Wayfarer Southern Championships at Shoreham Sailing Club - Preview
by Tim Townsend 14 Jun 2019 00:21 NZST
15-16 June 2019
Mike Macnamara and Simon Townsend win the Wayfarer open at Shoreham © Warwick Baker /
www.warwickpics.com
It seems highly unlikely that the famous Shoreham Redoubt will be manned this coming weekend in an attempt to rebuff invading Wayfarer sailors who will be visiting to compete in the Wayfarer Southern Championships and Event 4 of the Craftinsure National Circuit and Travellers Series 2019. On the contrary, local Wayfarers will welcome their visitors while, at the same time, hoping to rout them on their home waters.
After three events in the Travellers Series, Andrew and Tom Wilson from Datchet SC are the leaders followed closely by Brian Lamb and Sam Pygall representing Wilsonian SC/Medway YC. The winners of all three events this year will be competing at Shoreham; Michael McNamara and Simon Townsend who won the Inland Championships at the beginning of April, Brian and Sam who won the open meeting at west Oxfordshire SC and Guy Marks and Mel Titmus from Bough Beech SC who won the Eastern Championships a month ago.
The home fleet will be led by Bill Whitney and John Shelton who finished 5th at the Eastern Championships and by Peter Bennett and his crew, Philip Ayton. Other notable visiting teams will include Nigel and Belinda O'Donnell from Swarkestone SC, who lie third overall in the Travellers Series and Mike Weighill (UKWA's Most-Improved-Helm 2019) and his long suffering crew, Carl Martin, also from Swarkestone who finished as runners up at West Oxfordshire in April.
From Medway YC the fleet will be joined by Brian and Liz McKenzie who finished in sixth place and second UK crew at last year's European Championships in Denmark, and by Tim and Jacqueline Townsend who don't get out much and have no recent notable performances to their name, other than a penchant for starting at the pin end of the start line and occasionally sinking the pin! Other visiting teams from Arun YC and Castle Cove SC are expected.
I'm sorry to have to report some likely absentees; Mark and Jane Lee (golfing, I presume....poor excuse) and the class wuss-of-the-week Richard Stone (third at the light-wind Eastern Championships) who has allegedly decided that a forecast of a healthy force 4 is too windy for him, much to the disgust of his crew, Catherine Gore, who says that even if sailing is cancelled she's happy to walk the first few miles of The Monarch's Way (great attitude.....more Tigger than Eeyore). David Roberts has maintained a radio silence on his whereabouts this weekend, as has John Clementson, who presumably is still recovering from placing fifth overall at the recent Three Rivers Race on the Norfolk Broads.
The Wayfarers are sharing the event with the National 12s. If anybody wants to join us there is camping available and a chilli supper on Saturday night. More details can be found at wayfarer.org.uk/events/event/ncs-4-southerns