420 End of Season Open at Draycote Water Sailing Club

22/23rd November

Author: Clare Carden

Wet grizzly weather met the 54 boats who travelled to compete in the last event of the season. The wind was roughly northerly, 7 knots and getting chillier as the day progressed. The first major hurdle was the Rugby World Cup Final. Race Officer, John Rohde, decided that a postponement to the racing was appropriate since most sailors were packed around the television in the bar.

Three races were run on Saturday. After a black flag start which caught nine boats, race one got away. McGovern /Frazer lead from the start, extending their lead over Fielder/McVeigh, followed by Patience/Evans and Mallandine/Haywood.

In Race 2, ten boats were black flagged. C.MacDonald/Bithell started well at the starboard end with McGovern/Frazer going left. MacDonald got it right and reached the windward mark first with Mallandine/Haywood. J MacDonald/Marsden were looking good too but were black flagged. Ainsworth/Harvey came through on the last run to take third behind Mallandine and C. MacDonald.

Race three saw a new leader to the windward mark. Makey/Wade were ahead of Patience and Martin/Carden. The leaders got away with a huge bundle in the middle of the fleet. Makey held on to the lead with Mallandine moving from fifth to second and Martin/B.Carden keeping third.

On Sunday Brotchie/Bull joined the leaders, showing the benefits of a good start. Ellis/Arscott held on to their excellent position coming second after C. MacDonald and in front of McGovern.

In race five C. MacDonald made a cracking port end start with Dix/Gray looking good in the middle. However, the ladies chased C. MacDonald home this time with L.MacGregor/N. MacGregor second and Martin/Carden third.

The final race was held in a dying breeze. Kites were still just flying. McGovern/Frazer won with Wigmore/Rook second and Savage/Trumble third. In the final results, the two 420 ISAF boats sailed by Callum Macdonald this time crewed by Stuart Bithell and Alison Martin crewed by Bethan Carden came first and second. McGovern/Frazer third and MacGregor/MacGregor fourth.

Unusually, this event had many protests, requiring three protest committees to be in action simultaneously. The event was also notable for the large number of different sailors who were seen at the front (and the back) of the fleet indicating the strong competition to be found in 420�s at the moment. This is the last event before the 420 World Championships in Melbourne 5-11th Jan 2004 in which 7 male and 7 female boats will be competing.