Felpham Open 2008
Photos Tania Samus, www.photoblink.co.uk
More photos here http://www.photoblink.com/sailing/felpham
There was no ice cream or candyfloss to
be seen anywhere around as the 22 competitors arrived
on this chilly Saturday morning, but just the warm hospitality
from the numerous helpers of this small, friendly sailing
club situated just east of Bognor Regis. It was such
that not even the rain showers driven by a shifty and
gusty breeze could detract from the hot mugs of tea
and bacon baps on offer inside.
The weekend was being shared with the
OK’s and Race 1 started in a cross-offshore 7 knot breeze
and relatively flat water. With the tide already pumping
out the fleet got clean away and whilst most made a
dash for the shore which took you on a progressive header
into less breeze and tide, whilst some opted for more
pressure out to sea. Those inshore, led by Gareth Davies
and Mike Palfreman, gained on a lifting port tack up
to the windward mark. However, the fleet converged,
so tightly packed at the mark that you could hardly
get a Rizla paper between them and, then the dash downwind
commenced. With the easing wind closest to the land,
some chose to soak slightly in pressure to protect their
inside slot, however for those who sent it early, the
gains were there to be made and, one notable was Graeme
Oliver (www.liftingsafety.co.uk) who, having returned from campaigning
18’ skiffs, jumped up to third by the leeward mark.
With the favoured side of the beat having
been telegraphed on the previous round, the second and
what turned out surprisingly to be the final lap, was
less eventful, yet with a few stinging gusts down at
the leeward mark, boat handling in the kite drops proved
critical as the fleet remained closely bunched. Clean
around the leeward mark was Gareth Davies only to be
sportingly reminded of his mistake by Graeme Oliver
as he sailed past with his kite up to steal the win,
with Mike Palfreman slipping through to second before
Gareth could recover, just in front of Bruce Keen.
The start of Race 2 saw many boats charging
the line and remarkably no one was called OCS, which
was either very generous of the race officer or, testimony
to there not being a Specsavers in Felpham. The dash
into the shore was won by Mike Palfreman, who built
up a commanding lead and held it the whole way to the
finish. Andy Peake found the pedal and pressed hard
in trying to fend off Bruce Keen, Gareth, Graeme and,
Dan Dixon. Unfortunately Bruce went shrimping with his
kite at the leeward mark and never recovered.
Race 3 opened in a stiffening 15 knot
breeze and building sea, with some hefty gusts on the
downwinds which saw many of the leaders carried low
of the leeward mark, which tended to keep the top quarter
of the fleet in a conga and, the recorders pencils making
fire on their clipboards. After some classic downwind
charges Graeme Oliver (www.liftingsafety.co.uk) pulled
off another bullet, albeit well deserved this time.
After a slight wait for some weary shrimpers
from Race 3, Race 4 kicked off in a fairly patchy 18
knots. Eventual victor after three rounds was Dan Vincent,
who held out Peakey and Graeme, with young gun Dan Henderson
(AIG Engineering Group) and Simon Reynolds (Blighline)
never too far out of the viewfinder, all clearly eager
to get in for the remnants of the home made cake that
the OK sailors may have not already devoured.
Fortunately there was plenty of Curry
to go round as part of the evening’s entertainment,
which consisted of the usual excellent Felpham quiz
and a lot of laughter at the OK sailors, many of whom
seemed to have grown wigs for the occasion – which clearly
had some magical powers as they won the quiz!
Sunday dawned sunnier, warmer and breezier
and, with it a slight shore break. However, the competitors
were carried safely into the water in their boats in
King-like fashion by the superb band of club volunteers.
With a solid 18 knots and a mean sea, Race 5 was a flurry
of speed and spray, allowing some of the heavy air revellers
to come to the fore. Dan Dixon showed form to lead,
but was being chased down by Simon Reynolds, Graeme
Oliver, Gareth Davies and, Alex Koukourakis. At the
finish it was Dan, followed by Oliver, who thieved it
from Reynolds on the last downwind.
At the start of Race 6, Reynolds caught
the fleet napping to pull off a perfect Committee boat
end start and stretch out an easy lead at the windward
mark. With the race course largely favouring the out
to sea track, Reynolds held off a hard charging Bruce
Keen, Jerry Wales and Andy Peake, until at the finish
it was Reynolds, Oliver, Peake and Palfreman.
With a progressive header soon after the
start of Race 7, it was Leigh Albrecht that peeled off
out to sea early to pick up the benefit of a now slack
tide to round comfortably ahead, with Jerry Wales, Gareth
Davies, Rob Chaplin and Dan Vincent not that far behind.
There was to be a whole heap of place changes on the
downwinds, as those who picked their angles right gained
handsomely and, this brought Oliver, Dan Dixon, Peake
and Reynolds back into the frame. Leigh batted off the
charge to take the chocolates from Peakey and Dan.
With an easing and streaky breeze and
flattening sea, Race 8 proved way more tactical, as
there were big shifts in the middle of the course that
could propel you up the ladder, whilst in shore and
out to sea proved the snake options. It was Jerry Wales,
Richard Smith and Dan Vincent that showed great initial
speed to round ahead, although Wales and Smith became
overhauled by hungry following group consisting of Dixon,
Peake, Keen, Oliver, Albrecht and, Henderson. Dan Vincent
eventually pulled ahead of Oliver and Peake, only nearly
to be caught by Reynolds, who having gained up the beat,
gybed out to sea into pressure on the downwind to pull
ahead of Oliver. Yet with holes in the pressure, the
leeward mark became a smorgasbord blur of Reynolds,
Albrecht, Oliver and Peake. This time it was Peakey
that snuck around the table cloth to finish behind Vincent,
but ahead of Reynolds and Oliver.
And so, after a thoroughly exciting, hotly
contested and, well run event, it came to be that Graeme
Oliver (www.liftingsafety.co.uk) was crowned king of the jungle, with Andy
Peake and Simon Reynolds (Blighline) rounding out the
podium. However, notable mentions go out to Gareth Davies,
Mike Palfeman, Dan Dixon and Dan Vincent, who each suffered
a DNF that pushed them out of the final showing. Equally,
Jon Simpson demonstrated improved speed, whilst Sergei
Samus and, Russ Clarke, showed gritty performances between
the bouts of shrimping.
Despite an exhausting series for some,
all the competitors had glowing praise for the RoD,
his crew and the large band of helpful, friendly staff
and helpers, whose dedication and selflessness showed
that small members clubs still represent jewels of the
country’s sailing infrastructure.
1 Graeme Oliver (www.liftingsafety.co.uk)
- Whitstable
2 Andy Peake – Eastbourne
3 Simon Reynolds (Blighline) – Whitstable
4 Gareth Davies – Blackwater
5 Mike Palfeman– Stokes Bay
6 Bruce Keen (Ronstan) – Stokes Bay
7 Dan Dixon – Blackwater
8 Dan Vincent – Stokes Bay / RNSA
9 Dan Henderson (AIG Engineering Group) – Thorpe Bay
10 Alex Koukourakis – Eastbourne
Full
results >>>
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