International Flying Dutchman
UK - GBR

FD UK Whitstable Open Meeting 23/25 May 1998

Whitstable Sailing Club

The FDs experienced an enjoyable and excellently managed open meeeting at Whitstable Sailing Club. At the prize giving, race officer, Mike Fitz-Patrick commented that Whitstable was the original home of the FD Class in the UK and that it was a pleasure to see FDs providing spectacular, close and exciting racing particularly amongst the top 3boats.

In almost ideal range of conditions, force 1 to 4 north westerly winds, 7 races were held using a fairly short triangular course which provided a good test of boat handling and tactics in the shifting wind.

The first race on Saturday afternoon was held in a force 1 to 2 wind and saw two new FDs on the start line. Biggles gets a life (John Best and James Cole) was not slow to show its form. Tony Lyall & Colin Burns in the other new FD had flashes of speed but were unable to maintain the pace set by Hugh Myers & Gordon Kingston nor by Peter Doran & Richard Phillips who led at the first mark. Doran/Phillips maintained their lead until Best/Cole pulled through on the second reach of the second lap. Myers/Kingston slipped into the lead inside Best/Cole and Doran/Phillips at the leeward mark. This order was maintained until the finish with Andy Moss & David French finishing fourth.

The second race was held immediately after the first race.  Racing was close with many place changes between the first three boats. At the end of the first lap the club race was just starting after a general recall, the Best/Cole team just managed to clear the pin end of the line (which had to be crossed on each lap) before the fleet started, Doran/Phillips at the committee boat end were slowed by two catamarans trying to start their race and Myers/Kingston slipped through the middle of the line. At the second windward mark Best/Cole lead with Myers/Kingston and Doran/Phillips close behind, the same order was maintained to the finish with Tony Lyall & Colin Burns in fourth place.

On the Sunday morning (race 3), Peter Daigneault and Brian Holt were well up at the first mark and Andy Moss & Steve Rockey lead at the end of the first beat. However by the end of the second beat Best/Cole were in the lead (which was maintained to the finish) followed by Moss/Rockey and Myers/Kingston. On the final lap Myers/Kingston moved up to second place at the gybe mark. The Doran/Phillips team were in hot pursuit and on the final short beat took advantage of the shifted wind and tacked for the line allowing them to finish just ahead of Myers/Kingston who held of Moss & Rockey. Simon Britten & Paul Penney had their best race of the weekend finishing fifth and Neil Pye & Mike Williams showed some good bursts of speed finishing sixth.

On Sunday afternoon races 4 and 5 were held back to back. In race 4 Best/Cole got off to a good start and lead the race to the finish hotly persued by Myers/Kingston. The Doran/Phillips team were well adrift at the start but found the right way up the beat to establish contact with the fleet. An electric first reach pulled them up to third place but they were unable to overtake the leading duo before the finish. Moss/Rockey finished fourth.

Race 5 saw Myers/Kingston victorious again. Doran/Phillips slipped inside Best/Cole to finish second. Daigneault/Holt had their best race and finished fourth.

On Monday Myers/Kingston needed two wins to finish first overall, Doran/Phillips need two wins to move up from third overall. The wind had increased to force 4 but dropped during the race to 2 to 3 until the final lap. Doran/Phillips took an early lead with Myers/Kingston and Best/Cole not far behind. At the windward mark on the fourth and final lap in an increasing breeze Best/Cole found some extra power and speed coming in on the starboard tack lay line. Doran/Phillips decided to pass behind and then behind Myers/Kingston. Best/Cole made the mark followed by Myers/Kingston and Doran/Phillips. Moss/Rockey were fourth.

With the first three places determined race 7 was led from start to finish by Best/Cole. Myers/Kingston having wisely elected not to carry their spinnaker overtook Doran/Phillips on a very close reach and the order was maintained to the finish.

Report by Richard Phillips

Place

Sail No

Helm

Crew

Points

R1

R2

R3

R4

R5

R6

 R7

1

GBR382

John Best

James Cole

5

2

1

1

1

3

 1 1

2

GBR374

Hugh Myers

Gordon Kingston

8

1

2

3

2

1

2

2

3

GBR377

Peter Doran

Richard Phillips

13

3

3

2

3

2

3

3

4

GBR360

Andy Moss

Steve Rockey

21

6

5

4

4

5

4

4

5

GBR375

Tony Lyall

Colin Burns

23

4

4

7

5

6

5

5

6

GBR369

Simon Britten

Paul Penney

31

7

7

5

6

8

6

9

7

GBR359

Peter Daigneault

Brian Holt

32

5

8

8

8

4

7

9

8

GBR356

Neil Pye

Mike Williams

32

8

6

6

7

7

8

6

        

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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