Original Cottages B14 Europeans and Nationals 2022 at Whitstable Yacht Club - Day 3
by Nick Craig 4 Sep 2022 05:32 NZST
1-4 September 2022
Day 3 dawned with light winds to the pleasure of much of the fleet. However, the breeze started developing big holes so the race team sensibly postponed a couple of hours and the fleet launched into a steady 10 knots. As we approached the race area, a thermal breeze killed the gradient so we bobbed around for 10 minutes.
As the day warmed it was looking like a breezeless stalemate between the gradient and thermal but thankfully the forecast of increasing gradient held true and we were treated to three races starting in 8 knots building to 15 by the last run of the last race.
Nick Craig & Tobytastic found the B14 go button to win all three races and open up the event but were pushed very hard by Mark Watts & MJ in the last two races. There was only a boatlength between the two at both last windward marks after many close tactical calls, gains and losses in the somewhat patchy breeze.
The opening race was a joy for the lighter weights who could plane the B14 both upwind and downwind in just 8 knots with Russ Gibbs & Lucy Loughton having their best race with a third.
B14 legends Mike Bees & Ferret put in a solid day with a 5,3,3 to open a nice gap behind for third on the podium. Josh Wilce & Matt Hollis got faster as the day went on to score 9,5,5. One of the pre-event favourites Mark Barnes & Kathy Sherratt went fast, but a swim paid to one good result but closed out the day with a 4th.
The podium now decided, unless they get it spectacularly wrong, with the next four places up for grabs.
Tony Blackmore & Charlie Hadley were also fast in the slightly lighter conditions to score a sixth in the opening race and move into the top ten.
Whitstable are laying on an excellent event with the fleet enjoying beers on the balcony followed by a BBQ shortly. At the AGM, planning is well under way for a potential Worlds in Garda next year, or Euros in France, which should attract several countries for more high quality skiff sailing.
Results after day 3:
| Pos | Sail No | Helm | Crew | Club | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | R8 | R9 | Nt Pts |
|---|
| 1 | 797 | Mark Watts | Matt Johnson | Weston Sailing Club | 1 | 1 | ‑2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ‑2 | 2 | 2 | 9 |
| 2 | 796 | Nick Craig | Toby Lewis | Burghfield/Frensham | ‑2 | 2 | 1 | ‑5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10 |
| 3 | 771 | Mike Bees | Martin Worth | Brightlingsea Sailing Club | ‑6 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 3 | ‑7 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 26 |
| 4 | 791 | Josh Wilce | Matt Hollis | Rutland Sailing Club | 4 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 5 | ‑12 | ‑9 | 5 | 5 | 32 |
| 5 | 774 | David Hayes | Pete Nicholson | LTSC | 3 | 5 | (DNC) | 4 | 6 | 4 | ‑10 | 6 | 6 | 34 |
| 6 | 799 | Mark Barnes | Kathy Sherratt | Whitstable Yacht Club | 5 | (RET) | 4 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 7 | ‑12 | 4 | 41 |
| 7 | 785 | Peter Knight | Giles Gilbert | Restronguet SC | (DNC) | (DNC) | DNC | 2 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 50 |
| 8 | 789 | Crispin Taylor | Gi Harrill | Starcross Yacht Club | 7 | 6 | (DNC) | 8 | 8 | 6 | 4 | (OCS) | 14 | 53 |
| 9 | 762 | Russ Gibbs | Lucy Loughton | Starcross Yacht Club | 8 | (DNC) | (DNC) | 6 | 12 | 10 | 3 | 8 | 8 | 55 |
| 10 | 764 | Tony Blackmore | Charlie Hadley | Starcross Yacht Club | 9 | (RET) | (DNC) | 10 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 58 |
| 11 | 787 | Paul Roberts | Will Rand | LTSC | (DNC) | (DNC) | DNC | 11 | 10 | 9 | 13 | 10 | 11 | 81 |
| 12 | 795 | Amir Shamsuddin | Nick Pye | King George Sailing Club | (DNC) | (DNC) | DNC | 14 | 11 | 11 | 14 | 15 | 10 | 92 |
| 13 | 757 | Rory Moppett | Ali Moppett | Bough Beech Sailing Club | 10 | (DNC) | (DNC) | 12 | 13 | DNC | 15 | 14 | 12 | 93 |
| 14 | 770 | Simon Hadley | Nikki Hadley | Whitstable Yacht Club | (DNF) | (DNC) | DNC | 15 | RET | DNC | 11 | 4 | 16 | 97 |
| 15 | 766 | Barry Price | Guy Ranyes | Netley SC | 11 | (DNC) | (DNC) | 13 | RET | DNC | 16 | 13 | 13 | 100 |
| 16 | 786 | Geraldine Brown | Leaky Fermor | The Re‑mote | (DNC) | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | DNC | DNC | 12 | 11 | 15 | 106 |