420 Selection Regatta 2005 #1
Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy
26 & 27 March 2005
The 420 class returned to the Weymouth and Portland Sailing Academy in Portland after a gap of eighteen months, and for the first time since the new facilities have been in action. The event was the first of three selection regattas for this year�s World Championships. These are to be held in Brest in late July and there is strong competition for the two 7 boat teams (Ladies and Open). The weather was kind with light mainly easterly breezes and a good amount of sun. Race Officer, Adrian Stoggall, was able to hold Saturday�s racing out in the bay where competitors had to contend with a difficult short sea. The course was kept in the harbour on Sunday when the wind was forecast to be more variable. There were four winners in the six races held. Tom Mallindine and James Clark sailed consistently well to finish comfortably ahead of Hannah Mills and Peggy Webster, the leading ladies in second place and Ed Powys and Will Morgan. These three are strong contenders for the youth nationals in Largs after Easter and were pleased finish at the head of a very experienced fleet including international and recent youth International sailors.
On Saturday the first race in the bay was started, after a general recall, into a gentle easterly breeze. At first left looked good as the gradient wind picked up, but the windward mark was in the southeasterly sea breeze and it paid to go right. Tom Makey and James Wade came in from that side followed by Ed Powys and Will Morgan and Charlotte Lawrence and Poppy Husband.� They held their places to the finish except that Paul Brotherton and Scott Graham pulled through to third putting Lawrence and Husband back to fourth. In race 2 it paid to go right again, with gusts of sea breeze lifting those who had gone that way over the people in the middle of the beat. Mallindine and Clark enjoyed the condition taking a long lead over Nikki and Christian Birrell and Mills and Webster. Race 3 saw yet more new leaders with James and Dan Ellis edging ahead of the Birrells, Ally Martin and Ian Dobson and Mallindine and Clark. But as the fleet started the final outer loop of the course the wind died off and then came in gently from the South West. Martin and Dobson picked this up first to creep through into first place with Mallindine and Clark also squeezing out the Ellis�s and the Birrells.
Sunday dawned cold and bright. Several people had a bit of rush, not having dealt with the clocks properly. The breeze in the harbour was light easterly again. And again after 1 general recall the fleet got away with it paying to go right. Sophie Weguelin and Millie Parsons led at the first mark from Mills and Webster� and Brotherton and Graham. By the end of the second beat Brotherton and Graham were in front, but not far enough� to stop themselves being rolled first by Mills and Webster and then by Weguelin and Parsons on the reach. However on the run Brotherton and Graham found a good streak of wind and by the finish had pulled ahead again for a win. Race 5 was similar to race 4. James Murdock and Ed Whitehouse had a comfortable lead from Mallindine and Clark on the first run. But a whistle and yellow flag from the judge had them doing turns dropping them to third and leaving Mallindine and Clark to win by a big margin from Weguelin and Parsons.
At this stage the wind vanished. After a short wait the real sea breeze filled in from the southwest at 9 cold knots. The race officer hurriedly set a course with a very long line. The fleet went away first time with Matt Burge and Chris Evans leading the port end of the line contingent at the first mark. But a poorly timed gybe by Burge and Evans saw Martin and Dobson and Mallindine and Clark race through and pull away to a good lead from the Ellis brothers and then Burge and Evans.
Although the wind was difficult and there were a lot� of different boats at the front of the fleet at one time or another, the overall leaders finished with consistent sets of results.
Thank you to W&PSA for use of their new facilities and to all the helpers both in the safety boats and running the meeting on shore.
1. Tom Mallindine� James Clark� 16 pnts.; 2. Hannah Mills Peggy Webster 26 pnts.; 3. Ed Powys� Will Morgan� 33 pnts.; 4. Paul Brotherton Scott Graham 35 pnts.; 5. Nikki Birrell Christian Birrell� 35 pnts.; 6. James Ellis� Dan Ellis 41 pnts, 7. Ally Martin Ian Dobson� 43 pnts.; 8. James Goss Elliott Parsons� 53 pnts.