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Noble Marine Streaker National Championship at Grafham Water Sailing Club - Day 1

by James Dawes 8 Jul 2023 13:51 PDT 7-9 July 2023
Day 1 of the Noble Marine Streaker Nationals at Grafham Water SC © Paul Sanwell / OPP

It's day 1 of the Noble Marine Streaker National Championships and the fleet was greeted with blue skies and a good breeze at Grafham Water Sailing Club! Following the briefing and topping up of sun cream, the fleet of 51 boats headed out to the race area.

Race 1 got off without a hitch. The fleet headed up a shifty and changeable first beat for a game of snakes and ladders! We had some new faces at the front, with Ollie Groves (2111) first to round the windward mark, Arran Holman (1641) 2nd, Steve Hanby (2162) 4th and Richard Hanby (1995) 5th, with a regular face, James Dawes (1975), in between them in 3rd. Unfortunately, the wind switched off and then filled in from behind on the run, as always, and the leaders were soon gobbled up by the planing chasing pack. The leeward gate saw people having to make a decision about which side to go, especially as the whole fleet had bunched up and the mark rounding was becoming a little frenetic. Arran made the best of the run and rounded first, along with Alex Reindorp (2134) and Colin Staite (2164).

With the wind shifting around, the beat turned into to a one-tack beat with some people able to lay the windward mark from the gate mark. The wind had picked up which, along with the shifts, made the beat a little harder. The top five changed again by the windward mark and first reach, but with Arran still leading the way. The current National Champion, Martin Penty (1982), was on recovery and was storming through the fleet, chasing after some of his many Beaver sailor friends.

It came down to the last beat and run. Arran led the way with the Beaver pack of Ollie, Martin and the Hanby family chasing him down, with Alan Gillard (2171) hot on their heels. 2nd-6th places swapped around up the beat and down the run, finishing Race 1 as follows...

1st 1641 Arran Holman
2nd 2111 Ollie Groves
3rd 2162 Steve Hanby
4th 1995 Richard Hanby
5th 1982 Martin Penty
6th 2171 Alan Gillard

Race 2 did not go to plan for the poor Race Officer. The wind was shifting around even more, with the first start being postponed during the start process due to a heavy shift which made the first leg into a fetch. The second start saw people being a little keen and with too many over the line the Race Officer cancelled it. The black flag was raised during the third start sequence, but unfortunately some people still didn't behave, with Ollie, Colin and Ian Bradley (2121) sent home for an early shower after being a little over the line.

At the fourth attempt everyone got away cleanly. Martin was back on form and rounded the windward mark first with a different set of Beaver sailors chasing him; Richard Brameld (1654) in second and Jon Aldhous (2115) rounding in third. As the fleet headed down the run a large proportion went left but the wind turned off and the pressure stayed on the right, allowing those who went right to make big gains. With everyone descending on the leeward gate, decisions were made on which side to round and which way to head up the beat. Alan managed to make gains forward and was second at the top mark, playing the shifts well, along with Arran who managed to wiggle past Jon into third, ready for the reach.

Steve Blackburn (1942) was making moves forward and took three places on the reaches down to the bottom of the triangle. The last beat of the day commenced with the windward mark being moved, causing some confusion amongst the fleet, but Martin was firmly in the lead with Alan and Arran behind him. The top three places stayed the same until the finish, then the run became a bit of a lottery with big gains and losses going right through the fleet. The top six finishers of Race 2 were...

1st 1982 Martin Penty
2nd 2171 Alan Gillard
3rd 1641 Arran Holman
4th 1942 Steve Blackburn
5th 2115 Jon Aldhous
6th 1654 Richard Brameld

A good but tough day was had by all. There are some tired legs already with everyone looking forward to tomorrow's racing, with it all still to play for!

Arran Holman is currently leading overall, with Martin Penty in second and Alan Gillard in third.

Results after Day 1:

PosSail NoFleetAge CatHelmClubR1R2Pts
1st1641GoldOpenArran HolmanHollowell134
2nd1982GoldGrand MasterMartin PentyBeaver Sailing Club516
3rd2171GoldGrand MasterAlan GillardSheffield Viking Sailing Club628
4th2162GoldG Grand MasterSteve HanbyBeaver Sailing Club3710
5th2106GoldOpenIan PriestRipon SC81119
6th1995GoldOpenRichard HanbyBeaver Sailing Club41620
7th1975GoldOpenJames DawesRedditch SC12921
7th1700GoldMasterPhil PriestleyYorkshire Dales Sailing Club91221
9th2115SilverGrand MasterJon AldhousBeaver Sailing Club18523
10th2134SilverMasterAlex ReindorpWaveney & Oulton Broad Yacht Club71825
11th1942GoldMasterSteve BlackburnWLYC / L&LSC23427
12th1654SilverMasterRichard BrameldBeaver Sailing Club24630
13th2133GoldOpenTom GoodeyRNSA171330
14th2127SilverOpenAdam YorkstonWaveney & Oulton Broad Yacht Club112132
15th1692SilverGrand MasterIan GoreUp River Yacht Club25833
16th2135SilverGrand MasterMark LangstonWaveney & Oulton Broad Yacht Club102333
17th2136GoldGrand MasterNigel PepperdineStaunton Harold SC191534
18th2124GoldG Grand MasterMichael AlexanderRutland Sailing Club162036
19th1972GoldG Grand MasterVeronica FalatWaveney & Oulton Broad Yacht Club211738
20th1864SilverGrand MasterDave BorrettBeaver Sailing Club301040
21st1943SilverGrand MasterChris FosterRollesby Broad SC142741
22nd2175SilverWell Past ItBrian SmithBowmoor SC281442
23rd2170BronzeGrand MasterTim BellBeaver Sailing Club202646
24th2112SilverGrand MasterKatie MastersonSt Mary's loch sailing club222446
25th1977GoldGrand MasterNeil FirthBanbury SC321951
26th1890SilverMasterNeil ParkhurstBeaver Sailing Club312253
27th2111GoldOpenOllie GrovesBeaver Sailing Club2BFD54
28th2100SilverGrand MasterJonathan BlankleyWaveney & Oulton Broad Yacht Club292554
29th1876SilverGrand MasterPeter MatthewsWaveney & Oulton Broad Yacht Club273360
30th2164SilverMasterColin StaiteBartley SC13BFD65
31st2121GoldGrand MasterIan BradleyOuse Amateur Sailing Club15BFD67
32nd2159BronzeGrand MasterStuart BurnettBeaver Sailing Club333467
33rd2158SilverGrand MasterMartin WymanDowns SC343569
34th1696SilverGrand MasterPeter BlackmanBurghfield Sailing Club423072
35th1734BronzeYouthJack GoreUp River Yacht Club442973
36th1901SilverOpenMatthew WhitfieldTamworth SC373774
37th2165BronzeG Grand MasterSandy MillWinsford Flash SC433275
38th1900SilverG Grand MasterIan WhitfieldTamworth SC354075
39th2126BronzeGrand MasterJulia BlackmanDowns SC363975
40th1848BronzeMasterIan ParkhurstBeaver Sailing Club403676
41st1817BronzeMasterPaul Burman SmithOuse Amateur Sailing Club393877
42nd2132SilverG Grand MasterChristopher SmithIsland Barn RSC26DNF78
43rd1952BronzeGrand MasterKatrine BrownGreat Moor Sailing Club512879
44th2109SilverGrand MasterPhil HalldronDowns SC493180
45th1549BronzeGrand MasterChris KellySnettisham Beach Sailing Club384381
46th2105BronzeGrand MasterBob TowlerBeaver Sailing Club414182
47th1498BronzeG Grand MasterGeorge CormackDale YC454287
48th2160BronzeGrand MasterChris GodwinRutland Sailing Club464490
49th1870BronzeG Grand MasterPeter AngwinBowmoor SC484593
50th2104BronzeG Grand MasterWendy AlexanderRutland Sailing Club47DNF99
51st1911BronzeOpenCharmaine RylandOuse Amateur Sailing Club50DNF102
52nd2102GoldGrand MasterDuncan McdonaldNSSCDNCDNC108
52nd1974GoldYouthGiles Therkelson‑SmithBeaver Sailing ClubDNCDNC108

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