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UKSA 420 Grand Prix Selection Series, April 24th / 25th
The second of the three weekends making the UKSA 420 Grand Prix
Selection
Series for the World, Women's Worlds, Junior European and Ladies Junior
European Championships 1999 was held at Hayling Island Sailing Club on the
weekend of April 24th / 25th.
This new initiative marks a milestone in the sponsorship of events bringing
immediate rewards to the top sailors in the class based on the results of
the grand prix events.
There were 43 competitors including an entrant from Belgium creating
another high class fleet. The scheduled 8 races were sailed in some
testing conditions.
The course for the first race was set in a north westerly force 3. As the
race started it died to a force 1. Ben and Bevis Field showed that
starting towards the favoured port end but then heading right was good.
They led at the first mark from Elliot Willis and Paul Burgoine who took
the same route and both held their positions to the end. Caroline
Litchfield and Eleanor Martin had a tussle with Simon Grundy and Chris
Dodds but regained 3rd as the wind swung to the south west on the second
and final beat.
The fleet started the second race on a course re-laid for the new wind.
The first beat was short but the wind increased to a force 3 giving a big
premium to those who got the first beat right. Libby Greenhalgh and Cailah
Leask lead throughout with John Greenland and Russell Whitworth second and
Tim Boone and Ed Surrey third.
Although the wind settled in to a force 3 to 4 it swung all afternoon
between 210 and 255 degrees. This with the relatively short course made
the beats difficult. If a swing came when you were on the wrong side of
the beat there was often no time to wait for it to swing back before
reaching the lay lines giving some erratic results to many competitors.
Graham Vials and Magnus Leask led the third race from start to finish.
Rob Watson and Mark Ellis won a very closely contested battle for second
passing both Libby Greenhalgh and Stevie Morrison crewed by Liam Murray
late in the race.
The first leg of the fourth race favoured the right side. Neil Baker and
John Clifton rounded first and pulled out what looked like an unassailable
lead. Nicky Barnes and Jemima Marshall were second round. As the race
progressed Graham Vials pulled away from the pack and on the last set of
down wind legs closed on Neil Baker passing him on the last reach to the
finish. Stevie Morrison was third and Rob Watson fourth.
On Sunday the wind had shifted to south east and blew a force 3 to 4 all
day building up a moderate sea that gave exciting downwind legs and surfing
into the leeward marks!
Ben and Bevis Field led the fifth race until the final lap. They were
chased down and passed by Stevie Morrison and then at the last mark in a
late attempt to recover their lead, surfed into an overlap but too late.
They were forced to round up and in the ensuing manoeuvre to round the mark
Libby Greenhalgh slipped by.
Graham Vials lead the sixth race throughout. Ben Field was second. Neil
Baker eventually got the better of Ian and Chris Martin for third and
fourth. The seventh race was similar in that again Graham Vials led, this
time with Rob Watson moving up to second. Koen de Smedt and Bart Verwerft
were third Paul Campbell-James and Tom Hutchinson fourth.
It was all change again for the final race. This time Koen de Smedt found
English waters to his liking and sailed away in first. Dominica Lindsey
and Ali Macleod were second while Stevie Morrison and Libby Greenhalgh
worked their way to third and fourth.
The final results gave Graham Vials and Magnus Leask on a temporary return
from their 470 campaign overall victory for the weekend by 5 points.
Stevie Morrison and Liam Murray just edged out Libby Greenhalgh and Cailah
Leask by 1 point for second and third and Rob Watson and Mark Ellis were
fourth.
This was however the second weekend of the UKSA Grand Prix Selection Series
and this showed some considerable changes in the top positions. Stevie
Morrison climbs from second to first, Libby Greenhalgh from fifth to
second and Rob Watson from fourth to 3rd and first youth. With Dominica
Lindsey, Ben Field, Ian Martin, Neil Baker and Paul Campbell-James all
still in touch there is much to play for at the final weekend in Plymouth
on May 1st-3rd.
Thank you again to UKSA for sponsoring the event and to Hayling Island
Sailing Club and their race management team who ran such a good regatta.
Results
1. Graham Vials/Magnus Leask
16
2. Stevie Morrison/Liam Murray
21
3. Libby Greenhalg/Cailah Leask 22
4. Rob Watson/Mark Ellis 28
5. Neil Baker/John Clifton 31
6. Ben Field/Bevis Field 37
Full results are on the Plymouth page.
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