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International
Flying Dutchman |
1996 FD UK National ChampionshipTorquay - 24 to 28 August 1996The Red Arrows thrilled the holiday makers in Torbay after 'Biggles flies undone' won the National FD Championship hosted by the Royal Torbay Yacht Club. Some former FD sailors returned to try their hand prior to the Worlds in Florida (29 March to 6 April 1997) and the Class welcomed several new teams to their first Nationals. Each race was sailed using the same course configuration of triangle, sausage, triangle beat to finish. Close competition at the top of the fleet with many place changes during the races and very close finishes provided a great challenge for all in the variable weather. Peter & Andrew Weeks powered over Peter Doran & Richard Phillips in the final yards of the first race as a sudden squall hit them. John Best & James Cole sailing in 'Biggles flies undone' finished a close third. The race had started in a force 1 and proceeded in variable direction and strength. At the first mark Richard Westwood & Rory Staunton led Peter & Andrew Weeks with Dick Long & Rob Chubb and Tony Lyall & Colin Burns following. Peter Doran and Richard Phillips gained three places on the run and established a small lead on the third beat which they held until just before the finish. Race 2 was sailed on Sunday 25 August in winds varying from force 1 to 6 but mainly force 3 to 4. Richard Westwood & Rory Staunton led at the first mark but slipped behind John Best & James Cole on the first reach. John & James held their lead to the finish with Dick Long and Rob Chubb second. Race 3 was held back to back with race 2 but unfortunately the English Riviera was unable to provide any sun to keep competitors warm during the wait for the start of the second race!! At the end of the run Dick Long & Rob Chubb led Peter & Andrew Weeks hotly persued by Peter Doran & Richard Phillips and John Best & James Cole both of which were knocked down in the very large gusts on the following beat. Peter & Andrew Weeks won with Dick Long and Rob Chubb again finishing second. The weather on the Monday was similar to Sunday. The variable conditions led to a postponment of the 4th race and then a further postponment during the start sequence, followed by a General Recall. The race started in a force 3 and varied between force 2 and 5 during the race. At the first mark Peter & Andrew Weeks led, followed by Nick Mason & John Gallyer and Peter Doran & Richard Phillips. By the end of the run Richard Westwood & Rory Staunton had climbed to third place and then finished first with John Best & James Cole second. Another long wait led to an exodus by several competitors to shelter in a cove. 3 boats were PMS at the start of the 5th race sailed in winds varying from force 1 to 7 including a tremendous squall down the run which upset a few boats that had not yet reached the windward mark. With two of the first 4 finishers being PMS, the winners were Richard Westwood & Rory Staunton, John Best & James Cole second and a surprised John Berry & David Parr getting the third gun. Now used to the vagaries of the Torbay weather and prepared for further thunderstorms, the fleet drifted out to await the start of the 6th race. After three hours the fleet was towed in and on entering the harbour a breeze appeared, a quick lunch and back out for a proposed 2o'clock start. More thunder and hail and wind revolving around 360* the race officer layed a course after a light breeze appeared to stabalise. As the fleet approached the first mark the light wind began to die, Peter Doran & Richard Phillips rounded first followed by John Best & James Cole and Richard Westwood & Rory Staunton...the feeble breeze started to go around in circles again and the race officer fired three guns!! Back on shore it was declared that both the 6th and 7th races were abandoned and would not be resailed. The final race was sailed on 28 August in a force 1 to 2 wind. At the first mark John Best & James Cole had recovered from a bad start and caught up Peter & Andrew Weeks as result of being on the right side of a few major wind shifts. They were closely followed by Nick Mason & John Gallyer and Dick Long & Rob Chubb. The first reach had by then turned into a run and the second reach was a beat. With the first three boats tacking out to the left, Peter Doran & Richard Phillips closed the gap and at the top of the second beat (using a new windward mark) were in third position. On the final beat Peter & Andrew Weeks took a flyer in a vain attempt to regain the lead while John Best & James Cole kept a loose cover. Nick Mason & John Gallyer won the race with John Best & James Cole second and John Berry & David Parr finished third as the wind faded and became more variable in direction. Overall Results 1 GBR 378 John Best & James Cole 2 GBR 350 Peter & Andrew Weeks 3 GBR 92 Richard Westwood & Rory Staunton 4 GBR 290 Dick Long & Rob Chubb 5 GBR 338 Nick Mason & John Gallyer 6 GBR 342 John Berry & David Parr 7 GBR 377 Peter Doran & Richard Phillips 8 GBR 375 Tony Lyall & Colin Burns 9 IR 4 Julian & Cathy Bridges 10 GBR 233 Roger Wilson & Adrian Stowe 11 GBR 300 Neil & Sarah Pye 12 GBR 341 Victor Bateman & Liz Stewart |
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This page was last updated on 06 December 1998 - Please send contributions and comments to Richard Phillips mailto:100446.2371@compuserve.com . For more sailing links see www.sail-cd.demon.co.uk/index.htm |