Day 1 – Practice Race
In total 69 Fireflys have signed in at the Royal Torbay Yacht Club for this year’s championships. 41 Fireflys ventured out for the practice race which was was won by Mark Tait and Sally Wakefield sailing in F498 Dido. The last time she was sailing here in Torbay was 60 years ago when she was being helmed by Mr W Richter representing Brazil in the 1948 Olympics. Mr Richter had a good regatta with plenty of top ten finishes. So Mark and Sally have continued where he left off, with a very impressive result in the practice race.
Torquay is already living up to is name as the English Riviera, with plenty of sunshine, a warm breeze and blue sea and today looks to be just as good with the overnight rain clearing. Hopefully, everyone’s heads will do the same, following the Commodore’s reception last night.
The event kicks off for real today with racing for the City of Plymouth Trophy. With the current champions (Steve Tylecote and Sally Wilson) not attending, the championships is wide open. Although Sally Wilson is sailing this year and as the most successfull Firefly sailor of all times, having won with numerous helms the pressure is on her helm this year Ian Sanderson.
There is also plenty of competition in the other events, especially the Under 18s and Tolly Cobbold for Clubs with 4 or more entrants.
Day 2
The weather on Sunday proved to match the conditions at the start of the 1948 Olympics with a moderate, but shifty, NW breeze. The race committee did an excellent job having to reset the course after a particularly large shift, as well as coping with Patrick Clarke and Chris Haskell who capsized just in front of the Pathfinder. They should have won the duckhams award for the day, but a rather contrived late nomination for Barney Smith captured the popular vote, so he wears the dress today.
The race was won by newly weds Paul and Laura Kameen sailing a boat they bought for £50 and recently refurbished. Mark Tait and Sally Wakefield continued their good form from the practice race coming in second and Stuart and Jane Hudson made a late charge to grab third. The pathfinder (Steve Greaves and Lucy Smith) had a good day finishing forth. The buddies prize was won by John Frary and Ed Steele with Andrew and Liz Palmer Felgate.
Today starts with the race for the converted Silver Firefly followed by the Felixstowe Ferry Trophy.
Day 3
The fleet had a superb day’s sailing. Once again the race committee did an excellent job running the two races in the shifty breeze.
The first race of the day was won by Ed Smith and Sarah Pank, who take home the Silver Firefly. Bryony Meakins and Natasha Lister had a brilliant first beat, but in attempting to grab the glory of being first around the windward mark, they hit the mark and then capsized doing their penalty. However, they didn’t come away empty handed because they won the duckhams dress at the evening award ceremony.
The second race of the day was won by Mark Tait and Sally Wakefield, who graded the lead on the last leg, overtaking Tom Malhindine and Alice Currey, who had led most of the race. They eventually finished 4th to match their performance in race 2.
Overall Paul and Laura Kameen have a slender lead over Mark and Sally, who inturn are only a few points ahead of Stuart and Jane Hudson in third. With a discard kicking in after todays race the championship remains wide open. See the Royal Torbay Yacht Club website for the results.
Day 4
Once again the fleet had a superb day’s sailing. The wind blew strongly and the race committee set perfect reaches that allowed the Fireflys to surf and plane all the way. Stuart and Jane Hudson gave the perfect demonstration of how to sail in strong breeeze leading from the off and extending their lead all the time. Further down the fleet the racing remained close, but there was a lot of swimming going on as well, with boats capsizing before, during and after the race. The last people to capsize were Richard Thompson and Roger Hudson who left it until they were entering the harbour under jib alone before doing their capsize. This spectacular piece of seamanship gave them the duckhams award for the day.
The buddies prizes was won by Ben and Jenny Vines and Tom Lonsdale and Moira Thresher, who both put in superb results in the tough conditions.
After 4 races the competition at the top of the field is very very tight. See the Royal Torbay Yacht Club’s website for the results.
Today the fleet competes for the Gore and Marlow trophies. To the relief of many of the crews today has dawned with light breezes, so their just might be time to rest aching limbs and sore heads.
A big thank you to our event sponsors Craftinsure.com who have supplied the main prizes and Musto who are sponsoring the Buddies event this year with a prize giving each night.
Day 5
The Gore and Marlow lived up to challenge they are intended to be. The wind never settled, constantly changing in speed and direction. The Race Committee were more than up to the task and moved the course around on every lap. A big shift on the 1st beat split the fleet and resulted in a lot of the front runners finding themselves in the middle of the main bunch. Peter and Dawn Langdon were clearly on step ahead of the wind and rounded the 1st mark with a big lead. 2nd around was Michael Brown and Tom Watling, who went on to finish 5th and win the Marlow Trophy. They also won the buddies prize for the day along with Matt Johnson and Emma Mckley. Peter and Dawn kept their lead until the end of the final reach when Paul and Laura Kameen overhauled them and took the Gore Trophy.
Dispite some poor results by several people in the top flight it remains very tight and all to play for in the last few races, which look as if they will be sailed in light and shifty winds.
For a summary of the results go to the Royal Torbay Yacht Club’s website.
Also check out Ben Lumby’s blog and the photos on fotoboat.com
Day 6
Thursday dawned with a gentle but shifty breeze. The race committee had been out early and let the fleet launch straight away confident that the breeeze would have settled down by the time everyone made it to the race area. To their credit the race started on time.
Race 1 was led most of the way by Roger Morris and Jemima Riley, but they were overtaken by Tom Malhindine and Alice Currey near the finish. Race 2 was almost a carbon copy of the first with Tom and Alice winning again dispite Roger and Jemima leading for a long time. These two wins by Tom and Alice have propelled them into 3rd place and with an outside chance of winning.
The duckhams was won by Luke Thompson who followed in his father’s foot steps and capsized when there was no excuse to do so, but this time he cut is leg and being a paramedic took himself off to hospital for a few stitches.
Today’s forecast is for a strong NW, which means flat water and lots of shifts. The perfect Firefly wind that will provide the best challenge to sort out the National Champion. Paul and Laura Kameen now share the lead with Mark Tait and Sally Wakefield, with Tom and Alice 5 points behind and Stuart and Jane Hudson a further point off the lead. Ben and Jenny Vines are in 5th a further 10 points behind. With 4 different boats with a real opportunity to win, it is all to play for and no boat on boat tactics can work, today’s race will be a straight 4 way drag race. However, Ben and Jenny or Roger and Jemima could still come through if they find a magical shift.
For a summary of the results go to the Royal Torbay Yacht Club’s website.
Also check out Ben Lumby’s blog and the photos on fotoboat.com.
Day 7
The wind was gentle and coming straight of the land. The Race Committee set a windward mark close to the shore, which provided a very shifty beat which gave a very exciting battle for the Championships for those not in contention.
It took two attempts to get the gate start away and as the fleet went up the first beat the three leading boats were Tom Malhindine and Alice Currey, Paul and Laura Kameen and Mark Tait and Sally Wakefield. Stuart and Jane Hudson suffered at the start and never really recovered all day. This left the leading three to battle it out and the lead changed hands several times on the first lap.
On the second beat the three split with Paul and Laura furthest right, Tom and Alice in the middle and Mark and Sally off to the left. This proved to be the deciding move, as the right hand side of the course paid off.
The biggest gainers were Nigel Wakefield and Emily Sanderson who spotted the stronger wind on the right first overtaking everyone to lead around the top mark several hundred yards ahead, a lead they never lost.
Paul and Laura went on to finish 2nd and secure the 2008 Craftinsure Firefly National Championships.
Overall Results
| Pos | Sail No | Boat Name | Helm | Crew | Club | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | R8 | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2018 | Biscuit Buffalo | Paul Kameen | Laura Kameen | West Kirby SC | 1 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 8 | 12 | 2 | 25 |
| 2 | 2594 | Tom Malhindine | Alice Currey | Ronstan | 16 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 27 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 31 | |
| 3 | 498 | Dido | Mark Tait | Sally Wakefield | Wessex Exiles | 2 | 10 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 31 |
| 4 | 3850 | Fursty Ferret | Stuart Hudson | Jane Hudson | Weston SC | 3 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 17 | 25 | 46 |
| 5 | 3119 | Horror | Roger Morris | Jemima Riley | Wessex Exiles | 5 | 17 | 3 | 11 | 14 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 48 |
| 6 | 2144 | Featherlite | Ben Vines | Jenny Vines | Imperial Poona YC | 10 | 3 | 15 | 3 | 35 | 5 | 3 | 11 | 50 |
| 7 | 3096 | Matton | Leo Dixon | Lucy Armstrong | West Kirby SC | 6 | 8 | 9 | 5 | 18 | 16 | 2 | 22 | 64 |
| 8 | 3615 | Skirmish | Jamie McEwen | Jo McEwen | Tamesis | 23 | 6 | 10 | 13 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 13 | 67 |
| 9 | 3674 | Flo | Nigel Wakefield | Emily Sanderson | 14 | 16 | 8 | 14 | 6 | 15 | 16 | 1 | 74 | |
| 10 | 3841 | Genesis | Ian Sanderson | Sally Wilson | Royal Lymington YC | 7 | 15 | 25 | 16 | 20 | 6 | 4 | 9 | 77 |
| 11 | 2649 | Mustard | Alex Davey | Annie Goss | Royal Harwich YC | 11 | 12 | 23 | 7 | 21 | 14 | 11 | 4 | 80 |
| 12 | 1954 | Pogie | Ed Smith | Sarah Pank | Imperial Poona YC | 28 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 32 | 20 | 22 | 10 | 95 |
| 13 | 3133 | Fourwood Thinking | Barney Smith | Alannah Witherby | Hamble River SC | 21 | 11 | 16 | 28 | 39 | 13 | 14.5 | 5 | 108.5 |
| 14 | 3414 | Minke | Andrew Palmer-Felgate | Elizabeth Palmer-Felgate | Burghfield SC | 8 | 2 | 13 | 21 | 19 | 35 | 14 | 33 | 110 |
| 15 | 3612 | Red Baron | Matt Johnson | Emma Mackley | Grafham Water | 15 | 19 | 24 | 8 | 9 | 22 | 43 | 14 | 111 |
| 16 | 2797 | Vindaloo | Phil Slater | Jillian Slater | Restronguet SC | 13 | 21 | 29 | 10 | 25 | 2 | 19 | 24 | 114 |
| 17 | 3945 | Bath Uni | Sam Littlejohn | Emma Hayward | Lancing SC & Bath Uni SC | 9 | 22 | 6 | 15 | 16 | 32 | 26 | 20 | 114 |
| 18 | 1867 | Cumulus | Steven Greaves | Lucy Smith | Rickmansworth SC | 4 | 24 | 21 | 19 | 3 | 18 | 28 | 70 | 117 |
| 19 | 3608 | Mojo | Mathew Shepherd | Sophie Shepherd | West Kirby SC | 19 | 14 | 27 | 26 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 29 | 123 |
| 20 | 3607 | Pimms O’Clock | Tom Hebbert | Joanne Bailey | West Kirby SC | 12 | 23 | 19 | 18 | 41 | 21 | 18 | 12 | 123 |
| 21 | 2659 | Kong | Ben Lumby | Liz Evans | Restronguet SC | 31 | 9 | 17 | 25 | 31 | 25 | 7 | 15 | 129 |
| 22 | 2539 | Dillon | Guy Davison | Izzy Bretherton | Llangorse SC | 36 | 13 | 11 | 70 | 28 | 10 | 9 | 26 | 133 |
| 23 | 2018X | Atomic | Lizzie Edwards | Ruth Verrier-Jones | Hamble River SC | 18 | 28 | 22 | 23 | 34 | 12 | 20 | 17 | 140 |
| 24 | 3895 | Inanda | Tony Thresher | Mike Radford | West Oxfordshire SC | 30 | 25 | 12 | 20 | 11 | 23 | 21.5 | 34 | 142.5 |
| 25 | 3690 | Mutsy | Rosie Davey | Giles Bradford | Royal Harwich YC | 33 | 27 | 28 | 22 | 10 | 17 | 10 | 30 | 144 |
| 26 | 3550 | Water Spider | David Sincock | Betty Wheeler | Restronguet SC | 32 | 18 | 20 | 12 | 24 | 27 | 23 | 23 | 147 |
| 27 | 3683 | Agwe | Will Shepherd | Emma Lombard | West Kirby SC | 43 | 35 | 37 | 17 | 29 | 34 | 21 | 18 | 191 |
| 28 | 3787 | Jonathan Frary | Ed Steele | Univerity of Plymouth | 26 | 29 | 33 | 31 | 15 | 29 | 32 | 32 | 194 | |
| 29 | 626 | Mensonge | Christian Guy | Jonquil Brooks | Castaways | 20 | 44 | 31 | 27 | 26 | 28 | 25 | 70 | 201 |
| 30 | 2502 | Cyclone | Peter Langdon | Dawn Langdon | Restronguet SC | 22 | 70 | 26 | 70 | 2 | 39 | 27 | 16 | 202 |
| 31 | 3456 | The Brown Rouse | Michael Brown | Tom Watling | Royal Dart YC | 27 | 46 | 32 | 42 | 5 | 24 | 36 | 36 | 202 |
| 32 | 2282 | Border Riever | Will Mason | Anna Kennerdy | Tamesis | 70 | 32 | 18 | 33 | 22 | 26 | 33 | 57 | 221 |
| 33 | 3967 | Tom Lonsdale | Moira Thresher | West Oxfordshire SC | 49 | 36 | 41 | 38 | 17 | 38 | 35 | 39 | 244 | |
| 34 | 3029 | Lipizzaner | Sophia Hulbert | Alan Hulbert | Restronguet SC | 24 | 31 | 38 | 35 | 37 | 48 | 42 | 37 | 244 |
| 35 | 3879 | Elmos Fire | Amy Bowden | Amy Morris | Royal Harwich YC | 29 | 47 | 56 | 70 | 12 | 19 | 15 | 70 | 248 |
| 36 | 3875 | Go | Jamie Bland | Roderick Bland | Restronguet SC | 50 | 34 | 14 | 34 | 42 | 42 | 51 | 35 | 251 |
| 37 | 3671 | Purple Doris | Marian Armstrong | Adam Whittle | West Kirby SC | 44 | 33 | 51 | 36 | 23 | 52 | 41 | 27 | 255 |
| 38 | 3739 | Willow | Lucy Boreham | Rachel Crebbin | Hamble River SC | 40 | 40 | 42 | 43 | 36 | 40 | 29 | 28 | 255 |
| 39 | 3946 | Bath Uni | Dicken Maclean | Kate Allen | Hayling Island SC & Bath Uni SC | 51 | 30 | 45 | 30 | 33 | 36 | 31 | 70 | 256 |
| 40 | 3072 | Squeaky | Damian Boreham | Josie Palmer | Wessex Exiles | 25 | 52 | 48 | 37 | 46 | 43 | 39 | 21 | 259 |
| 41 | 3616 | Top Dolly | Jonathan Bickford | Georgie Sutcliffe | Upper Thames | 45 | 20 | 35 | 39 | 38 | 50 | 38 | 47 | 262 |
| 42 | 2065 | Tiffany | Luke Thompson | Kate Merrett | Bowdsey YC | 37 | 55 | 30 | 29 | 48 | 33 | 70 | 38 | 270 |
| 43 | 3023 | Bryony Meakins | Natasha Lister | Durham University SC | 41 | 37 | 36 | 32 | 49 | 47 | 60 | 31 | 273 | |
| 44 | 3415 | Lurcher | Chris Johnson | Tim Mackley | Great Moor | 34 | 26 | 49 | 70 | 51 | 37 | 40 | 48 | 285 |
| 45 | 3030 | Paddington Bear | Alistair Currey | Miss Louisa Currey | 39 | 51 | 34 | 70 | 30 | 44 | 45 | 43 | 286 | |
| 46 | 3924 | The Sith | Liam Gardner | Jim Bramley | West Kirby SC | 17 | 39 | 54 | 70 | 61 | 60 | 54 | 7 | 292 |
| 47 | 3610 | Bonkers | Richard Thompson | Roger Hudson | Ely SC | 42 | 43 | 50 | 24 | 70 | 49 | 44 | 45 | 297 |
| 48 | 3966 | Frank the Tank | Ali Barker | Natalie Crolla | Chipstead SC | 35 | 60 | 57 | 41 | 70 | 45 | 30 | 42 | 310 |
| 49 | 1053 | API API | Dan Vincent | Ella Vincent | Stokes | 38 | 45 | 70 | 70 | 40 | 31 | 70 | 19 | 313 |
| 50 | 2550 | Frolic | Hermione Turner | Jo Mason | Itchenor SC | 48 | 50 | 47 | 46 | 45 | 55 | 53 | 41 | 330 |
| 51 | 3626 | FTSE | Simon Cowdell | Tommy Lee | Castaways | 55 | 56 | 53 | 53 | 56 | 30 | 34 | 50 | 331 |
| 52 | 3098 | Ratbag | Mike Clayton | Martine Clayton | Royal Harwich YC | 47 | 53 | 43 | 40 | 70 | 57 | 49 | 54 | 343 |
| 53 | 3957 | Maccatoo | Melanie McGregor | Ben Treloar | West Oxfordshire SC | 46 | 49 | 40 | 52 | 44 | 56 | 58 | 59 | 345 |
| 54 | 3959 | Ross Lonsdale | Jack Lonsdale | West Oxfordshire SC | 57 | 48 | 39 | 51 | 50 | 62 | 57 | 52 | 354 | |
| 55 | 3033 | Trinket | James Clayton | Charlotte Wrtight | Royal Harwich YC | 52 | 38 | 59 | 49 | 54 | 51 | 55 | 56 | 355 |
| 56 | 1701 | Ikona Malee | Patrick Clarke | Chris Haskell | REYC & RSC | 70 | 41 | 44 | 70 | 57 | 46 | 50 | 49 | 357 |
| 57 | 614 | Flyswat | Charles Shawcroft | Annie Shawcroft | Hamble River SC | 56 | 54 | 46 | 70 | 52 | 53 | 46 | 55 | 362 |
| 58 | 3749 | Wild Thyme | Fiona Jones | Vicky Weston | Hamble River SC | 60 | 57 | 63 | 47 | 43 | 59 | 56 | 51 | 373 |
| 59 | 8144 | Thelma | Ruth Romer | Jenny Leon | 53 | 58 | 58 | 44 | 53 | 61 | 52 | 58 | 376 | |
| 60 | 1811 | Tit Willow | Peter Slimming | Elaine Jones | Hamble River SC | 70 | 59 | 70 | 70 | 47 | 41 | 47 | 46 | 380 |
| 61 | 1 | Alasdair Alston | Poppy Jukes | Sheffield University SC | 54 | 42 | 52 | 70 | 70 | 66 | 70 | 53 | 407 | |
| 62 | 2672 | Rebel | James Fryatt | Sammy Burns | Hamble River SC | 70 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 55 | 54 | 48 | 44 | 411 |
| 63 | 3694 | Ian | Tom Shawcroft | Jonny Halliday | Hamble River SC | 59 | 64 | 62 | 45 | 60 | 68 | 61 | 60 | 411 |
| 64 | 3 | Bram Appleton | Laura White | Sheffield University SC | 58 | 63 | 61 | 48 | 58 | 64 | 70 | 70 | 422 | |
| 65 | 3692 | Eric | Tom Burns | James Shawcroft | Hamble River SC | 61 | 61 | 60 | 50 | 70 | 67 | 62 | 63 | 424 |
| 66 | 5 | Louise Wootton | Naomi Tayler | Sheffield University SC | 62 | 62 | 55 | 70 | 59 | 65 | 70 | 61 | 434 | |
| 67 | 8 | Fate | Guy English | Maxine Cumberland | Restronguet SC | 70 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 58 | 59 | 40 | 437 |
| 68 | 811 | Blue Caine | Lewis Vigor | Phillip Thompson | Hamble River SC | 63 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 63 | 70 | 62 | 468 |
| 69 | TBA3 | Matt Findlay | West Kirby SC | 70 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 490 |