Squib Nationals at RVYC 1 Jul 2006
The 11 strong entry of Burnham based boats won the prize for the largest visiting fleet at Fishbourne on the Isle of Wight, which was impressively hosted by the Royal Victoria Yacht Club. In a week that saw the full trickery of the Solent winds and the associated exasperation of several competitors, Peter Marchant & Andy Biddle in Tears for Fears were top Burnham boat with a highly commendable 6th overall.
A further three boats, Chris Goodfellow & Martin Hipsey Trophoblast 10th, Robert Coyle & Marc Rawinsky Humphrey 13th and John Lewis & Jamie Knights Squiggle 14th, finished in the top fifteen, registering our home club’s ever improving standard and ability to compete in wide open spaces, especially if you add the 11th overall for Mel Titmus crewing for Peter White Smiffy’s Nimble of Felixstowe.
The week started with great promise when Ian Gray & Ian Simmons in Cheque Mate recorded a 2nd in the Practice Race. The Squib design is 38 years old this year, so there was a daily special prize donated by Hyde Sails for the boat in 38th place, won by Simon Griffin & Phil Aspinall, Spoof, in the Practice Race.
Race One saw impressive 5th and 6th places for Marchant and Goodfellow, whilst Race Two, after a hotly contested and lengthy protest, gave 3rd to Andy & Mark Knights in Seabright and 4th place to Coyle.
As the sunshine and sea breezes of the early week changed to fickle winds and downpours the results for all but the highest crews became more of being in the right place at the right time, which was definitely not over the start line on the black flag. The high hopes of the early results were not sustained and despite a handful of top 10 finishes, the reigning national champions Chris & Mark Hogan Ric O’Shea could not be prevented for reaffirming their mastery of the Squib with a run of three wins to retain their status for a further year.
Lower down the fleet Ian Brand & John Chase, Whirlin’ Dervish at 43rd, Adrian Fluker & Matthew Anthony, Patrick at 56th, Mike Bradley & Carl Anderson, Magic Roundabout 75th, and Bill Jones & Brian Tucker Tombo 77th, all came away with personal firsts of some form.
Away from the racing, the shoreside hospitality and organisation by the RVYC was excellent, covering Golf at Osborne House, several post racing functions and capped by the prize giving dinner in Cowes. The Burnham contingent stuck together not only for England’s world cup woes but also for a mid-week barbeque organised by the shore contingent, where the tastiest dish was the fresh mackerel caught by Chris Goodfellow on the sail home after racing!
It was a great week for new comers and a little frustrating on the water for all
but the laughs significantly out numbered the moans… and so to Abersoch 2007.