2010 Sutton Bingham SC Phantom Open

 

The 2010 running of the Phantom open at Sutton Bingham resulted in some bizarre events. Before the event even commenced a travelling sailor managed to miss the club turning, decided to turn around in the nearby picnic area and completely missed the low height barrier on the entrance. Unfortunately for him his lovely shiny carbon didn't and ended up in two pieces. On the plus side the lack of any wind whatsoever meant he had time to borrow a tin mast and re-rig his boat.

 

A similar course was used for the 2^nd race and this time Battersby decided to wait until the start itself to provide the merriment of the other helms by diving head first into the water just as the gun went. It didn't hold him up too much as the wind had died yet again. Jay & Hawkes went left, Wheeler and the majority right. It appeared that Wheeler would get to the windward mark first but the wind swung and filled slightly from the left and Jay got there first. The next leg was nominally a reach but the leaders had to beat to the mark, tacking up to 8 times without really changing the direction of the boat. The next leg again turned in to a beat for some of it before returning to the expected run and Hawkes sailed past Jay to take the lead. At the last mark a wind shift allowed Jay to overtake Hawkes. Within 10 yards of the finish though the wind was dying and the windward boat of Jay slowed allowing the leeward boat to eke out what was left of the wind and the leeward most one of Pete Barnstable took the win with Paul Kerley only a fraction behind. Jay took third. Hawkes ended up in 7^th.

 

The best wind of the day appeared for the last race and in fact some competitors nearly sat on the side of the boat. Hawkes sailed well and lead from start to finish taking the line honours and the open win with it. Battersby decided now was the time to stop messing around and sailed well battling with Jay & a fast improving Chris Bottomley. Bottomley got confused on the rounding of the leeward mark and tangled with Jay resulting in a 720° penalty turn which relegated him to 5^th. Battersby & Jay continued with Kerley closing them down all of the time. Jay eventually took second despite having to return a missed out mark and Battersby in third. Kerley couldn't quite get there and took forth.

 

Overall Results

1^st Simon Hawkes Wimbleball SC

2^nd Ian Jay Sutton Bingham SC

3^rd Paul Kerley Castle Cove SC

4^th Pete Barnstable Castle Cove SC

5^th Roger Battersby Sutton Bingham SC

6^th Phil Wheeler Spinnaker SC
7^th Chris Bottomley Sutton Bingham SC

8^th Simon Hare Oxford SC

9^th John Bower Plymouth Corinthian YC

10^th Nigel Leveridge Sutton Bingham SC

11^th Tom Abbott Sutton Bingham SC

12^th Steve Joyce Sutton Bingham SC

13^th Richard Cumberbatch Sutton Bingham SC