Swordfish Nationals at the Royal Yorkshire Yacht Club

The Royal Yorkshire Yacht Club hosted the Swordfish National Championships over the August Bank Holiday Weekend. The Championships were contested in a seven race series over the three days 24th – 26th August.

Saturday dawned bright and sunny with light breezes. The fleet was soon on the water and the OOD set a true triangular course which was used for the first two races. In race one 207 Alan and James Padgett were soon battling for the lead with 202 Ted Farrance and Julie Tree with the final beat sorting out all the battles as 207 won followed by 169 Mike Wallace and Claire Green.

In race 2, 207 established a big lead which they held to the finish line. 140 Phil and Jackie Thompson, and 211 Steve Sharp and Olvido Vea-Murguia, had a spinnaker battle with 169. 169 just took second place with 140 third.

Sunday was a very different day! A force 6 gusting 7 caused the OOD to postpone the 11.00 start to 2.00 when the wind had moderated to a mere 5 with occasional stronger gusts. Three races were sailed back to back using a sausage triangle course.

The third race saw 207 once again in the lead this time hotly pursued by 155 Andy Gilding and Brian Ruston and although 140 did pass 155 by the finish line 155 was back in second place.

With a good start 155 soon established a big lead in race four with 207 and 140 doing the chasing. Some very daring spinnaker work saw the gap dwindling until on the final leg 140 crossed 155’s transom and bore off to the finish line to snatch the race.

A diminished fleet started race 5 with 155 again leading from the start, a lead they did not relinquish. This time 146 Roy Green and Derek Tree were in pursuit and held on for a very creditable second place. 211 took third place and with it Olvido took the ladies trophy.

Monday was just as windy as Sunday but now there were also big seas to contend with. After a discussion with the race officers abandonment was considered but soon the fleet full of derring-do changed their minds and off they went! Every able bodied sailor set off with Helen Beecham replacing the injured Claire Green in 169. For some the conditions proved too much and after a brief inspection of the start area they bid a hasty retreat to the safety of the beach. Capsizes were plentiful and 169’s boom snapped gybing at the wing mark. After one lap the OOD very wisely finished the race and abandoned racing. 140 won that race, capsizing just after the finish line. 155 was second with 207 third and 211 fourth.

With three 1st places Alan and James Padgett in 207 emerged as the worthy National Champions for 2002. The fleet wishes to extend its grateful thanks to all at Royal Yorkshire for organising a great championship.

Overall Results: