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Larks National Championships - 21st to 26th July 2002

Race Reports


Final Results - 9 races sailed - two discards

Pos Helm Crew Sail No. Club R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 R7 R8 R9 Total
1 Emma Harris Becky Priest 2311 Waldringfield S.C. 2 4 3 3 6 2 15 4 3 21.00
2 Dougal Scott Nigel Scott 2347 Ranelagh S.C. 6 0.75 2 9 3 0.75 6 9 11 27.50
3 Harry Pynn Oliver Woolgar 2452 Waldringfield S.C. 10 6 21 22 4 6 0.75 0.75 14 41.50
4 Christopher Fish Gillian Young 2258 Waldringfield S.C. 0.75 5 10 6 43 15 7 8 13 49.75
5 Simon Cox Anna Hotchkiss 2462 Frensham Pond 12 2 7 2 8 11 8 17 43 50.00
6 Nigel Hufton Edd McArdle 2470 Frensham Pond 11 10 0.75 19 7 5 10 15 7 50.75
7 Richard Dowsett Ruth Johnson 2331 Bristol Corinthian 5 8 16 0.75 2 15 20 20 10 56.75
8 Steve Dunn Kim Lamb 2119 Waldringfield S.C. 22 28 5 5 9 16 5 2 16 58.00
9 Alan Krailing Kerry Ryan 2304 Waldringfield S.C. 8 22 12 11 11 43 2 7 9 60.00
10 Bob Suggit Kelsey Suggit 2467 Barnt Green 16 19 4 25 43 11 4 3 4 61.00
11 Richard Bennett Jenny Bennett 2171 Shustoke 9 3 15 10 16 18 19 11 6 70.00
12 Mark Ampleford Lee Nankervis 2481 Penzance S.C. 24 21 6 4 0.75 16 18 6 43 71.75
13 Chris Jenkins Rachael Jenkins 2379 Frampton on Severn 3 12 18 16 12 12 22 28 5 78.00
14 Matthew White Clare La Forge 2065 Waldringfield S.C. 19 7 8 20 14 17 17 16 2 81.00
15 Steve Cumley Rachel Jones 2413 Bristol Corinthian 21 13 13 7 19 14 3 12 20 81.00
16 Richard Adams Tash Styles 2466 Ranelagh S.C. 23 14 11 14 13 28 14 24 0.75 89.75
17 Jonathon Fish Eluned Jones 2375 Waldringfield S.C. 14 43 9 8 5 9 24 21 26 90.00
18 Glen Enkel Marion Enkel 2087 Maylandsea Bay Y.C. 17 24 14 26 17 22 11 5 8 94.00
19 Martin Gillam Matthew Griffiths 2265 Barnt Green 20 9 24 23 20 4 16 13 18 100.00
20 Andy Paley Kirsty Phipps 2288 West Riding S.C. 4 17 23 29 43 21 23 10 12 110.00
21 Pete Vincent Tegwyn Robberts 2444 Bristol Corinthian 7 11 28 17 21 18 26 14 24 112.00
22 Tony Fraser Rachel Rhodes 2341 Waldringfield S.C. 15 20 27 13 10 24 29 27 22 131.00
23 Richard Lymposs Matthew Thomas 2484 Papercourt S.C. 25 26 29 12 33 13 9 32 19 133.00
24 Chris Ellis Bekka Marriot 2469 Frensham Pond 13 15 19 18 28 19 30 22 43 134.00
25 Andrew James Fiona Gray 2223 Waldringfield S.C. 26 18 20 24 15 25 25 25 17 144.00
26 Alex Adams Tom Whicher 2365 Frensham Pond 37 29 26 32 25 42 13 23 15 163.00
27 Justin Deal Sarah Marriott 2471 Exeter Uni 27 27 25 31 26 26 21 18 23 166.00
28 Dan Smith Emma Stokes 2323 Ranelagh S.C. 28 23 22 27 24 23 28 26 25 170.00
29 Chris Biglin Anne Biglin 2007 Shustoke 18 25 30 28 23 29 34 19 43 172.00
30 Paul Gardner Vicky Gardner 2458 RYA 30 16 43 21 18 20 12 43 43 173.00
31 Steve Chatten Ben Biglin 2330 West Kirby 29 43 17 30 27 27 33 31 27 188.00
32 Gareth Shaw John Crab 2416 Looe SC 43 32 31 15 22 30 32 35 43 197.00
33 Katie Reiss Karen Alexander 2191 Waldringfield S.C. 34 35 36 38 29 35 31 37 21 221.00
34 Helen Woodward Paul Noble 2472 Rock S.C. 35 30 34 35 30 31 36 36 32 227.00
35 Peter Britten Sam Lippet 2207 Ranelagh S.C. 32 31 38 33 43 32 43 29 33 228.00
36 Natalie Bannister Pauline Baker 2129 Waldringfield S.C. 36 34 39 36 43 43 39 33 30 247.00
37 Gus Condi Harriet Condi 2300 Waldringfield S.C. 39 33 37 37 43 36 38 38 29 248.00
38 Nicola Atwood Katharine Simpson 2319 Barnt Green 38 37 32 43 43 41 37 39 28 252.00
39 David Ampleford Amy Davies 2163 Penzance S.C. 33 43 40 43 32 38 35 30 43 254.00
40 Richard Whitefoot Jo Hermer 2479 Leeds Uni 40 38 35 43 43 37 27 34 43 257.00
41 Sophie Macklay Andy Cox 2220 Royal Harwich 31 43 33 34 31 43 40 43 43 258.00
42 Beth Condi John Todd 2231 Warwick Uni 41 36 41 39 43 40 41 40 31 268.00

Race Reports


Race 1 - Sunday

The Lark National Championships started today in a beautiful offshore force 3-4.

Following a short one lap practice race, won by Nigel Hufton / Edd McArdle, Chris Fish crewed by Gillian Young were pathfinder for the first points race. The fleet split up the first beat, but Fish / Young held on a port lift before tacking on the next header and rounded the first mark by a couple of boat lengths from Alan Krailing / Kerry Ryan and Andy Paley / Kirsty Phipps. Whilst Krailing / Ryan went hard right before bearing away down the run, Paley / Phipps turned faster to overtake. Fish / Young held their nerve to lead at the leeward mark, and stretched their lead to the finish. Emma Harris / Becky Priest went right up the second beat to pull through to second. Chris & Rachael Jenkins came through to third in front of the pack at the finish.

Race 2 - Sunday

The wind increased at the start of the second race to a force 4. Harry Pynn / Oliver Woolgar were pathfinder and like Fish / Young in the first race continued someway on port after the start before tacking. Starting late on the gate, Richard and sister Jenny Bennett rolled Fish / Young early, forcing them to tack and follow the pathfinder. Current champions Dougal Scott and brother Nigel started early and worked the left of the beat to round first. They were far enough ahead to not be troubled for the rest of the race. Behind them, Fish / Young took advantage of a final port lift to round second hotly pursued by Simon Cox / Anna Hotchkiss. The Bennetts and Cox / Hotchkiss gained second and third places down the run, and it remained close. Harris / Priest closed and overtook Fish / Young up the final beat to take fourth.

Race 3 - Monday

Day two of the Red Square Lark National Championships dawned bright and breezeless but as the fleet launched, the wind gradually picked up from the south west to a force 2-3.

Nigel Hufton/Edd McArdle, as pathfinder, continued to the right of the first windward leg and, as the breeze kicked in from the right, much of the fleet followed to take advantage of the shift. Simon Cox/Anna Hotchkiss, who had gone left at the bottom of the beat, however, sailed fast and popped out at the windward mark just in front of Hufton/McArdle, closely followed by Bob and Kelsey Suggitt and Mark Ampleford/Lee Nankervis. By the gybe mark, Hufton/McArdle had taken Cox/Hotchkiss to lead the race. Emma Harris/Becky Priest overhauled both Ampleford/Nankervis and Cox/Hotchkiss to round the leeward mark in third behind Hufton/McArdle and the Suggitts.As the breeze veered, it paid to hit the right corner on the next windward leg. Harris/Priest overtook the Suggitts by going hard right, and rounded at the top behind Hufton/McArdle who had by this time built a commanding lead.

Meanwhile, Dougal and Nigel Scott, who had had to do penalty turns at the start and had rounded the first mark in the middle of the fleet, gradually pulled up to chase Bob Suggitt for third on the downwind leg. The battle for third continued on the next beat and reach, with the Scotts and the Suggitts duelling all the way. On the port reach, however, Hufton/McArdle and Harris/Priest sailed into a hole, with wind filling in behind and to windward. The Scotts and the Suggitts sailed high into the new breeze and had caught Harris/Priest by the leeward mark. With the wind now coming from the North-West, the finish line was moved, but it still paid to hit right. Harris/Priest tacked off for clear air, allowing the Scotts to continue right and overtake halfway up the beat. Hufton/McArdle hung on to win Race 3, with the Scotts in second, Harris/Priest in third and the Suggitts just behind.

Race 4 - Tuesday

Despite a threatening forecast of Force 5-7 the fleet set sail in a light breeze and drizzle, nursing quite a few Unidentified Drinking Injuries following the best social night of the week so far. the Viking Night that featured long boats, horny helmets and lots of braided plaits.

After a general recall, the fleet got away cleanly off a pretty true line and proceeded up a mile beat with the wind blowing 15 knots and a large swell. Richard Lymposs/Matt Thomas rounded the windward mark first in their new Rondar Lark, hottly persued by Steve Dunn/Kim Lamb and Richard Dowsett/Ruth Johnson. These positions remained down the run of the trapeziod course, however Dowsett/Johnson broke through up the second beat and stretched their lead down the following reaches and runs. Behind Mark Ampleford/Lee Nankervis in another new Rondar Lark broke through into second by using their better speed and shift spotting. These positions remained although there was a lot of place changing going on behind until the final downwind legs when Simon Cox/Anna Hotchkiss and Emma Harris/Becky Preist were able to break through to take Ampleford/Nankervis and finish second and third repectively behind Dowsett/Johnson.

Race 5 - Tuesday

After a delay of an hour which saw the wind veer 15 degrees, the course was relaid and the fleet got away first time off a fairly port biased line. Mark Ampleford/Lee Nankervis, encouraged by their first race, made a brilliant pin end start and then tacked right to pick up the shifts on that side of the beat. At the windward mark they rounded first comfortably, followed by Jonathon Fish/Eluned Jones and Dowsett/Johnson giving chase. Down the run there again was a lot of place changing behind Ampleford in the building breeze, now touching 20 knots in the gusts. However it was Harris/Preist who broke through to second up the second beat with Dowsett/Johnson, Harry Pynn/Oli Wolgar close behind. On the penultimate offwind legs it was Ampleford/Nankervis, Harris/Preist, then Dowsett/Johnson. However, the girls' spinnaker pole uphaul broke and whilst fixing it on the beat allowed Dowsett/Johnson and the Scott bothers through at the final windward mark. So the race finished Ampleford/Nankervis, Dowsett/Johnson then the Scotts.

Race 6 - Wednesday

The fleet set sail in a moderate north westerly and bright sunshine, and had a wait for an hour as the breeze swung through ninety degrees before finally settling in the west. The fleet had two general recalls before finally getting off, the second of which carried a 20% penalty which caught out a number of boats. The final start was starboard biased, with Mark Ampleford/Lee Nankervis geting a good boat end start, to get to the windward mark first by playing the right hand side, chased by Dougal and Nigel Scott. The Scotts quickly overtook, to take the lead and stay in front for the whole race. The battle was on for second. Ampleford/Nankervis fell back, and the contest was betweeen Simon Cox/Anna Hotchkiss and Emma Harris/Becky Priest. Cox and Hotchkiss had the upper hand all the way round, but Harris and Priest cleverly forced Cox and Hotchkiss over the port layline to the finish, and planed in beneath them to take a very close second.

Thursday

Day Five of the Red Square National Champsionships dawned with a thick sea mist and no breeze. The PRO decided to postpone racing until late in the afternoon but the forecast F2-3 never really materialised.

However, the fleet did take to the water for the Crew Race with 21 crews taking up the challenge. The race was tightly contested with Jenny Bennett, crewed by brother, Richard, taking line honours from Olly Woolgar and Tom Whicher, all showing their helms the way it really should be done!

The postponed Championship Races 7, 8 and 9 are now rescheduled to be sailed on Friday.

Race 7 - Friday

After a enforced rest from sailing due to fog and no wind on the Thursday, the fleet set sail bright and early for a 11.00 start. With 3 races scheduled, it was to be a vital day to decide all of the overall positions which were very tight throughout the fleet. The PRO Barry Darlington set a 0lympic course with a gate start with Richard and Jenny Bennett as pathfinder, and the fleet got away promptly in a force 2 south-westerly breeze. Harry Pynn and Olly Woolgar sailed an excellent first beat on the right of the course to round ahead of a whole pack of boats. The chasing boats then proceeded to sail high on the first reach which gave Pynn/Woolgar a comfortable lead by holding their nerve and staying low. The chasing pack was lead by Alan Krailing and Pauline Baker and Steve Cumley and Rachel Jones, however after another beat and a run they had failed to catch Pynn/Woolgar, so when the race was shortened it finished
  1. Pynn/Woolgar
  2. Krailing/Baker
  3. Cumley/Jones.

Race 8 - Friday

Shortly afterwards a slightly shortened course was laid and the fleet set sail from another gate start with Glen and Marion Enkel performing the honours this time. Pynn/Woolgar again played the favoured right hand side to round ahead at the windward mark and again used the first reach to put distance between them and the fleet. This time Steve Dunn and Kim Lamb and Bob and Kelsey Suggitt were the chasing boats, however the tight reaches and relatively short beats meant that it was almost impossible for the chasing boats to catch Pynn/Woolgar and equally difficult for many of the Championship leaders to recover from their positions. So the race finished with Pynn/Woolgar in first to dramatically improve their position overall, then Dunn/Lamb, followed by the Suggitts in third. Importantly Emma Harris and Becky Priest secured forth place which put them half a point ahead in the Championship with one race to go.

Race 9 - Friday

The final race of the Championship got underway in the same force 2 that the fleet had been sailing in all day. PRO Barry Darlington used a line start, with the fleet getting away first time. This time it was the left hand side of the beat that paid and Richard Adams and Tash Styles rounded first, in their new Rondar Lark, followed by Chris and Rachael Jenkins. Adams/Styles defended their lead brilliantly, first from challenges from Bob and Kelsey Suggitt and then from Matt White and Clare La Forge. After the full Olympic course had been sailed to give the fleet a long race as scheduled on Friday, Adams/Styles finished to win their first Championship race, from White/La Forge in second. Harris/Priest sailed a fantastic race to pull up to third from their initial position, giving them the 2002 Lark National Championship, after sailing a very consistent series in challenging conditions, where lots of boat were carrying much higher results.

Harris/Priest won from last years' National Champions, Dougal and Nigel Scott, in second and Harry Pynn and Olly Woolgar in third. The Championship week saw no less than 7 different race winners showing how tight the one design racing in the Larks now is, with 3 wins being from new Rondar Larks which have definitely now found their form. The final result crowns Harris/Priest the very first all-female team to ever win the Lark National Championships, after a brilliant week's sailing hosted by Looe Sailing Club.

Class Page: http://www.larkclass.org/

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