RACING
REPORTS AND RESULTS FOR 2000 SEASON RACING
REPORTS AND RESULTS FOR 2000 SEASON
| British Airways | - March 19th 2000 |
| Black Swan | - April 15/16th 2000 |
| South Cerney | - 13/14th May 2000 |
| Carsington | - October 15/16th 2000 |
WANDERERS AT BRITISH AIRWAYS
Glorious spring sunshine – yes! – but an inadequate north-easterly air stream. Nevertheless, the opening event of the 2000 season on Sunday March 19th kindly hosted by British Airways at their Wraysbury base asked some interesting questions about racing tactics in light airs..
The first two races provided dogged battles from start to finish between the 4 leading crews. Jack Mann and Adam Wickenden just managed to hold off Chris and Vicky King and Mike and Jonathan Powell were edged out at the finish by Philip and Jill Meadowcroft. In the second race, the Kings had a strenuous tussle with Gavin Barr and Mark Skipper who had missed the first race. Gavin won and the Powells wrought revenge on the Meadowcrofts.
In the final race, a win for the Kings, or the Powells, or Gavin Barr/Mark Skipper would have given any of these crews overall victory; a win for the Meadowcrofts could only yield second place overall. This third and final race was certainly the most memorable. The lead was held at different times by each of the 4 leading crews, but mostly by the Powells. On the last down wind leg the Meadowcrofts took over at the front but at the final mark they were caught by the Powells and Gavin Barr and Mark Skipper were following close behind. These 3 boats fought a desperately, if slow, tacking battle to a finishing line which seemed miles away. At the last mark, the Kings seemed too far away from the 3 leading crews. Sensibly, however, they ignored the tacking scrap taking place elsewhere and having found a narrow funnel of afternoon breeze, they glided serenely (and controlling their mirth admirably) to finish first. Barr followed and the Powells were a foot ahead of the Meadowcrofts at the line. Talk of sick parrots?
OVERALL RESULTS
1st Chris & Vicky King W940 (South Cerney SC) 3pts
2nd Gavin Barr & Mark Skipper W1282 (Whitstable SC/Bewl Valley SC) 3pts
3rd Mike & Jonathan Powell W878 (Crawley Mariners Y.C) 6pts
4th Jack Mann & Adam and Brian Wickenden W1057 (British Airways SC) 6pts
5th Philip & Jill Meadowcroft W1024 (Salcombe YC/Black Swan SC) 7pts
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WANDERERS AT BLACK SWAN
The Annual Training Weekend held at Black Swan SC on April 15th/16th was led by former Wanderer National Champion Andy Whitelock. 21 Wanderer crews braved sleet and floods to attend a very damp and chilly Saturday session held both on and off the water. Most of the participants were new Wanderers keen to understand and enjoy dinghy sailing in a setting specifically designed for their needs. Every Class Association has a clear responsibility, to its members and to the sport, to foster and develop the skills of its members at all levels of sailing experience.
The Saturday session was rounded off with a Fleet Supper at the adjacent Hurst Golf Club with inimitable cabaret performances from Gavin Barr and Jack Mann, Hayley Whitelock, Kate Jopling, and Andrew Hines-Lindo strutting their stuff parading Vicky King’s eye catching new range of Wanderer clothing.
On Sunday, 3 races were held and, perhaps not surprisingly, Andy Whitelock, with daughter Hayley, demonstrated that he has not lost any of his Wanderer sailing skills. He won the second and third races quite comfortably with Gavin Barr and Mark Skipper having to be content with yet another runner up place. The first race, held in very light airs, was won in spectacular runaway fashion by Mike and Maggie Boreham who were attending their first Wanderer event. They (and they alone) found their own source of wind power to steal an early lead while the rest of us were getting nowhere. Chris and Vicky King followed them home and Jack Mann and Andrew Hines-Lindo came third. The second race was supported by an F2 breeze, generally easterly, but displaying the inevitable flukiness which inland ponds suffer on such days. Black Swan helms Peter Daniel and Philip Meadowcroft flattered to deceive by leading a fleet for longer than anyone would have expected but ultimately gave way to the predatory instincts of Whitelock, Barr, Mike Powell and Peter Wallis. In the last race, in a failing breeze, David Davies and John Woddow worked hard to come third and provide the only real threat to a race dominated by Whitelock and Barr. Rob and Kate Jopling enjoyed an exciting finish making up an awful lot of ground to eclipse Philip Meadowcroft and Mark Delaney.
Overall, 4 crews needed their tied results to be separated and the weekend was smoothly managed by George Tymms and Karen Smailes as Race Officers and Black Swan’s cheerful team of rescue crews and galley slaves.
Overall results
1st Andy and Hayley Whitelock W1046 (Crawley Mariners YC) 2 pts 4th Jack Mann & Andrew Hines-Lindo W1087 (B.A. SC) 7pts
2nd Gavin Barr and Mark Skipper W1282 (Whitstable/Bewl Valley SC)4pts 5th Michael & Jonathon Powell W878(CM YC) 8pts
3rd Chris & Vicky King W 940 (South Cerney SC) 7pts 6th David Davies & John Woddow W318(SG BA) 8pts
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WANDERERS AT SOUTH CERNEY
 | A bunch of fives for South Cerney SC: 5 Star Race Management |
| 5 Races on Saturday/Sunday May 13/14th 5 Star sunshine (pity about the wind). |
| 5 Different individual race winners |
This event is firmly established in the Wanderer Racing Calendar and was the third event of the 2000 season to qualify for the Anglo Marine Racing Plate. Saturday’s three scheduled races had to be reduced to two because of insufficient wind. Instead a third race was added on Sunday. Very warm and sunny conditions prevailed throughout the weekend but, sadly, virtually no wind appeared on Saturday and a shift of air stream from easterly to south westerly for Sunday barely reached F1.
Sailing under these circumstances can be both tense and frustrating and can test every crew’s patience to the limit. The first race on Saturday was fought at the front exclusively by Robin Lamb and John McGill from Mike and Jenny Harris, sailing in their first Wanderer racing event. They were followed by Philip and Jill Meadowcroft with Gavin Barr and Mark Skipper making up ground throughout the race after a poor start. Matt Haynes and Charlie Fullick get their best result in this race. The second race was won convincingly by Jack Mann and Andy King from the Meadowcrofts followed by Peter and Elva Wallis with Gavin Barr fourth.
However, the race results for the following day for some crews was dramatically different. Sunday’s first race was won by a long distance by Chris and Vicky King whose previous day’s showing had left them well down the fleet. Mike and Jenny Harris were placed second and Mike Hamilton, this time sailing with David Oates, produced the first of three excellent results in the Sunday races having been at the back of the fleet the previous day. The fourth race was won in some style by David and Jill Davies, having been absent on Saturday and therefore sailing without the comfort of a discard. They beat Gavin Barr and Mark Skipper who were now beginning to master the very light conditions and they were followed by Mike Hamilton and Chris King. The final race was won by Gavin Barr and Mark Skipper from Mike Hamilton and David Oates . Just five points separated the first 7 crews and whichever of the 7 crews won the last race would win the event overall. Gavin Barr and Mark Skipper finished with 7 points to win the meeting, runners up were Mike and Jenny Harris with 8 points.
13 Wanderer crews took part in the event fortified by an enormous supper in the Club House concocted by Vicky King and Sue Swailes. The catering at South Cerney is absolutely first-class, the best anywhere on the Wanderer circuit. Race management was supervised by Dave and Jackie Nicholls and John Swailes and the Wanderer Class Owners’ Association gratefully acknowledges their contribution and the risk of sun stroke awarded to the rescue crews.
Overall Results:
1. Gavin Barr and Mark Skipper W1282(Whitstable YC/Bewl Valley SC) 7pts 8. Robin Lamb & John McGill W797 (Black Swan SC) 14pts
2. Mike & Jenny Harris W796 (Shustoke SC) 8pts 9. Matt Haynes & Charlie Fullick W982 (Unattached) 20pts 3. Mike Hamilton & David Oates W992 (Civil Service SA) 8pts 10. Peter & Elva Wallis W893 (Burghfield SC) 27pts
4. Jack Mann & Andy King W1087 (British Airways SC) 9pts 11. Mark Delaney & Matt Townend/David Whitworth W803 SC SC)27pts 5. Chris & Vicky King W940 (South Cerney SC) 10pts 12. Bob Northover & family W183 (Bristol Avon SC) 34pts 6. David & Jill Davies W318 (Stoke Gabriel BA) 11pt 13. Peter & Lynne Daivd W1286 (South Cerney SC) 35pts
7. Philip & Jill Meadowcroft W1024 (Black Swan SC/Salcombe YC) 12pts
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| Wanderers
at Carsington October 15/16 saw Carsington S.C. host their swansong Wanderer Open. Saturday saw 9 Crews being greeted by overcast skys, intermittent showers and chilly temperatures with 10 to 15 knots of wind. The rain stopped during the briefing, Race officer Chris Rawsthorne set the scene for what was to be a fiercely contested series of 5 races. Race one saw an early breakaway by Chris & Vicky King, Mike & Jenny Harris, Gavin Barr & Mark Skipper and Steve & Gordon Holland battling it out, the lead changing hands several times before a close finish with Harris taking it from Barr, King and Holland. Race two saw a similar pattern but this time Harris got the better of King and Holland of Barr. The Crews retired to the clubhouse on Saturday night to enjoy a superb supper with a little entertainment, culminating in a rousing rendition of the Wanderer Anthem lead by Gavin Barr. Sunday saw lighter winds with it all to play for with just 4 points separating the top four. Top honours in race three were again fought out between Harris, Barr and King, Bill and Rosemary Cheshire made the best of a good start to finish fourth with Sally Gilbert boasted by a stand in Helm for her injured husband Colin stormed up to fifth with some tactical sailing, Father and Daughter combination Rob & Kate Joplin continued their progress to finish sixth ahead of the Holland’s, with new comers Matt Haynes & Charlie Fullick piping Mike & Janet Brenton to finish eighth and ninth respectively. Race four saw falling winds as the close battles continued. This time the Kings’ pulled of a master stroke to sail past the Harris’s on the last beat, Gilbert finished third, Cheshire Fourth. The Holland’s’ pulling off a tactical manoeuvre practically on the line to take fifth with Barr sixth. Race Five The King’s were being lead by The Harris’s and had to win to take the title on discard. After a close start those at the back of the fleet suffered as the wind lightened, the first five boats rounding the first mark almost as one, Gilbert nudged ahead as Harris, King, Barr and Holland hoisted their spinnakers. Mark two saw the boats together again. Positions chopped and changed over the next four legs when Gilbert, King and Holland seemed to read the shifts better and pulled away. King, needing the win, gambled on his kite, it paid off at the final mark he was just ahead of Gilbert with Holland close behind. Gilbert sailed the last leg well catching King but some quick tacking by King shook off the threat and he took the race to tie on points with Harris, who had his worst race of the weekend to finish fourth, but to win the event on discard after some exceptional tactical sailing over the weekend. Local boat honours had been a closely fought contest between the Holland’s and the Cheshire’s, tied on points after three races, Cheshire had moved ahead after the fourth as Holland struggled to catch up after a bad start, but loosing out as Holland capitalised on a good start in the fifth with a third place to take the Boden Bowl.
Boden Bowl (best home boat ) Steve & Gordon Holland Carsington Mugs (Novice Newcomers) Matt Haynes & Charlie Fullick |
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