Royal Corinthian Yacht Club /
  • Fleet Calendars
    • Cruisers & Motorboats
    • Blaze
    • Squib
    • Royal Corinthian One Design
    • Dragon
    • Dinghies
    • Corinthian Otters
    • Hunter 707
    • Club Calendar
  • Sailing
    • Learn to Sail
    • Moorings and Storage 2020
    • Si’s, Course Cards and Start Times
    • Race Fees 2020
    • 707 Charter
    • Training Programme
  • Results
    • 2020 Endeavour
    • 2020 Dinghy
    • 2020 Dragon
    • 2020 Otters
    • 2020 RCOD
    • 2020 RCYC
    • 2020 Squib
    • 2020 Virtual
    • Historical Race Results
  • Events
    • Bistro and Events
  • Functions
    • Corporate Entertaining & Team Building
    • Weddings, Functions, Meetings & Corporate
  • Otters
    • Corinthian Otters
    • Joining the Otters
    • Beginners Pond Group
    • Otter Week 2019
    • Otter Calendar
    • Otter Flag Officers 2020
  • Club
    • Join the RCYC
    • Shop
    • Contact
    • People
    • RCYC History
    • Gallery
    • Club Facilities
    • Identity Guidelines
    • Safeguarding and Privacy Policies
  • News
  • Endeavour
    • Endeavour
    • Past Winners of the Endeavour Trophy
    • 2019 Endeavour Results
Royal Corinthian Yacht Club
  • Fleet Calendars
    Cruisers & Motorboats
    Blaze
    Squib
    Royal Corinthian One Design
    Dragon
    Dinghies
    Corinthian Otters
    Hunter 707
    Club Calendar
  • Sailing
    • Learn to Sail
    • Moorings and Storage 2020
    • Si’s, Course Cards and Start Times
    • Race Fees 2020
    • 707 Charter
    • Training Programme
  • Results
    • 2020 Endeavour
    • 2020 Dinghy
    • 2020 Dragon
    • 2020 Otters
    • 2020 RCOD
    • 2020 RCYC
    • 2020 Squib
    • 2020 Virtual
    • Historical Race Results
  • Events
    • Bistro and Events
  • Functions
    • Corporate Entertaining & Team Building
    • Weddings, Functions, Meetings & Corporate
  • Otters
    • Corinthian Otters
    • Joining the Otters
    • Beginners Pond Group
    • Otter Week 2019
    • Otter Calendar
    • Otter Flag Officers 2020
  • Club
    • Join the RCYC
    • Shop
    • Contact
    • People
    • RCYC History
    • Gallery
    • Club Facilities
    • Identity Guidelines
    • Safeguarding and Privacy Policies
  • News
  • Endeavour
    • Endeavour
    • Past Winners of the Endeavour Trophy
    • 2019 Endeavour Results
RYA Logo
Members Login

707 Nationals in Scotland

707 Nationals in Scotland 2 Jul 2017

Two intrepid teams made the long journey north to Edinburgh and the Port Edgar Yacht Club for the Geckotech 707 National Championships.  Both boats sported mainly family crews with Paul Gray and sons on Beaver Hunter plus a Wright/Aspinall team on Little Red Rooster.

In a stunning sailing area based alongside the three Forth bridges, the tone was set early when all entrants donned their racing T-shirts whilst the Burnham teams sported racing fleeces. It was to be a testing four days comprised of 14 WWL races and equally challenging social events.

Day one was forecast to blow hard and rain even harder. The latter was correct but the strong winds never arrived so the course was set west of the bridges with the windward mark close to the Rosyth shipyard (fortunately the new aircraft carrier left earlier in the week so it didn't cast a wind shadow). In typical with-tide starts the PRO quickly moved to black flag starts and Rooster picked up the conditions better with smooth downwind gybing to lie 8th overall after day one including an excellent fourth on the Forth in the fourth race.

Day two saw the fleet move to Dalgety Bay on the North shore, east of the bridges, the sailing ground for the remainder of the regatta. Once again there was early display and use of the black flag which helped Micky Wright to helm Rooster to a podium finish  in race 7.  Race 8 proved the most interesting for the whole fleet. The PRO had recorded all but 9 of the 26 boats OCS under a black flag and was working on the disqualifications when the paper with nine "safe" names was blown away in the direction of Leith and the race was abandoned…a disappointment for Rooster who were first of the nine and lying fifth when the race was abandoned. Beaver Hunter had had a better day with a couple of top ten finishes and lay just behind Rooster in the overall standings.

Day three, the winds arrived and Beaver Hunter became the stronger Burnham boat as the light-weight crew on Rooster opted for safer starts. This paid off when Beaver went for the perfect committee boat start only to be squeezed into it and to retirement from the race.   Rooster kept their consistent low-teen results flowing with steady windward progress, blistering downwind surfing and effortless gybing.

The final race of the day was the inaugural Three Bridges Race as there have only ever been two bridges before. Beaver secured an excellent 4th place and Rooster, helmed by Phil Aspinall, posted a creditable 9th in the windiest conditions of the week with gusts of more than 40 knots under the bridges.

And so to the final two races on the fourth day with Rooster lying 12th and Beaver just a few points behind in 15th. The odds were on Beaver, given the strong winds and indeed their 10th and 9th were better than Rooster…but only just.  Final placings were Rooster (Micky Wright, Bill Wright, Steve Wright, Eddie Aspinall & Phil Aspinall) 11th with Beaver Hunter (Paul Gray, Rob Gray, Rob Giles, Ollie Cook and Joes Rave) 14th.

The championship itself was won by SeaWord after a very close tussle including a dead heat with another local (and ex-Burnham boat) Cacciatore.  The championship was well organised, enjoyable and friendly…a credit to Port Edgar Yacht Club and a challenge for the Royal Corinthian to better when the 2018 event comes to Burnham Week.

BlogCategories

  • 707
  • Cruiser
  • Dinghies
  • Dragon
  • Gallery
  • General
  • News
  • Otters
  • RCOD
  • Squib
  • Uncategorised

BlogTags

BlogArchive

  • 2021
  • 2020
  • 2019
  • 2018
  • 2017
  • 2016
  • 2015
  • 2014
  • 2013
  • 2012
  • 2011
  • 2010
  • 2009
  • 2008
  • 2007
  • 2006
  • 2005
  • 2003
Home
  • Fleets
  • Club Sailing
  • Results
  • Events
  • Otters
  • Club
  • News
  • Endeavour
Club Opening Hours
  • Office Hours - Monday to Friday
  • 9am to 5pm (closed 1pm-2pm)
  • Weekends 8.30am to 2.30pm
  • Winter Weekend
  • 10am to 2pm
How to find us
Contact Us
  • 01621 782105
  • [javascript protected email address]
Address

The Quay,

Burnham-on-Crouch,

Essex, CM0 8AX,

United Kingdom

Social

©2021 Royal Corinthian Yacht Club Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Registered in England & Wales under number 248362

Powered by FL1 Digital