Stuart Hudson persuaded Sally Wakefield and current National Champions Paul and Laura Kameen to represent the Firefly Class at this year’s Battle of the Classes at the Southampton Boat Show.

Sally – “shouldn’t we blow the bags up properly”
HUD – “no we’ll never stick it in on a day like today”

Stuart Hudson persuaded Sally Wakefield and current National Champions Paul and Laura Kameen to represent the Firefly Class at this year’s Battle of the Classes at the Southampton Boat Show.

Full of confidence in what was a formidable team, hopes were high as they surveyed the course which had the windward mark set under a cliff which was the side of a cruise ship.

Stuart and Sally succumbed to a slam dunk shift and capsize whilst testing the first beat. Luckily Pete Barton was on hand to capture the moment for all.

There was no more testing to be done as the boat was only just bailed in time but spirits weren’t too dampened as the pair set off 14 minutes behind the Mirror, both nailing the start at the favoured end.

Unfortunately both boats then suffered a bit of a becalming on the first beat (bit being an understatement) with Stuart and Sally worst affected.

They realised that the game was all but up when passed by a GP14 at the end of the 2nd leg which in a 90 minute pursuit race really isn’t a good sign. Then followed a constant stream of all manner of boats and classes. The Mirror remained a distant unattainable goal.

The two continued stoically on and did finish close together in 24th and 25th with Paul and Laura just ahead of Stu and Sally.

Quote of the day from Laura Kameen to Stuart Hudson “Thanks for that Hud!”

After the 90 minute pursuit race (which couldn’t count towards Bart’s Bash) Paul & Laura Kameen and Start Hudson / Sally Wakefield lined up again for the 30minute massed start General Handicap Bart’s Bash race.

Having failed to promote the Firefly Class in the previous race (at all really!) the duo had a steely serious look in their eyes to rescue some pride for the class and both positioned themselves in the front row using team racing skills dragged deep from muscle memory.

The wind had dropped a bit and was shifty and the Firefly came into its own as both boats picked their way up the first beat to round 2nd and 3rd leaving faster boats in their wake. Only a Scorpion rounded ahead of them and off they set down the first reach grinning like Cheshire cats.

The faster boats slowly recovered but 15 minutes (half the race) had already passed before the N12’s caught them and a lot of the fleet never did. Stuart and Sally stayed just ahead of PK and Laura till the end.

As always with general handicap nobody has a clue who won so we all began the long sail back to pack up and go home.

Back on the shore the N12’s were whizzed off in a rib to the boat show arena to collect their Battle of the Classes 1st place prizes to great acclaim and PK and Hud and crews sloped off home with their tails between their legs.

In a strange twist to the day Hud was contacted later to be told by the organisers that he and sally had won an RS Tera for Keyhaven Y.C. for winning the Barts Bash race on handicap. Who’s laughing now Peter Barton!

Results below to prove that the Firefly really is the best class in the world with the best sailors. We’ll just forget that the Battle of the Classes ever took place!

Barts Bash 21st September 2014

Entries: 35      Races Sailed: 1

 

Series Place	Sail No	Type of Boat	Helm	Crew	Handicap	Series Points	Race 1
1	3850	Firefly	Stuart Hudson	Sally Wakefield	1168	1	1
2	7571	Blaze	Miles Mence		1026	2	2
3	2018	Firefly	Paul Komeen	Laura Komeen	1168	3	3
4	2022	Scorpion	Peter Gray	Rachel Rhodes	1042	4	4
5	1003	RS Aero	Peter Barton		1010	5	5
6	8213	Albacore	John Woffinden	Erica Hunter	1050	6	6
7	411	RS300	Steve Bolland		990	7	7
8	3528	National 12	Nick Copsey	Steve Carver	1068	8	8
9	115	D Zero	James Green		1010	9	9
10	22502	2000	Rob Burridge	Katie Burridge	1090	10	10
11	8192	Albacore	Nev Herbert	Mark Fowler	1050	11	11
12	53	D Zero	Daniel Holman		1010	12	12
13	1343	Osprey	Richard Marshall	Nick Willis	944	13	13
14	3543	National 12	John Meadowcroft	Ollie Meadowcroft	1068	14	14
15	1404	Phantom	Ian Sullivan		1002	15	15
16	9125	505	Roger Deane	Richard Bartholomew	910	16	16
17	70784	Mirror	Nigel Thomas		1385	17	17
18	1	Scorpion	Alex Hayman	Simon Forbes	1042	18	18
19	14121	GP14	Andrew Clewer	Toby Lewis	1130	19	19
20	194371	Laser Radial	Arran Holman		1122	20	20
21	2014	Vortex Asymetric	Jonathan Carter		945	21	21
22	22541	2000	Chris Jordan	Jill Jordan	1090	22	22
23	164	Laser Vago	Ed Deacon	Felicity Jones	1064	23	23
24	1444	Laser Vago	Brian Pitman		1064	24	24
25	USA4	Icon	Mike Bell	Charlotte Bell	969	25	25
26	204965	Laser Radial	Ross Neville-Jones		1122	26	26
27	1627	Kestrel	Henry Richards	Christopher Richards	1025	27	27
28	10	Blaze Halo	Matt Burnett		1010	28	28
29	7551	Fireball	Tobias Hamer	Torie Morley	975	29	29
30	ISO8	ISO	Colin Snook	Alison Revitt	923	30	30
31	949	Buzz	Mark Turner	Rob Turner	1007	31	31
32	1055	Buzz	Alistair Ball	Tris Turner	1007	32	32
33	4694	RS Feva	Sienna Adderley	Luke Doble	1222	33	33
34	5233	5000	Taff Owens	Ben Ford	846	34	34
35	8	International Moth	Tom Offer		590	36	36