This August saw a fiesta of flying fifteen sailing in the Solent. A regatta to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the designer Uffa Fox’s death, another for the 75th for the flying fifteen design, and the European Championships.
Three teams from Mallorca made the long and perilous trek north to cooler climes, to sail on water that moves, and not just up and down. A nostalgic trip for the two genuine “caulkheads” in our number (Caulkhead: a generic term for those fortunate enough to have been born on the Isle of Wight ) the remainder became honorary caulkheads for the event.
19–20 August – UF50
The fifteens were given their own start on the RYS line complete with cannons belching noise and smoke for the start sequence. A clean start first time, leaving no opportunity to disprove local legend that the RYS do no use the black flag but move directly to live shot for the final signal.
A dying breeze saw most of the fleet short tacking around Egypt Point in an attempt to get up tide of the mark on the other side of the Solent. Just one crew touched the ground, taking a short wet walk to get clear. The next mark was a struggle for all until the new sea breeze settled. This race was won by a local silver fleet boat whose experience led him to find the best way across the tide and back again without going halfway to Portsmouth. A second short race was staged off the breakwater.
Next day the fifteens had a dress rehearsal for the championships with two windward/leewards on the Bramble plateau. Two Spanish boats finished the series 6th and 7th overall. The third boat was meanwhile being delivered singlehanded from Hayling Island, well done John Walker – a story for another time.
On Sunday, when the more serious business of the Europeans Championships began, 71 boats came to the line – we were never to see such small numbers in our scores again. Eight races were scheduled over four days
21 August – Europeans Day 1
The Solent served up a classic Cowes day with semi-overcast skies, light and shifty breeze and a moderate tidal flow. The course was set up in the busy Bramble Bank area of the Solent between Southampton Water and Cowes on the Isle of Wight.
Laying a course in this busy section of water in the height of August is quite a task but the RO set up for two races of around 90 minutes duration.
With some petulant shifts and a slightly nervy fleet not used to a big start line, it took several attempts to get race one under way. On the fifth attempt under the dreaded black flag, race one got started around 13:00 in a fluctuating soft breeze of 5–10 knots.
The pin end of the eventual start was a bit messy and caught out a couple of the top contenders. Steve Goacher and Tim Harper (RWYC) got caught in the mess tangled up with the pin mark leaving them to be one of the last boats to get off the start line. Ian Pinnell and Ian Cadwallader (Hayling Island SC) broke out a strong lead from locals Henry Bagnall and James Downer (Cowes Corinthian YC). The bulk of the fleet chased these two for three windward-leeward legs.
However, disappointment for Ian Pinnell crossing the finish line to realise he was one of four boats black flagged. This handed race one victory to Bagnall and Downer. Richard Lovering and Matt Alvarado (WYC/HISC) worked hard to take second place and Michael Wilson and Peter Greenhalgh (Isle of Man YC) moved up to third.
The RO re-set the course and the second race was started in a slightly steadier SW breeze of 9–11 knots. This start under black flag was exemplary and the fleet was well spread. Andy Mckee and Richard Jones (Dovestone SC/Shotwick Lake SC), led the race from the first mark around a course of two sausages and a triangle to take the win closely followed by Steve Goacher and Tim Harper (Royal Windermere YC), making amends for a bad result in race one. Richard Lovering and Matt Alvarado again sailed a sold race to finish on the podium and with their consistency, the early lead in the regatta. Ian Pinnell & Ian Cadwallader recovered from their disappointment in race one to finish 4 in race 2.
Of the visitors, Campbell Alexander and David Herridge from Durban in South Africa sailed a solid day to sit 10 overall and Phillippa Packer and Dean McAullay from Royal Freshwater Bay YC in Perth, Western Australia 11 overall at the end of the day.
22 August – Europeans Day 2
The second day of competition was greeted with drizzle, overcast skies and a light and quite fickle 7–12 knots of S/SW breeze. 3 races were scheduled predicting a long day on the water.
After a few attempts race 3 got away sailing a 3-lap course. Andy Mckee & Richard Jones picked up from where they left off with a race win from Andrew Jameson and James Grant (WYC/HISC) joining the podium for the first time. Jeremy Davy and Martin Huett were third.
Race 4 of the regatta was raced in much the same conditions but with some more black flag waving. Richard Lovering and Matt Alvarado (HISC) were back to winning ways and Jeremy Davy and Martin Huett were getting some consistency with a second. Third was Mark Nicholson and Steve Culpitt (HISC).
Race 5 followed late in the afternoon when the wind shifted a little causing a course re-shuffle. More black flags and some persistent drizzle. Greg Wells and David Tulloch (HISC) scored their first race win of the regatta. Nigel and Gavin Tullett (Royal Windermere YC) had a great race to finish second and third was Hamish Mackay and Andrew Lawson (RTYC/HISC).
After 5 races Richard Lovering and Matt Alvarado increased their overall lead after discarding their worse result to date, a 12, to top the leader board with 16 points.
Big movers were Andy McKee and Richard Jones, discarding their opening day 22 and posting a 1, 13, 8 to move from seventh into second with 23 points. Henry Bagnall and James Downer could not match their first day performance and a 19, 4, 15 saw them drop back to third with 26 points. In fourth were Jeremy Davy and Martin Huett, dropping their BFD, for 28 points. Fifth Hamish Mackay and Andrew Lawson with 31 points and sixth Greg Wells and David Tulloch who won the final race of the day on 33 points.
Top visiting boat is John Lavery and Alan Green from National YC in Dublin who sit at place 10 overall.
Tuesday 23 August, the fleet took a break from the Europeans to sail in a special Class 75th Anniversary Regatta started from the Royal Yacht Squadron. The Europeans resumed the following day – full report next month.
Up next:
22 October Pollença Liga de Tardor 1
19 November Pollença Liga de Tardor 2
17 December Pollença Liga de Tardor 3
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Stephen Babbage, Stephen Parry & Jonny Fullerton
