The weather for the 2004 Tiger Trophy left a lot of people with aching arms and cold hands. But despite that the 420s had a great week-end with Jonny MacGovern and Stuart Bithell winning from Ben Ainsworth and Harriette Trumble with Fynn Sterritt and Matt Day 3rd, and seven more teams in the top twenty overall. (And at the same time Dan Ellis and Ben Arscott sneaked out to Queen Mary to win The Junior Bloody Mary). The 29er was the next best class but couldn't nearly match their form of last year.
Saturdays 15 � 25 knots was quite sailable most of the time, but any capsize or other waiting around was almost too cold to be bearable.� Sunday arrived with 25 � 35 knots and even colder. A cherub and a laser went for a sail to demonstrate that racing wasn�t on and every body went home happy.
Fifty-one 420s entered, a huge part of the fleet. With the World�s Team boats still in the containers there were some interesting team pairings as people jockeyed to get a sail. Rachel Wigmore crewed for Joanna Brigg, Ally Martin imported Dave Steed to add bulk, Harriette Trumble took charge of Ben Ainsworth and Nicky MacGregor took her life in her hands crewing for Tom Mapplebeck.
The racing on Saturday was good. The wind was from the west, blowing down the arms of the lake. This didn�t mean that it wasn�t shifty, but made sure there were good waves. The sun shone most of the time. And when it didn�t there was the excitement of short spells of rainbows, hail, snow and driving mist.
The course was set with the start by the dam. The long run down from the shelter of the club caught out a few people but most made it to the start.
The fast handicap was first away soon after 12.00. The slow handicap with so many 420s had a general recall. When they got going Luke Patience and Adam Wagner shot off to a long lead from Jonny and Stu. But as the race progressed Jonny and Stu steadily closed up on them and Ben and Harriette squeezed past Olly Dix and Ollie Gray to give a close finish. Behind them the Merlin of Richard Whitworth, was the only non 420 in the top� ten, with the national 12, a laser radial and two RS200s hanging in for places in the top 20 of the class.�
Meanwhile unbeknown to the race officer one of the club coxswains heard the recall on the radio and started calling back the fast handicap too. The only solution was to abandon this race.. With the result that the fast handicap were then restarted and� followed the slow handicap round making for a really crowded beat. The 49ers and the 14s were spectacular but often upside down. The 29ers flew round to dominate their class.
The next race was confusing. The slow handicap thought the fast handicap were starting race 3. But they went first. The fast handicap had no idea what was happening. By this time there weren�t any really big boats (or masts) left. This time Callum Macdonald sailing with Joe Glanville in a 470 set the pace for the first lap, and were able to hold off all but three of the 29ers on handicap.
The slow handicap were naughty again. It took a couple of recalls and black-flagging of Luke and Adam� Nathan Batchelor and Joe Crabb and Richard Mason and Chris Carden before the fleet got away. Ally and Dave led from Tom Makey and James Wade at the first mark. There was split decision about using the spinnaker on the reach. The brave closed up on the those in front. Tom Mallindine and Ian Heywood sneaked through to the front on the run. But on the bottom reach Jonny and Stu followed by Fynn and Matt raced through to the front. As the race progressed Jonny and Stu pulled well clear of Ben and Harriette, and Tom and Ian. This time the Merlin could only get to 20th.
No one minded that race three was called off. The wind was rising and the air getting colder.
The party in the evening was brilliant. No one emerged onto the pavement until well after midnight so perhaps it was it was a bit of a relief that Sunday was called off. Unluckiest team of the weekend was Joanne Macdonald and Laurie Marsden, who failed to win the Ladies prize because Laurie looks like a boys name.
The 420 class can leave its pursuit race starting practice until next year.
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