Miracle National Championship 2023 at Brixham Yacht Club - Day 2
by Hannah Metcalfe-Smith 14 Aug 2023 13:31 PDT
13-18 August 2023
Miracle Nationals at Brixham Day 2 © Brian Jones
The second day of the Miracle Nationals got off to a slow start with poor visibility postponing the start by around an hour.
Once under way, the sailors were greeted by big winds and some waves on the race course. The first points race of the series started cleanly. The fleet were closely stacked at the first mark, with Baabii'o Flowers and Thomas Semmens doing well, until they were hampered by a mechanical issue with their spinnaker.
The race leaders Jon and Jess Willars were doing well, with Graham Watts and Helen Jacks following close behind on the second lap. But the third lap saw a change of location of the windward mark, which two thirds of the fleet failed to recognise, leaving the race results rather different to the finishing order on the water.
Father and daughter duo Ian and Ella Fryett won the race, with two more father duos claiming high-placings. Ian and Lilly Brown picked up their highest Nationals result ever in 4th, and Andrew and Stephanie Clark in 6th. Despite a capsize on the first leg, Carolynn and Nick Smith came back to come on third, with Simon Reddecliffe and Mark Atherton in second.
The second race saw conditions that were much the same as in the first. Graham Watts and Helen Jacks were first to the windward mark, and lead the race to the finish, with stiff competition behind. The places behind swapped around between Carolynn and Nick Smith, Jon and Jess Willars and Ian and Ella Fryett. On the final run, Jon and Ian took each other off to the left-hand side of the course, and Carolynn and Nick stayed on the standard leg run. At the end of the run, Carolynn and Nick had to give Jon and Jess room at the mark, but were able to take their spinnaker to the line to pip them for second place.
The first Youth Race took place directly after the main Nationals racing today. Three boats took part after a hard day's racing with Lilly Brown taking the win, Thomas Sennens holding second place and Stephanie Clark finishing third.