Phantom Class East Cost Championship
Sponsored by Allen
Thirteen boats entered the East Coast Championships held over the Bank Holiday weekend as part of the InsureandGo Burnham Week regatta. The weather forecast may have deterred some competitors but those that took part enjoyed some exhilarating racing that will certainly be talked of for years to come.
The event was hosted by the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club and the race officer was none other than the class sponsor Kim Allen of Allen brothers who seemed to enjoy seeing just what stamina the Phantom sailors had left after several party nights.
Saturday saw a late start with two races sailed back to back in what transpired to be the “lightest” winds of a strong wind regatta. Even so this meant nothing ever less than a force four with powerful gusts above this at times.
Race one saw the fleet beat up river to the marina entrance with the tide, followed by a long run along the south bank downriver. The fleet split into two groups with boats running line abreast until local Chris Roberts judged the time was right to gybe and reach across the river to run along the north bank. Seeing this manoeuvre the fleet again converged on the north bank for the run to Greenward. The fleet looked likely to over stand the mark until Roberts again left the haven of the weaker tide to reach to the mark followed quickly by the rest of the fleet. Racing past the Branklet spit bouy the fleet enjoyed classic full on reaching up and back down the river Roach before enduring a hard beat back to the line. The final result saw John Wayling sail through the fleet on the upwind leg to take the gun followed by James Jarvey and Simon Fielden. After a brief delay the next race was started back to back and the competitors faced a similar course with a short beat followed by a frantic run down river. The tide had by now turned and the beat back to the line was a testing affair with past winner Simon Fielden sailing low of Jarvey, Orman and Roberts to head into the fairway where the tide was still flooding. The fleet again compressed but Orman hung on to take the gun after a battle with Simon Fielden with Jarvey in third.
Sunday dawned with a terrible forecast being gleefully distributed by John Torrance who had also been up since dawn setting the courses for all fleets. The race course allotted to the Phantom fleet was greeted with disbelief. Even the locals hadn’t raced so far up the Roach before. A depleted fleet took to the water as several helms made the judgement that conditions were becoming extreme and that more fun could be had by spectating.
As the fleet again beat upriver several boats succumbed to savage gusts and shifts as the wind swung to a North Easterly direction. Despite having sailed to the same mark the previous day the leading boats overstood the mark allowing Roberts the chance to see just how hard the bear away and run down river was going to become in first place.
Following boats having realised their error had difficulty and several spectacular capsizes took place leaving Roberts well in the lead as he ran downriver past the RCYC. Speculation at this odd turn of events was noted amongst the sailors ashore who were divided as to whether Roberts was likely to hold on to this place or whether he had indeed retired.
A gybe off Rice and Cole and a fast reach to the tidal sanctuary of the North Bank made Roberts intentions clear. The following fleet were now reduced to four or five boats as they headed again for Greenward and the River Roach. By now the wind had built further with gusts of 40 knots recorded, Squibs were awash and yachts were being blown on to lee shores. The swell at the mouth of the Roach in wind-over-tide conditions required complete easing of the vang in order to survive before a slightly more controlled reach to the Roach mark. The sight greeting sailors passing this point was epic with the Osprey fleet battling their way up river to the Wade mark and then struggling to bear away and run down the face of white topped standing waves.
Sticking to the task in hand Roberts carried on pursued at a distance by Fielden, Popple and Orman and rounded Wade to scream downwind. A gybe near the Roach mark and an awesome reach to rejoin the Crouch allowed Roberts to further extend his lead. By now punished bodies were failing and several boats had endured multiple capsizes with Fielden finally suffering a broken mast and a shredded sail. Roberts managed the beat back to take a hard earned win ahead of Steve Popple, with Orman in third suffering the indignity of a capsize as he finished.
A standing ovation from sailors at the RCYC greeted Roberts on his return and many helpers whisked away the boats of the exhausted competitors.
Everything was left in the balance on Monday with Orman leading with Popple and Wayling poised for a final push; and the forecast was still for strong winds with a force 7 in the offing.
Understandably several competitors decided that enough was enough and a depleted fleet ventured out to race over a much reduced windward / leeward course to complete the series.
The first race was dominated by Wayling who revelled in the shorter course and gusty conditions that again took their toll of the fleet. In second place was Paul Lester from Chase Sailing Club ahead of Orman.
Conditions during race had deteriorated and it looked doubtful whether another race would be run, however, the Race Officer had no such doubts and the final race was started with only four boats having the appetite for more of the same. Wayling lead to the first mark followed by Roberts, Lester and Popple. The final order looked settled until the Roberts’ rudder detached after rounding the leeward mark giving Lester and Popple the chance to catch him and claw to windward as he quickly retrieved it and got under way.
Wayling continued unchallenged whilst Popple and Roberts watched Lester power away off wind on gusts that excluded them. The offwind leg did however allow Roberts the chance to reach over Popple and take third place with a desperately close finish separating these two by a hairs breath on the line.
With three wins John Wayling took the title with Nick Orman second and Paul Lester in third. Steve Popple just lost out on count back to take fourth with Roberts in fifth.
