2019 Phantom Class Midland Area Series

1/2 June - Inlands Champs  Northampton SC

13th July - Carsington SC

22nd Sept - Shustoke SC

6th Oct  - Blithfield SC

26/27th Oct - Winter Champs  Grafham SC

5 events – 3 to count

Phantom Class Northern Series 2019

Glossop 7th April
Leigh and Lowton 28th April
York’s Dales 16th June
Filey regatta 29th & 30th June
Delph 17th August
Pennine 22nd Sept
Southport 13th October

Eastern Series 2019

Phantom Class Calendar 2019 - Version 1

This is the first version of the 2019 phantom program

Optimum Time Watches Phantom Southern Travellers Series 2019

April 13th Bowmoor
May 11th -12th  POSH
July 13th -14th Weymouth Regatta ( at Castle Cove )
Sept 6th 7th 8th  Nationals Lee on Solent
Oct 19th - 20th Salcombe

5 events 3 to count no excuses

Burghfield Cancelled

Unfortunately the club has had to cancel the meeting due lack of interest.
The Solutions that we were sharing with had already cancelled for the same reason. 

Some important dates for your 2019 diaries.....

1-2nd June - Inland championships Northampton Sailing Club

6-8th September - National Championships Lee-on-Solent Sailing Club

Cancelled- Optimum Time Watches Southern Travellers Series Round 9 At Burghfield SC Saturday 10th November

The Burghfield SC 2018 Phantom Open takes place at the club on Saturday 10th November. Online entry is open with discounted entry fee available until 8th November. We are not sharing now so have the water to ourselves this year. Fun sprint racing as usual in our last Southern Phantom Open so hitch up !!
Short course racing - 8 races planned. NOR on club website with discount entry form...

Eastern Series open at Alton Water

The Alton Water Phantom Open Meeting took place on the weekend of October 20th and 21st at Holbrook in Suffolk .

Visiting boats were from various clubs but predominantly Creeksea and Fishers Green.
The Race Officer, Gavin Johnson made the most of the very light conditions and set 2 races on the Saturday and 4 on the Sunday. The wind was 4 - 6 mph in a south-westerly direction on both days. Both the Saturday races were won convincingly by Ben Fallat closely followed by local sailors Paul Church and Matt House.

Optimum Time Watches Phantom Travelers Series Round 8

Salcombe Yacht Club Phantom Open Meeting - Sponsored by Salcombe Breweries

The growing Phantom fleet at Salcombe Yacht Club welcomed 7 visitors for their inaugural Phantom open meeting over the weekend of 6th and 7th October, which served as round 8 of the Southern Travellers Series.

In the morning local sailor Alister Morley arranged a rib ride for the visitors around the estuary to view the racing area. Upon their return the reports of the conditions seemed to affirm the forecast of mid 20 kts with gusts of mid to high 30’s. The view of some locals was that in reality, strength was likely to be circa 5 kts less, so 6 visitors with 4 local boats took to the water.
Whether it was really 5 kts less is up for debate, and the location of the purported 42kt gust recording remains to be confirmed. Nonetheless, it was windy.
After multiple pre-start capsizes the fleet took off up the estuary. Alister Morley led the way to take the bullet, Jim Hopton visiting from Shustoke came in second, and local Paul Ellis was third. Further behind breakages, failures and fear saw 3 boats fail to finish.

Following a great first beat leading towards the windward mark, and a cunningham failure for visitor Paul Birbeck of Wimbleball, race 2 adopted much the same pattern as the first – capsizes down through the fleet, and a further 2 competitors heading for the shelter of the dinghy park. Race 2 finished with Alister Morley in 1st, and Paul Ellis traded places with Jim Hopton, to take 2nd.  Paul Birbeck, and Chris Biglin of Shustoke came home in the familiar positions of 4th and 5th respectively.
Once everyone was back ashore stories abounded of vertical gusts and 45° shifts in the creek, gusts on top of gusts in the main estuary, and the general apprehension of the final run.

With some visitors staying in the opposite end of the town from the yacht club, refreshment was required on the walk to the club (and on the way back). There are 4 pubs on the way. We know, we went in them. The Yacht club served up what every tired Phantom helm appreciates – pies, and a free beer generously provided by the event sponsor, Salcombe Breweries - We are Phantom sailors and not scared to stereotype. At this point special mention should also be made of the lengths that the Yacht Club went to, in order to accommodate the special dietary requirements of one helm – namely the need for cheese before bedtime. Barman Jay rustled up cheddar and brie to take away and fabricated some appealingly low prices. Unfortunately they couldn’t supply crackers. And at quarter to midnight nor could The Fortesque Inn, but they did have 4 bags of mini cheddars, so all was good with the world. In the interests of privacy I shan’t mention the helms name. But it does sound like Pieman Fawkes.

Sunday was far more pleasant affair. Warm, sunny, but a little shy of breeze. After pumping around to the starting area the fleet were greeted with more wind than anticipated and started race 3 in a full hiking breeze. Simon Hawkes of Castle Cove led at the windward mark, but Alister Morley was determined. The wind eased during the race and made the runs long and fickle, and on lap 2 Alister made it to the front for his 3rd bullet. Simon Hawkes was 2nd and Paul Ellis was 3rd.

As the breeze returned, the final race also started in a full hiking conditions. Simon led at the windward mark, and by the time the last boat rounded was several hundred metres down the run. The wind faded. Then filled in again. From behind. Those towards the back of the fleet came charging down the run and the fleet was turned on its head. Only one thing remained consistent – Alister Morley – he went from 2nd to 1st and stayed there. Alister again took the bullet, Paul Ellis was second, and Simon Hawkes Third.

The top 5 results are as follows:
Alister Morley   Salcombe   1
Paul Ellis   Salcombe   2
Jim Hopton   Shustoke   3
Paul Birbeck   Wimbleball   4
Simon Hawkes   Castle Cove   5

By the end of the weekend the visitors had experienced more of the conditions offered at Salcombe than they had anticipated. The hospitality of the local sailors and Yacht Club was outstanding, and the class are looking forward to the second SYC Phantom Open next year.
To top off a great weekend, we managed to pair up a Salcombe member looking for a boat, with visitor Ivan Walsh of Shoreham who is looking to upgrade and sell one. So that’s +1 for the local fleet, and hopefully the Southern Travellers Series for 2019.

Thanks to the race team, the safety team, the bar staff and caterers, the sponsors, and to SYC for inviting us down.
See you all again next year !

Written by Richard Cumberbatch.