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November 2003
The Newsletter of Spinnaker Club, Ringwood
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November 2003 |
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The Newsletter of Spinnaker Club, Ringwood |
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Spinnaker
Team Racing History |
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1974 Ansell family join Club. 1978 Ansell family 1st Firefly racing at the Club. The Firefly would become the boat of choice for team racing, a happening that can be attributed directly to Greg’s support of the class at the Lake and his drive to see the plastic boat created. 1980 Ansell family shed built, used for reconstruction of many wooden Fireflies in the coming 15 years. 1983 Charlie Askew and friends move Southampton University team racing to the Lake for better team racing (Southampton start an unprecedented run of success at British University Championships). The move was enthusiastically supported and encouraged by Ken Rowles the commodore and keen supporter of the team racing. 1988 Club applied for Wilson Trophy / British Open Championships - rejected due to lack of experience. 1989 1st Club entry to Wilson. Club sailors at time started training on Lake in Ansell Fireflies. This included flood-lit practices! 23 Spinnaker members attend Foot Trophy including contingents from Hughes, Ansell and Warby families and friends. Club holds the Wessex Resins and Adhesives three boat Firefly team racing event at Spinnaker for the first time. 1990 Buoys with flags used on the Lake. This innovation allowed rapid reaction to wind shifts and proactive course management. It would spread to be used more widely, but remains largely a unique benefit of the ‘Spinnaker system’. In more recent years the marks have sported Alan Guy’s Brown Fintube metal tubing down the middle and have travelled as far as New Zealand for the world championships (where Alan was also the course manager). 1991 Geoff gets heavily involved in race management of team racing events. Geoff would revolutionise this aspect of the sport in terms of event format and quality having a global effect in this regard. Wessex Winter Warmer held on the Lake as a new event. Plastic Firefly envisaged by Greg and designed by Dave Derby and Simon Spolton was produced in prototype. Spinnaker host RNVR Trophy, Firefly class team racing trophy for the first time. 1992 Club team win Foot Trophy in London for the first time, and many times in the subsequent years. 1994 Rose Cottage (the finish boat) built to house the likes of Tiggy Ansell and Brenda Jackson on cold winter finish lines. First ever Ladies team racing national championship hosted by Spinnaker. Spinnaker win British Open for Wilson Trophy (held at West Kirby) for first time. Since then Club teams (Spinnaker/New Forest Pirates) have won it at least 6 times. Random pairs team racing run at the Club for the first time, invented and controlled by Geoff Jackson and sponsored by Brown Fintube. Team attend Royal St George championship in Ireland for the first time. 1995 Spinnaker team win inaugural team racing world championship at West Kirby. Club won trials for the worlds and in the process were awarded the HRH Prince Philip Trophy, a magnificent ship’s wheel embossed with silver. Since then this trophy, awarded subsequently for the National championships, has been won by the Club several times. Spinnaker prime movers push to see formation of UK Team Racing Association. Geoff Jackson appointed first UKTRA Chairman. Geoff Jackson and Steve Tylecote meet with Rod Carr of the RYA in seedy Basingstoke hotel to initiate arrangements for future National Authority funding of team racing. From this meeting the eventual formation of the RYA Team Racing Committee would emerge. Geoff would also go on to advise the RYA on how to approach arranging for wholesale funding of sailing at an elite level via the National Lottery funding process. BUSA Championship held at Spinnaker for the first time. Club is awarded the New Forest Sports Council team award. 1996 Laser 2’s acquired for use at the Club. Colin Gordon from the USA arrives at the Club and joins in the team racing. Colin is now (2003) in charge of New York Yacht Club team racing. 1997 Team Racing for Sailboats (a book by Steve) was published in its first edition format. 1998 Spinnaker members constitute majority of teams attending team racing worlds in Miami. GBR2 wins silver. First time Optimist team racing nationals held at Lake. Mike Greenland was Optimist Chairman at time. Club take delivery of a fleet of new Rondar Fireflies. Spinnaker members form the nucleus of the British team for the BA Cup match versus the USA and win (9 wins to 1). Greg Ansell becomes chairman of UKTRA. 1999 Spinnaker team win bronze at worlds in Dublin. The New Zealand team had been adopted by Spinnaker and won gold. The Murdoch family who fronted the NZ team remain friends with many Club members even now. 2000 First ever European Inter-Club Championships held at Club, an event pioneered by Geoff Jackson. 2001 Spinnaker team win bronze at worlds in Brno Czech Republic. Nick Ross becomes chairman of the RYA team racing committee. Nick had been the Spinnaker (GBR1) team coach for the Czech worlds and is a Club trustee. Spinnaker team win the Hinman Trophy, US Championship, first non North American team to do so. 2002 Club team racer, ‘98 Worlds coach and ex-Southampton student Stevie Mitchell switches to the Star class, wins the world championships with Iain Percy and commences a serious campaign for the next Olympic Games. New Forest Pirates win inaugural EuroSAF Team Racing Championships. Club gets three teams into top four at GBR Worlds trials (New Forest Pirates/ Spinnaker All Stars and Friends of Alice Lisle). 2003
Spinnaker team wins silver at world championship in New Zealand. BUSA
championships come to Spinnaker where Southampton made a clean sweep winning
the open event and the ladies championships. Geoff retires from heading up
team racing event management. Geoff and Brenda awarded RYA community award
for services to sailing. Club team racers (Spinnaker All Stars, New Forest
Pirates and Friends of Alice Lisle) award Geoff a silver salver in
recognition of his contribution – for once he can’t speak! Tiggy brokers
an arrangement to sell the old Rondar Fireflies to Birmingham University and
the Club replace (to a demanding specification engineered by Alan Copestake
and Geoff). |