2004 Worlds Team Selection Regatta 2
Weymouth September 6-7
Fifty one teams contested the second selection meeting hosted by the Weymouth and Portland Sailing Academy for the International 420 class teams for the World Championships that is to be held in Melbourne in January. The weather was on Saturday was a fine 14-18 knots westerly but lighter and more variable on Sunday. The race officer managed to get seven races in over the weekend. Luke Patience and Adam Wagner took the meeting with four 1st places and a 2nd from Charlotte Savage and Harriet Trumble who continue to lead the selector series overall.
On Saturday there was a slight delay while the rescue fleet made sure it was properly organised. Then after the usual general recall Ian Dobson and Andrew Tunnicliffe made a good start and led at the first mark. Behind him Patience and Wagner and Callum MacDonald and Stuart Bithell were applying pressure and by the finish MacDonald and Bithell had a comfortable lead from Patience and Wagner.� Dobson and Tunnicliffe set the pace again in race 2 but Patience and Wagner were not far behind and quickly moved into a long lead.� Dobson and Tunnicliffe hung on to their 2nd place ahead of Ben Ainsworth and Tom Heywood second place. In race 3 Patience and Wagner made no mistake. Going right on the first beat they led at the first mark and raced to a long lead. Again Ainsworth and Heywood had good speed and were able to hold MacDonald and Bithell in 3rd place. In race 4 Dobson and Tunnicliffe got the first beat right for the third time, but were not able to hold off Patience and Wagner. Savage and Trumble pushed their way into 3rd position to consolidate a day of top ten positions.
After a consistent Saturday, Sunday was different. With a forecast of southerly 3-4 the Race officer took the fleet into the bay. It took a while for the wind to settle. The fleet started first time. Alison Martin and Bethan Carden started well at the port end of the line and managed to cross the fleet towards a big cloud on Portland. At the first mark they led from the Lucy and Nicky MacGregor and Patience and Wagner. The wind then filled in at 15 knots before dying again. Patience moved through to take another win from Martin and Carden who were able to hold off Christian Birrell and Andrew Hall. The race officer had to use a rolling finish line to ensure all competitors got a result within the time limit. With the wind very unpredictable the fleet were taken back to the harbour for race 6. This time Savage and Trumble made the best start and lead from there to the finish. Dan Ellis and Ben Arscott chased then all the way and the two boats finished well ahead of the MacGregors who were leading the rest of the fleet in 3rd place. In race 7 Thomas Mallindine and Ross Harvey seemed to be well ahead, but Joanne MacDonald and Laurie Marsedn worked their way back on the second beat and were able to slip through to win only a few yards from the finish.
The series has now had a wide range of wind conditions. Savage and Trumble lead the series having finished second on both weekends. But behind them the other successful teams at National and International events this year are still strongly in contention.
Results: 1 - Luke Patience and Adam Wagner 19 pnts; 2 - Charlotte Savage and Harriette Trumble 27 pnts, 3 - Ian Dobson and Andrew Tunnicliffe 30 pnts; 4 - Callum MacDonald Stuart Bithell 37 pnts; 5 - Alison Martin and Bethan Carden 52 pnts;6 - Thomas Mallindine and Ross Harvey 52 pnts