Phantom class in the Gorleston Beach Regatta 2024 at Great Yarmouth & Gorleston Sailing Club

Great Yarmouth & Gorleston SC 75th Anniversary Beach Regatta © GYGSC

Great Yarmouth & Gorleston SC's Phantom open meeting, the most easterly event on the national class programme, just about made 'quorum', which for a clash of events with Shoreham nevertheless meant some high-teens turnout between the two.

This Open was run as part of the mid-summer Gorleston Beach Regatta over 22/23-June, now probably in its 75th year; there was a sizeable parallel fleet of Vareos as well as a good crowd of Solutions.

Three races were scheduled each day, and the fleet set off on Saturday in a brisk southerly Force-4; Nick Favell (1384) proved very fast to windward (after a mid-week tweaking visit to JJ-Boats!) and because wind & tide paralleled, this made the beats disproportionately long against runs conversely quite short. The tactic was to head inshore to cheat current, then gauge how far 'apparently' to overstand Mark 1... in order to just about lay it on the tack out to sea into increasing northerly current.

Ben Falat (1266) chased, but Nick simply increased his distance whole race; third Warren Martin (1433), fourth Philip Harlow (1185).

Ben had some issue at start of Race 2 and got away late, unable to catch-up and the finish order was Nick, Warren, Ben.

Middle of Race 3 the wind briefly faded as black clouds arrived with a deluge of rain. The day ended in Nick holding three extremely convincing 'Golds' and looking untouchable.

Sunday's wind proved considerably lighter, but still a very sailable ESE Force-2/3 and plenty of pre-race splosh of suntan-lotion needed. Race 4 and Ben laid down his intentions to Nick with his first bullet; this perhaps tactically trickiest race called for careful thought over the last of the flood, with inshore turn of current occurring before offshore.

Warren led Race 5 at Mark 1 with Ben in very close pursuit and Nick languishing; due to the current-shear across the course the downwind leg became one-sided and Ben spotting this first, gybed earliest, overtook and pulled clear of Warren, therewith securing a serious challenge to Nick's previous clean sweep.

Sure enough the event ended with equal 1,1,1,2,3,2 to Nick and 2,3,2,1,1,1 to Ben, with Ben winning on double-countback by beating Nick in their last race.

Cracking champagne-sailing, excellent Norfolk catering at the club and wholly congenial atmosphere, Gorleston Beach now boasts a massive sandy beach and is a families' summertime honeypot; the local Beach-Guard team worked closely with the club to manage the crowds of swimmers who might possess potential death wish should they get in the way of launching or recovering dinghies as they bucked-'n-broncoed through onshore breaking waves; all passed in happy controlled manner without further incident.

Next Eastern Phantom event is at Royal Harwich YC over 6/7 July. To celebrate the club's 75th anniversary there is a very special offer for the 2024 season to new members... 1st year membership £75 with no joining fees.

Overall Results, counting towards the Eastern Series:

Great Yarmouth & Gorleston SC 75th Anniversary Beach Regatta - photo © GYGSC