Fireball Eastern Championship at Brightlingsea Sailing Club

2017 Brightlingsea Fireball Open © UKFA

The Fireball fleet arrived at Brightlingsea on the 3rd/4th June for the Eastern Championship. Bright sunshine and 15 knots of wind greeted them.

The first race got away first time and it was Elaine and Warren Tudor who led round the windward mark from Vince Horey and Robert Gardiner. These two boats pulled clear of the fleet and battled it out on the reaches. Horey managed to pass the Tudors on the next beat and pulled away to win the race with the Tudors finished second with Peter and Tom Kyne in third.

Race 2 started after a quick turnaround from the race committee and it was Dave Winder and Ben Rayner who led around the top mark, with a big bunch behind them who decided to go high and fight it out, leaving Winder clear to sail away and win the race from Kevin Hope and Russell Thorne with the Kynes again in third.

Sunday morning dawned with bright sunshine again and a bit more breeze that built during the day.

Mark Maskell and Nigel Shepard led around the windward mark but were passed down the reaches by Vince Horey and Robert Gardiner who extended to take the win. Kevin Hope/Russell Thorne had a battle with the Kynes all the way round. Hope ended up on top at the finish with the Kynes getting their favourite 3rd position again.

Vince Horey and Robert Gardiner win the Brightlingsea Fireball Open - photo © UKFA

Race 4 and the boats that went left came to the windward mark first. The Tudors again led followed by Winder, Hope, Kyne and Alan Carter / Dave Pannell. Down the reaches the places changed all the time due to boats taking different routes in the wind and tide. At the leeward mark Horey led from the Kynes with the bunch just behind. The fleet stayed together and it was Hope who slipped into the lead on the last run to win from Kyne and Winder.

Going into the last race it was all to play for with winner takes all between Horey, Hope and Kyne. The breeze had now got up to 20 knots and it was Horey who lead at the first mark and with no boat or navigation errors in this race went on to win their 3rd race and the meeting. The Kynes recorded another 2nd with the Hopes 3rd being enough for 2nd overall on count back ahead of the consistent Kynes.

Brightlingsea Sailing Club put on a really well run event where the wind and sun made it a great weekend's sailing.

Overall Results: