the beat and it was relative newcomers to the Class, Andy Clark and Nadia Melnikova, from Datchet SC, who played these correctly up the middle of the course who were first round the windward mark. They were closely followed by other newcomers to the Class, locals Pete and Jo Allam, who had chosen the right hand side of the beat. They gybed on to port early on the next leg of the windward – leeward course and this proved decisive. They took the lead and held on to it take the race, followed by David and Sally McKee, with Peter Slater and Adrian Simpson crossing the line third.

Sunday dawned with clear skies and bright sunshine. A light sea breeze arrived from south west just before midday and quickly stabilised. The decision was made to race in Poole Harbour as this offered a huge expanse of flat water but with less tide than in Poole Bay. The second race of the series was quickly under way in just over five knots of wind. The shifts up the beats of the windward – leeward course were all important and the Allams were in the lead at the first mark, followed by another local boat, Martin Lewis and Mike Riley who went on to take the lead by the second round and win the race. Charles Apthorp and Alan Green, who had been in close contention all the way round, crossed the line second.

The breeze had built a little more for the next race. By this time, the left hand side of the beat had begun to pay. Another newcomer to the Class and Parkstone boat, Jon Gorringe and Roger O’Gorman, led at the end of the first beat, followed by fellow newcomer Sam Nettam and Martin Gray of Hayling Island SC. Nettam and Gray took the lead by the next round and held it to cross the line first, followed by Gorringe and O’Gorman and then Henry Craven-Smith and James Grant in third place.

Race 4 was started in a good twelve knots plus breeze and in bright sunshine still. The left hand side of the beat was now the only way to go and the fleet powered off with some real hiking out. Mike Hart and RIcky Riggs took the lead, not to relinquish it. This race saw a little more of the old order re-established with long-time Class members at the front of the fleet. Newcomer Nettam, however, was amongst them to come second with Alan Bax and Bill Masterman third.

The racing throughout had been close and only one point separated the overall winners, Nettam and Grady, from the runners up, David and Sally McKee.

Clark and Melnikova were first overall in the Silver Fleet. Guy Kippen and Emily McKee, Dovestone Sailing Club took the Classic Fleet trophy and Gorringe and O’Gorman took the trophy for the first Parkstone boat.

A good day’s sailing on Sunday compensated for the frustrations of the Saturday caused by lack of wind and the event was marked by an influx of new names to stir up the established order.

Overall Results: