GJW Direct 2013 Firefly Nationals at Royal Torbay Yacht Club Day 7
The final day of the 2013 firefly nationals was all set to be the closest finish to the championships for many years with the top three boats all on the same points going into the last race of the competition. Conditions were pretty much spot on for the final showdown with a good steady force 3-4 from the South West. 2009 National Champion Nigel Wakefield was the gate boat sailing with Emily Saunderson in Flo. The three tied overall leaders all went out early which didn’t work out too well as yet again the right hand side of the first beat turned out to be favoured. Race 5 winners Barney Smith and Alannah Hebbert led around the top mark closely followed by Ben Lumby and Liz Evans. Lumby and Evans overtook Smith and Hebbert on the first reach and didn’t look back stretching out a big lead to win the last race, as they did the previous year.
Alex Davey and Jamie Crossan sailing in Mustard pulled through to take 2nd with Andy Cornah and Kate Fairclough in Desperado finishing 3rd to cement their 4th place overall.
The real battle though was for who would be National Champions and as the three contenders came onto the final beat there wasn’t much between them. Jono and Sarah Pank had been the front of the three all the way round and managed to hold on the finish 4th in the race and claim the overall victory. Close behind were Ben and Jenny Vines who over took Stuart Hudson and Jo Findlay on the last beat to finish 7th in the race and 2nd overall.
A delighted Jono Pank who last won the Firefly Nationals in 2001 said that he was delighted and surprised to have won after an incredibly tight week of racing.
The battle for the 2014 title will be fought at the Olympic sailing venue in Weymouth from the 16th to the 24th of August.
Final Top 5 Overall (9 Races, 1 Discard)
1st Jono and Sarah Pank 28 Points
2nd Ben and Jenny Vines 31 Points
3rd Stuart Hudson and Jo Findlay 32 Points
4th Andy Cornah and Kate Fairclough 36 Points
5th Jamie and Jo Mcewan 46 Points
For further results
http://www.rtyc.org/hosted2013/ff/ffnat2013os.html