Flying Fifteen Worlds at Hayling Island Sailing Club Overall
by Gerald New 28 Jul 2011 00:47 PDT
17-20 & 22-28 July 2011
The Flying 15 worlds fleet completed one race on Wednesday which was won by Graham Vials and Chris Turner. Second were Ian Cleaver and Steve Milne, third Brett Dingwall and Jonathan Clark.
The Derwent Water pair continued their low scoring path to the Flying 15 World title despite the light, fickle wind out in Hayling Bay Wednesday. The fleet launched early and then spent over four hours waiting for the wind to settle for any reasonable amount of time. It wasn't until around 13:00 hrs that it rose above 5 knots.
The 60 boats of the gold fleet eventually got away in a northerly of 6 to 7 knots. Series leaders, Vials and Turner had an average start and worked the shifts, while keeping a watch on nearest rivals, Mike and Gemma McIntyre. At the top mark Nigel and Gavin Tullett led from Matt Owen and Andrew Reed with Vials and Turner rounding third.
The wind had gone left and made a tight reach and then a broad run. The second beat was a long starboard tack with the tide and at the spreader marks, Vials and Turner took the right hand and Ian Cleaver and Steve Milne the left. From here Vials and Turner took the lead and eventually a comfortable win. Clever and Milne were second and Dingwall and Clark third.
Graham described the conditions, "just like Lake sailing", which might explain the five inland-water based boats in the top seven today. Not quite how some would describe the difficult conditions they have experienced for most of the two weeks of the championships. The normal sea-breeze dominated sailing in Hayling Bay has been conspicuous by its absence. And conditions show little sign of improving for the final day.
At the suggestion that they might have found things very different in a stronger breeze, being a lightweight crew, Graham pointed out that they were using a different rig to the norm for the class. A softer Alto mast and a mainsail with more luff curve in the head which he felt helped them stay with the heavier crews. Their Ovington hull is a standard Mk 10 with an extra layer of carbon.
An early start has been posted again for Thursday, with the hope of completing the two final races, but for Vials and Turner it looks to be little more than a formality. Staying close to Mike and Gemma McIntyre will be their priority, but they are sailing so well this week they will have to try very hard to miss the top podium spot.
The Classic/Silver fleet completed two races today. First Classic race won by Bobby Salmond and Robert Till GBR627. Second race by David Morgan and Lorena Walden GBR2663. Overall Salmond and Till lead from Morgan and Walden. In the Silver fleet, Hachez Veronique and Pitou Vanderpoel BEL2818 won the first race, Mike Pelegrin and Erwan Gouriou FRA3164 the second race. Malcolm and Alex Hall lead the Silver overall.
Gold fleet top 10
1st GBR 3972 Graham VIALS / Chris TURNER
2nd GBR 3928 Mike MCINTYRE / Gemma MCINTYRE
3rd GBR 3902 Andy MCKEE / Richard JONES
4th GBR 3922 Jeremy DAVY / Simon CHILDS
5th GBR 3920 Greg WELLS / Mark DARLING
6th GBR 3911 Russell PETERS / Tim HALL
7th AUS 3933 Grant ALDERSON / Dean MCAULLAY
8th GBR 3941 Alan BAX / Bill MASTERMAN
9th GBR 3821 Steve GOACHER / Phil EVANS
10th AUS 3781 David TUCKER / Matt SUMMERS
View results for each fleet on the HISC website.