Shifty Racing at the 2008 Dinghy Championships
Report thanks to Andrew Dean
Hard on the heels of huge British Olympic success, the sailors of the Isle of Man held their own Championship in Ramsey at the weekend. Three of the Olympic classes were represented, the Finn, the Laser and the Laser Radial, and in a mixed fleet it could be argued that those types are harshly handicapped due to the exceptional standard at Olympic level. But the other classes also have their stars, in particular defending champions Russell and June Collister in their RS200 (the largest double-handed Nationals fleet in the UK) and Mike Kneale, with Phil Hardisty and Donald Edwards as crew, in the National 18. Not to forget Andrew Williams and Tom Cringle in the rapid RS400, always a threat.
In the event, conditions on the water had a considerable influence on the results. Given a wind steady in direction, the Race Officer for the weekend, Neil Boyes, ably assisted by Commodore David Edwards, would have been able to set perfect, fair courses, ensuring that each type of boat could sail to its handicap. But the winds for the weekend were extremely fickle with almost any change of direction favouring the assymetrical-spinnakered RS’s, whose comparative weak point is dead downwind. Not only did the direction change during all the races, in the first race the direction actually reversed.
The first race on Saturday morning was delayed by one and a half hours, while everyone waited for the wind to arrive. Eventually a light Northerly arrived and a short race started. The leaders sneaked round while the direction changed, leaving the single-handers a little stranded. Williams, closely followed by Mike Kneale, finished first and second but were unable to save their time on the Collisters and Andrew and Katie Dean in the other RS200. Simon Pressley and Ralph Kee led the Lasers home.
After another wait, a more steady South-Easterly filled in and Pete Barlow with Rob Cowell in the other National 18 had a superb race to cross first, but had to settle for 2nd behind the flying Collisters, who were only briefly headed by the Deans (3rd). 4th was John Dowling/T Holt in a Wayfarer, Mike Kneale 5th and the Finn of Keith Holden 6th.
By now the race starts were becoming fraught affairs, not for the faint hearted, but all three races went away with few recalls. The wind was becoming fickle again but the same faces were appearing at the front. Third bullet for the Collisters, 2nd to Kneale, 3rd Williams, 4th Deans, 5th Presley and 6th Holden.
In the meantime there was a battle for the Junior Championship. Ali Hinds sailed consistently in the Laser Radial (10th, 10th and 11th) to win, from Chris Hill and Ben Swindlehurst.
The three races scheduled for Sunday were abandoned due to no wind at all.
The weather was not at all kind but the 31 sailors were welcomed with a barbecue on Saturday after racing, and the famous Regatta tea on Sunday followed the prizegiving. Russell thanked the Club members for the organisation of the food and drink, and the hard work of the Race Officers. Particular thanks to the crews of the rescue craft (called “crash boats” by Russell, that’s what they must be called in the land of Team GB).
Overall results:
1st The Collisters, 2nd The Deans, 3rd M. Kneale, 4th Williams/Cringle, 5th P Barlow, 6th Pressley, 7th Holden, 8th Dowling, 9th Kee, 10th Hinds, 11th Jerry Colman and Charlie Edwards (505), 12th C. Hill, 13th B Swindlehurst, 14th J & K Stockman (Laser 3000)