International News

Final Day of UK Nationals & EU Grand Prix

And what a day it was. With a building south westerly and a report from PRO Mike Johnson on the race track that it was already blowing 15 to 19 kts. out in the sound, it was an easy decision to opt for the smaller no.2 rigs. Although more stable than the westerly and north westerly direction there was going to be more chop and with a big wind forecast it only means one thing …. plenty of swimming.

In the first race of the day both Pica and Magic Marine had the best starts at the committee boat end with the rest of the fleet beneath them, Pica chose to tack first and take a Magic Marine’s transom, the rest of the fleet followed but Pica came back into the windward mark on Starboard forcing Magic Marine to take an early tack below the lay line. Pica could not capitalize on the small lead due to a cautious bear away allowing Magic Marine, Original Chia and Black Dog through to leeward. Queue the middle of the fleet and a 25kt gust. Hyde Sails and Eurolink made clean bear aways. The first casualty was TC-English Braids who just couldn’t get the boat flat enough to turn the corner. Team Gill went into the back of a wave and kept going under, forcing avoiding action from Team Rutland, who were chasing and to leeward, avoiding a collision but not a swim. LED, and Aftica flowed and somehow finding a passage through upside down boats. Hyde Sails were launching off waves in the gust that had flattened boats at the windward mark. The continued impact of landing off waves was too much for the carbon bowsprit which finally exploded abruptly ending Hyde’s racing. Some quick recovery skills by the crew managed to retrieve the kite without damage and lash the pole for a trip back to the dock without further incident. By this time the four leading boats had crossed through the gate together gunning down towards the bottom mark. With metres separating the boats it was all about who could hold their nerve. At the leeward mark Pica went for a late drop coming in on a starboard gybe in front of Black Dog who had dropped their kite already. Pica had too much on and capsized at the mark letting the other 3 boats through. It was experience that was showing in keeping the boat upright in the breeze. Black Dog, with Grant Rollerson on the helm, standing in for Jarrod Simpson, held the lead for the three laps of full on conditions and took line honours followed by other big breeze veterans on board Magic Marine and Original Chia. Pica finished 4th. A crucial result for regatta leaders Magic Marine (Eike Dietrich, Finn Mrugalla, Jan Peckolt), taking the pressure off a little from Pica’s bid for supremacy. In the conditions anything could happen and the regatta was by no means over.

The next start was similar with Pica taking again the transom of Magic Marine to be the first to the starboard lay line, coming in first to the windward mark but this time sailed into a convincing lead away from Magic Marine who were heavily involved in a close race with the Black Dog and Original Chia. TC English Braids were having a battle with Eurolink finally moving into 5th place leaving Eurolink and Aftica in 6th and 7th respectively.

With a decimated fleet and only five starters the battle was still on between Pica and Magic Marine to conclude the regatta in these awesome conditions. Despite the late charge and with four points adrift, Pica was running out of time to take the regatta from Magic Marine. It was Original Chia and again Pica who controlled from the Committee boat end, Pica 1st at the windward and kept control of the race with close tacks upwind with Magic who eventually capsized allowing the black dog. But with Original Chia and TC-English Braid throwing in the towel Eike Dietrich, Finn Mrugalla and Jan Peckolt's job was done as Team Magic Marine won the last event in the European Tour. Stewart Mears, Tristan Hutt and Jamie Mears of team Pica came a close second, and had to be satisfied with winning the UK National Championships and UK Grand Prix. Jack Bouttell, Adam Minter, Jarrod Simpson on Black Dog came a very respectable 3rd in the Event. Sam Caslin, Mike Banks and Jack Grogan of Hyde Sails in 5th had done enough to win the European Grand Prix overall all. Best newcomer of the UK 18ft skiff season was awarded to Dave Jobson who teamed up with Neil Harrison and James Hemmingway to pull off a great performance with one of the oldest boats and pin head rig. Furthest travelled for the event was awarded to the Eurolink team (Tom Eggersdorfer, Latzi Meissner, Friedl Renner) from Munich.

The final weekend in the UK Skiff calendar not only had enjoyed the biggest turnout and conditions for 18ft skiff racing on British water in recent years but also involved some of the closest racing throughout the fleet. This intensive season of 18 sailing has been fantastic preparation for four UK teams making pilgrimage to Sydney for the JJ Giltinan. It will be very interesting to see how they fair down under.

A massive thank you to Mike Johnson, Alan Nichols, James Bemridge and team at the Royal Western Yacht Club for hosting a fantastic event in coordination with the Mount Batten Centre.

Thanks also to Chris Davison at Ullman sails.

Third Round of UK 18 Foot Skiff Grand Prix, Sandbanks, Poole

With the light wind forecast there was no chance of any 4g negative dives for the seven skiffs who arrived in Sandbanks, Poole on the weekend of the 1-2nd September for the third round of UK 18 Foot Skiff Grand Prix. But the action was close and personal during the same weekend that Bournemouth hosted the annual air show. With a relatively long break following the European championship in June on Lake Garda and 3rd European Grand Prix event in Travemunde, teams have had plenty of time for training and boat optimisation promising a highly competitive 3rd Round of the UK 18ft Skiff circuit supported by Poole's Watersports Academy and French Connection Watersports.

Day one began under a slightly overcast sky and a light westerly breeze, which soon gave way to sunshine and freshening wind. Courses for the weekend were standard windward-leeward with the start finish line doubling as a downwind gate in the middle. With the windward mark close to the beach and the leeward near hundreds of boats watching the air show, spectators had more than the acrobatic planes and helicopters to keep them entertained. Yachts and powerboats coming out for the air show stopped by to catch some close up 18ft skiff racing while those on land could easily see the racing being run up and down the beach.

Race 1 got underway with a committee boat favoured start line. All teams had their number one rigs. There was a clear indication that there was a substantial advantage going close to shore upwind. By the windward mark Pica were in 1st place with Carsington snapping at their Heels. The two boats increased their lead throughout the 3 lap race. It was clear that with these big square top rigs there is a quick transition from two on the wire at 6-7 knots to all three on the wire at 8kts. The race finished with Pica, who had drafted Mason Woodworth as stand in helm with the otherwise usual crew Stewart Mears and Tristan Hutt well ahead of the fleet. In 2nd place was Richard Allen, Peter Shaw and Richard Bland's Team Carsington, proving their new Ullmans main was delivering the horse power. Leading the rest of the pack were Sam Caslin, Mike Banks and Jack Grogan on Hyde Sails.

Race 2 had a slightly stronger breeze of 9 kts and the wind was in a left phase. The fleet were bunched at the pin end of the start line. Wind increased to three stringing conditions with the pace and excitement of the racing going up in equal measure. The boats were planning faster than the true wind speed achieving 9 to 10kts upwind and 13 to 15kts downwind while the kite surfers in Poole Harbour hadn't yet ventured out. Again Pica won, Hydesails moving into second spot and Steve McLean's LED (Light efficient Design), with stand in helm Ian Turnbull, crew Nick Murray and Nick Pratt, taking 3rd.

Race 3 Following the relatively short race 2 and with the best breeze of the day the race committee set a five lapper. In these conditions, where the team are extracting the maximum power from the sails, the middleman who controls the main gets a real workout both generating leach tension upwind and running the sheets through the gybes downwind. Clearly this starts to effect concentration levels and a number of teams were caught out on the downwind leg by a shift and had to work hard to make the lay lines for the gate. Any unspoken hopes by bow and sheet hands for a shortened course evaporated as the fleet went round for the fifth and final lap. Again Pica dominated with LED beating Hydesails to take 2nd place. Returning to the beach, and by the look of the crews, it would seem to the uninitiated that these teams had been out in 20kts. Racing was proving extremely close and teams were having to work hard for their places.

After a hearty meal in good company at the Parkstone YC, teams were treated to a slideshow of pictures from the day with perfect opportunity to discuss the boats, the racing and the event with competitors and club members.

Day two dawned and saw the fleet rigging up in misty conditions. Breeze was again light WSW with plenty of puffs and shifts to create opportunity on the race course. No 1 rigs were again the only option as no more than 12kts had been forecast.

Race 4 With a committee boat biased start and everyone on the line, Hydesails found themselves locked out and relegated to the 2nd row. Despite this early set back they quickly responded to take 2nd place with another clear win by Team Pica and Carsington taking 3rd place.

Race 5 It was clear the event was close run on points as teams were pushing harder for early advantage resulting in two boats over the start line early. At the 1st windward mark Hyde pinned
Pica resulting in a collision during the mark rounding. After a penalty turn Pica found themselves back in 4th place. Pica had a race on and chased hard taking two boats at the next leeward mark after forcing some spinnaker drop issues. Pica continued their charge and picked up two huge shifts in the middle of the course finally crossing in front of Hydesails to win. LED, with Steve McLean returning to the helm, found form again to take 3rd place closing the gap between themselves and other podium contenders Carsington and Tom Hill, Miguel Andrew and Mark Kudlinski of Young & Reckless.

Race 6, the final race of the event, served up the most exciting to decide the final positions. The race started as the breeze built and shifted into the south, making the pin end heavily favoured. All teams spotted the line bias and crowded toward the pin end of the line. A perfectly timed start by Marc Watts and his team from Cardiff on Aftica gave them the opportunity port tack the fleet. It was close and they squeezed through to gain the dream start. Team LED was the right most boat and was force to tack off back towards the right side of the course. Bow forward but below LED by a few lengths the rest of the fleet continued to head off left led by Team-O? and Pica. LED made the most of the conditions and led into the right corner along the shore. As the left and right groups came together at the windward mark, there was a clear advantage for the boats on the right. LED rounded in 1st place followed closely by Hyde Sails and Aftica. The excitement continued down the run as teams crossed gybes looking to make the most of the puffy and shifty conditions. LED held on to the lead around the leeward mark followed by Hydesails with team Carsington up to third and Pica in fourth. At the next windward mark it was Hyde and Pica that played the shift conditions best to gain the greatest advantage. The two duelled hard and at 2nd leeward mark it was Hydesails that succumbed to the pressure doing the proverbial shrimp trawling with their kite, letting Pica round in first place. Hyde finally upright but now deep in the pack joined Aftica, Team Rutland, Team Carsington and LED to set up a great battle on the final two legs of the event for the 3rd Podium place. At the finish line 20 seconds separated the group with Young & Reckless just moving into 2nd and Aftica taking a hard won 3rd place.

Despite the perfect score line Pica was pushed hard through the event to defend the North Challenge Plate in their usual style. The competition throughout the event was tight with Hyde sails continuing to show form this season coming in a clear second and collecting £150 of kite, wake boarding or windsurfing lessons from the Watersports Academy. Third and fourth places were decided on the finish line of the final race with only seconds separating the finishers. The final podium place went to team Carsington from Derbyshire who picked up £100 in kit and clothing from the French Connection Watersports.

After another great event on the beach front in Sandbanks. The fleet owe huge thanks to the Parkstone Yacht Club for all their hospitality, the Watersports Academy for hosting the fleet at Sandbanks as well as providing prizes, and the Sandbanks Beach office for their help and facilitation with beach access. Special thanks to Peter Loretto and his race management team who did a fantastic job running great racing close to the beach.

The final event of the UK and European Grand Prix series, as well as being the UK National Championships will be Plymouth. The Grand finale is to be hosted by the Royal Western Yacht Club and the Mount Batten Centre on the 28th - 30th September. With 10 teams already confirmed and some autumn breeze, it could well be a cracker and the largest 18ft skiff event seen in the UK for over 5 years. Please get in touch with us via enquires@uk18footer.org if you are interested in spectating in one of the world's most famous sailing amphitheatres.

Photos - Dave Harding www.sailingscenes.co.uk, Eddie Aldridge
Class Sponsors - Blue Sheets Marine Directory, Spartan Wetsuits, Ovington Boats and www.ActionCameras.co.uk (discounts of 10-20% on camera products and accessories with promotion code BSKIF12)
Event sponsors - www.thewatersportsacademy.co.uk and www.fcwatersports.co.uk

by Ben Clothier and
Mason Woordworth

Final of the German Tour 2013 on Lake Chiemsee - 18th until 20th October

9 teams showed up for the final races in Europe and Germany on beautiful lake Chiemsee. After last weekend it was already snowing there 20 cm's, it was beautiful and quite warm weather. It was difficult to participate in the races for Eurolink and Magic Marine, for there boats are in the container for Down Under Races in Auckland and Sydney. They joined despite of this, EuroLink with a boat given to them from Austria and Magic Marine with former HUN 42, Raiffeisenbank. Additionally teams from Suisse and Hungary joined the races, "Liberty Racing" from Hungary and "No Worries" from Suisse. But the Chiemsee showed up as a mirrorlake and after some boats touching the water on friday everybody stayed ashore on Saturday and Sunday. So no races at all happened if you don't take the Races from friday evening at the Carttracks were the teams fought hard crashing each other into the fences as mad. winner here was the team of Heinrich from Bavaria. Winner of the German tour overall is Team Berlinsyndicat (for the third time again) after missing the title in 2011(EuroLink) and 2012 (Magic Marine). So they are the only threetime winner, followed by Magic Marine (two times) and EuroLink (one time). Some informations on the German Tour: It is continously sailed since 2008. Germany has now 18 teams and 13 participated in the races this year. All other teams: Are you ready for next year and take the Cup?