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Wilson
Trophy 2004
In
May Spinnaker Sailing Club won the 2004 Smart Wilson Trophy, the world’s
premier Team Racing event.
West
Kirby Sailing Club again provided an excellent weekend of racing using the
Club’s own fleet of Fireflys. The 32 teams included competitors from the
USA, the Netherlands, Czech Republic and Ireland.
The
final was between Spinnaker and New Forest Pirates in a perfect force 2-3
northerly breeze.
Race 1 saw
Spinnaker taking an early 1,3 lead off the start. By the first mark NFP
were leading 1,4,5, but the last four boats were all very close. The 6th
placed boat from Spinnaker missed the mark giving NFP more time, so taking
a voluntary spin on the top reach. The race then stretched to a NFP 1,4,5
on the run. At the bottom Stuart Hudson did a spin within 2 boat lengths
to distract the Spinnaker boats. NFP were then pushed back to 1,4,6 but
the race was still very close, Spinnaker in 2,3 blocking NFP into 5,6.
Spinnaker now in 2,3,4 with 200 yards to go. Race one to Spinnaker. |
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Race
2 Spinnaker had a clean 1,2 off the line. One of the NFP boats was given a
penalty-enforced 720. Spinnaker looked to convert to an early 1,2,3 and at
the top mark held a 1,2 with NFP in 3,4, close enough to blanket down the
run. NFP went for the high-low tactic down the run, moving closer to 2nd
but Spinnaker held the 1,4,5 across the bottom reach. At the finish
Spinnaker won 1,3,6 to take a 2-0 lead in the best of five final.
Race
3 of the final, a must win for NFP if they were to go on to win the 2004
Trophy, one more win needed for Spinnaker to be victorious. David Ellis
sailed down the line and crossed the fleet on port tack giving Spinnaker
an early lead. NFP held both sides of the course, with the race still even
halfway up the beat. NFP held 1,3,6 but it was still too close to call on
the first leg. Onto the run, Spinnaker moved into a 1,3,5 lead with all
parties gybing trying to gain maximum advantage. Spinnaker moved into a
1,2 combination at the bottom mark.
Spinnaker
took the Smart 2004 Wilson Final 3-0 over the New Forest Pirates, to win
the Trophy for the 5th time.
With
acknowledgements to Jim Gaskin. Ed. |
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Einstein
No. 1 Lark
I
won the Lark nationals last week.
Nigel
Wakefield
Why add
more? The modest email says it all, other than, importantly, Nigel sailed
with Sarah Richards in Lark 2288 at this Nationals event on 24-30 July at
the Royal Torbay SC in a 48-boat fleet. In response to my query about his
nickname ‘Einstein’ Nigel says “It’s based on the idea that I
spent far too much time at university, which I did!” Obviously paid off
here, Nige, very well done! Ed. |
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