Maximus wins the Squib Gold Cup 15 May 2007
Local boats clearly demonstrated that they have benefited from the early season training delivered by our own Paul Manning and Squib technical guru, Tony Saltonstall. Malcolm Hutchins and Sarah Hastwell, Lady Penelope, led the fleet into the final race of the six race series and might have had the series sown up if not for a spinnaker failure in the last race of Sunday.
The event had begun well with over a dozen Squibs on parade including defending champions Bryan & Jenny Riley Brimstone from Lowestoft and the White family Maximus and Easy from Felixstowe. The line abreast start of race one with local boats to the fore was a direct result of the early season training which was obviously not attended by Bill Jones & Brian Meadows in Tombo ! The course proved to be well judged by the race committee as boats elected for different sides of wind and tide with only the Rileys able to break away from a close knit pack.
In race two the fleet had their eyes on the Riley tactics only to be confused by the presence, speed and erratic progress of Phil Aspinall and Julian Briggs Guy Fawkes in the second yellow squib in the fleet. Lady Penelope delivered the win with both Easy and Brimstone in close proximity for the beat for the line.
The club house relaxation in preparation for the Aussie night centred on discussions about the elegant new yacht, Soopa-Doopa-Fluker which looked as though it could be quick in the right hands. There was also recognition of protagonists lurking in the wings like Tiger Woods at the Masters, with the new combinations of Peter Marchant & Mel Titmus Tears for Fears, Robert Coyle & Chris Nunn Humphrey and Maximus all positioned to mount a charge in the windy conditions forecast for Sunday.
A strong South Westerly coupled with a rising tide set an challenge for both competitors and race committee on day 2. The dash for the starboard layline through the Dragon and RCOD fleets was the undoing of Ian & Henriette Brand Whirlin’ Dervish resulting in the dismasting of a Dragon and the Squib living up to its name. Nearer the front of the race the level of competitiveness was evidenced from the sight of pirouettes and choice language at the leeward marks. The visitors in Maximus and Brimstone had clearly come to grips with the idiosyncrasies of the Crouch although Paul & Sarah Buckley Electra,Tears for Fears and Lady Penelope matched their consistency. Two of the three races were won by Maximus and the other by Lady Penelope and only 4 points separated the top four boats at the end of day 2.
So it all went down to the final race on Monday. A delayed start while everyone waited for the forecast South Westerly to kick in gave added incentive to the visitors to get a quick result and back to the pontoon to be lifted out. The surprise of the start was Adrian Fluker & Roger Tolhurst SDF who had the super yacht travelling quickly to the windward mark only to see their hopes shredded like their spinnaker. Once again though, it was the visitors who had the edge and delivered the result with Maximus first and Brimstone third, separated by Tears for Fears and with the other local boats trailing in behind.
The winners on count back were Max Evans and his helm Peter White, Bryan and Jenny second and Malcolm and Sarah third. So once again the Gold Cup has headed north with the promise that the visitors will return in the knowledge that Burnham hospitality will be strong and that the local crowd are getting closer as they develop their windward/leeward skills.