Musto Skiff Inland
Championships 3-4 November – Grafham Water Sailing Club
Report by Dan Vincent
Photos by Tania Samus, photoblink.co.uk
more photos here
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Although ‘windguru’ put off some, 20 boats
turned up to contest the Musto Skiff Inlands, including
2 current World Champions and 1 National Champion, none
of whom could win a race.
Saturday’s racing started in a variable
and patchy F2 breeze. Dan Vincent and Tim Chapman banged
left, were first around the mark and stretched away
in a private puff, although Chapman was later caught
by the pack, Vincent stayed out in front to record a
win, in front of Graeme Oliver.
The Race Officer, Peter Saxton, did an
excellent job and quickly turned around the racing for
the Mustos, B14s, 49ers and Int 14s. Soon we were lining
up for a second start, but this time joined by Nick
Craig sailing his Musto for the very first time. Ominously
for the fleet, he achieved all his goals in the first
race by:
• not capsizing;
• not finishing last; and,
• beating Sten (although Sten had broken his trapeze
harness).
While the 2 World Champs were ‘duking
it out’ at the back of the fleet, Mike Palfreman was
stretching away from Dan Dixon and Kit Stenhouse to
record a convincing win.
Race 3 and the breeze was now noticeably
reduced. Kit won, having overtaken light wind guru,
Alex Koukarakis on the final lap, with Rick Perkins,
National Champ, in third place.
Race 4 and the fourth different race winner
was Dan Henderson, followed by Kit.
The main winner on Saturday evening was
the landlord of the Wheatsheaf pub who witnessed 6 different
fleets of sailors discussing the relative merits of
leech tension, breeze spotting, X-factor and are Jaffa
Cakes, cakes or biscuits, long into a Flaming Sambucca-filled
night.
Sunday morning was spent packing the boat
away while the surface of the lake got glassier and
glassier. In a weekend that rewarded consistency, Kit
was the deserved overall winner. Thanks to Grafham for
the generous prizes and another superb event, despite
the weather. Results below.
Position Sail No Helm Club R1 R2 R3 R4 Net
1 GBR 252 Kit Stenhouse Rutland (5) 3 1 2 6
2 GBR 305 Dan Henderson Thorpe Bay 3 (7) 5 1 9
3 GBR 193 Dan Vincent RNSA/ Stokes Bay 1 4 4 (9) 9
4 GBR 293 Rick Perkins Whitstable 4 (5) 3 4 11
5 GBR 161 Dan Dixon Blackwater (8) 2 6 5 13
6 GBR 221 Graeme Oliver Whitstable 2 9 (12) 3 14
7 GBR 292 Alex Koukourakis Eastbourne Sovereign (11)
6 2 6 25
8 GBR 295 Mike Palfreman Stokes Bay (DNC) 1 8 15 24
9 GBR 332 Richard Stenhouse Rutland 7 (13) 7 10 24
10 GBR 205 Bruce Keen Stokes Bay 6 (16) 14 7 27
11 GBR 209 Tom Wright Rutland 9 10 9 (14) 28
12 GBR 283 Mick Keates King George 10 8 11 (12) 29
13 GBR 065 Leigh Albrecht Queen Mary 13 11 10 (16) 34
14 GBR 333 Tim Chapman Rutland (OCS) 14 13 8 35
15 GBR 290 Gareth Davies Blackwater 14 (15) 15 11 40
16 GBR 291 Grahame Smith Wilsonian (17) 17 17 13 47
17 GBR 284 Sergei Samus Whitstable 15 (18) 16 17 48
18 GBR 160 Jon Simpson Blackwater 12 19 (DNC) DNC 52
19 GBR 079 Nick Craig Frensham Pond (DNC) 12 (DNC) (DNC)
54
20 GBR 281 Ronald Millar Dalgety Bay 16 21 (DNC) DNC
58
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