Fireball open meeting at Blackwater Sailing Club
by Dave Hall 16 Jul 11:03 BST
12-13 July 2025
The Blackwater estuary provided a welcome relief from the hot and sticky inland towns. The Fireball teams were greeted with sunshine and a brisk easterly breeze. It took its time to settle down so as the race team got the fleet away for the first race on time there were some big shift and lulls.
Dave and Paul got away up the first beat and lead around the triangle, however the second beat gave the fleet some snakes and ladders. Graham and Will took advantage of the ladders and took the lead which they held to the finish.
The wind had built and settled down for race 2 and there was only one way to go to beat the tide. Dave and Paul took the lead and made no mistakes this time extending their lead to the finish. Kev and Andy followed with Graham and Will in third.
With the wind building and a slack tide it was full on blasting. Dave and Paul once again took the lead and never looked back. Derian and Andy had a good race in the breeze to take a third place.
The evening was spent outside the club enjoying the sunshine with a superb BBQ provide by fleet captain Charlie and Kate Stewart.
Two races were scheduled for Sunday, but the water looked very different from Saturday - a flat calm, but with wind forecast.
After a short delay the fleet launched with the promise of wind. Finally some wind and race one got away in the gentle breeze. However, half way up the beat a new wind filled in from the left leaving half the fleet becalmed and our fleet captain Charlie and Sue first around the mark. A big call came from the committee boat - abandoned.
With the re-start it was Maria and Graham who lead to the first mark but were caught down the second reach by Derian and Andy, and despite everyone snapping at their heels they held on to the finish. There was much place changing behind with the tide, wind bends and weed playing a significant part.
For the final race the tide had changed and the race team were under pressure to get another race away. What a surprise - the fleet were swept over the line and a general recall was required.
With the fleet being a little more cautious the final race got away. Graham and Will took the lead but had Mark and Luca close behind and the rest of the fleet as the opposing current bunched everyone up. Both teams held their nerve to finish first and second.
Dave and Paul had done enough in each race to give them overall victory.
A big thanks to the club and helpers both on the water and the shore - a good weekend was had by all.
Overall Results:
| Pos | Sail No | Helm | Crew | Club | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | Pts |
|---|
| 1st | 15172 | Dave Hall | Paul Constable | Blackwater Sailing Club | 2 | 1 | 1 | ‑4 | 3 | 7 |
| 2nd | 15091 | Graham Cook | William Cook | Lyme Regis Sailing Club | 1 | 3 | 4 | ‑8 | 1 | 9 |
| 3rd | 15133 | Kevin Hope | Andy Stewart | Notts County | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | ‑4 | 9 |
| 4th | 14941 | Derian Scott | Andy Scott | Chew Valley Sailing Club | 5 | 5 | 3 | 1 | (DNF) | 14 |
| 5th | 15066 | Mark Maskell | Luca Batley | Blackwater Sailing Club | ‑7 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 19 |
| 6th | 14905 | Charlie Stewart | Sue Gibson | Blackwater Sailing Club | 4 | ‑7 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 19 |
| 7th | 15041 | Maria Richards | Graham Hoy | Blackwater Sailing Club | 6 | 4 | 5 | ‑7 | 7 | 22 |
| 8th | 14851 | Mark Jarred | David Nichols | Blackwater Sailing Club | 8 | (DNS) | 8 | 6 | 6 | 28 |
| 9th | 14948 | Richard Thomas | Bethany Johnson | Blackwater Sailing Club | 9 | 8 | (DNF) | 9 | 8 | 34 |