P&B and Zhik Fireball National Championships 2025 at Looe Sailing Club - Day 1

Thirty-six boats entered and were ready to go. Back in Looe, we were greeted by an extremely welcoming shore team and an intimate dinghy park. Fuelled by the biggest Cornish pasty ever baked, we reached down to the starting area with strong wind settings, which we immediately changed upon arrival. I guess some of the new boats did it while they were reaching.

Anyway, the wind wasn't what we anticipated, and after one general recall, the fleet got away up the long beat back towards the town. Local knowledge was important at this stage, and we had none. If it's blowing a westerly, hit the shore and keep going, which is exactly what Tom Gillard & Andy Thompson did, promptly rounding the windward mark with a tidy lead.

No surprise as to who the next boat was chasing them: DJ Edwards and the smooth operator Vyv Towned, immediately setting up another epic battle for the championship. In third was Duncan Gregor & Jasmine Williams in one of the two classic boats, showing that 25-year-old boats still cut it.

It was a relatively short race, just two laps, and on the last run, DJ & Vyv managed to work low and inside Tom & Andy to lead them along the short leg to the finish, opening their account with a win. Vince Horey & Rob Gardner worked up to third.

Race 2: I t had to be said, the race committee was really on it, with barely any time to drink my isotonic sports drink between races. It would have been even quicker, I'm told, if Paul Cullen & Simon Forbes had behaved themselves as pathfinders.

Anyway, no messing around from the fleet, another clean start, and we decided to get out early and see if we could pick up something to get us over to the right side of the course.

There wasn't a lot of movement, and at the windward mark, the leading pack was made up of early and late starters. Pathfinder Paul rounded in first, followed by Georgia Booth and Oli Davenport. The fleet split down the run, with some, including Tom & Andy, staying on starboard.

With a bit more breeze and better wave opportunities, they saw themselves in the lead by the bottom mark, with DJ and Vyv dropping to about eighth with some work to do. The second beat saw some real pressure across the course, and the beautifully laid triangle was a real test on starboard and port.

In the end, Tom & Andy hung on for a comfortable win, with Georgia & Oli bagging second and DJ & Vyv third.

So, a fun first day. It all feels very tight, with quality right through the fleet, and minor mistakes proving very costly. More breeze is forecast for day 2, so an early night for everyone... yeah, okay.

Results after Day 1: