Thanks to Karen, her girls and her motorboat, we had tremendous fun in this race. She gave us a start for the first leg of the regatta, which lead through the channel behind Isla Formentor to Cabo Pinar.
After interesting battles Claus and Cecilia, our newbies, managed to pass the whole fleet and arrive first. Karen, who meanwhile had moved to Pinar, built the finish line and distributed beer and food to her ff children.
Again we had to sail through the narrow channel behind Isla Formetor. When we arrived in Pollensa, Karen was already there to check the entries on the finish line. This time Michael and Greg Clough arrived first, again followed by Cecilia and Claus, who made first overall.
22 August – Bay of Pinar rally
Following the previous weekend’s success, we sailed a slightly different course, again we sailed around Isla Formentor, which we left to starboard. Finishing in front of the 2 small beaches west of Bonaire harbour, we moored up to Karen’s boat. Picnic and swimming followed, to the delight of all.
21-28 August – ff World Championships – Crozon Morgat, Brittany, France
Several members of flying fifteen Spain attended the event in Crozon Morgat. Best result was a fifth for our Alan Greene, crewing for Charles Apthorp. Top Spanish boat was Flying High, sailed by Patrick & Vincent Harris. Speedy Gonzales (Michael Clough & Janosh Goenczoel) also represented our fleet, although Michael is close lipped about the results.
2015 World Championship – official report from FFI
(reproduced with thanks to Simon Thompson, flying fifteen International)
The Flying 15 fleet have held their first ever World Championships in France. This event attracted 72 entries from across the Flying 15 world with teams representing Australia, Belgium, Great Britain, Hong Kong, Ireland and of course France itself.
The event was won for the third time in a row by the team of Graham Vials and Chris Turner from Royal Lymington Yacht Club with 4 firsts, a second and a sixth (with one discard) beating the nearest contenders Jeremy Davy and Martin Huett from Draycote Water Sailing Club by 8 points.
The sailing was held a short distance out of the Morgat harbour by a well-run team from the local club and a Jury team from across Europe.
The seas off Morgat, whilst being sheltered from the main effects of the bay opening on to the Atlantic Ocean, had a tricky combination of swell and wave which however gave excellent surfing conditions on days when the breeze was strong.
The prize giving was shared with the whole town, being held in the main square. At the end of the prize giving there was a special moment when Greg Wells, as outgoing Flying Fifteen International Commodore and having served two 4 year terms, was presented with the class’s Uffa Fox medal for exceptional service to the fleet by his successor Peter Rooke .
5 September – Trofeo Australia
We started early, with intent to get four races before the wind left us. In the event, we were blessed with steady winds, for the whole afternoon.Diego set us good courses, including the ones we live for – triangles! – we all love a flying fifteen on a spinnaker reach.
Stormtrooper took the first one convincingly, followed by Spanish Fly and Ffiel Good.
Race two was a repeat of the first one because we lost a mark five minutes before the start. Again this was taken by David and Philip, closely chased by fuego fatuo.
The mark having been re-laid, we finally got our triangle – an Olympic “sausage-triangle” course. Despite their new spinnaker being “optimised for runs”, Ffiel Good took this race, with Stromtrooper still up there in second. Spanish Fly and fuego fatuo crossed the line neck-and-neck, with John Leaf taking it by half a foredeck.
Final race was a single triangle, which saw John Leaf taking his only first of the series, putting him second overall. Next was Stormtrooper who discarded this second place to win the series. Fuego Fatuo came in just behind in third place, but this wasn’t enough to retain that place in the series as both they and Ffiel Good now had 9 points, Ffiel Good clinching it on countback.
Results:
ESP3610 Stormtrooper III David Miles / Philip Parry 4
ESP 3825 Spanish Fly John Leaf / Mark Hart 6
GBR 3763 Ffiel Good Scott Walker / Andrew Harvey 9
Thank you to Diego and the team for finding the extra buoy, and running the races.
Coming up
We’re racing at every month from now until the end of the year, if you’d like to join us, visit http://flyingfifteen.mallorcaservice.de, we have a club boat available (and some for sale!), and are always keen to bring new crews into the fleet. Or just turn up at the next event:
October 10-12: Campeonato de Mallorca – CNCG Palma
October 25: Trofeo liga de Otoño – CNCG Palma
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