Creeksea Sailing Club
Phantom Class Open Meeting
The fourth event in the JJ Boats / Allen sponsored Phantom Eastern Series was held in glorious sailing conditions on the River Crouch over the weekend of 6th / 7th July. Always regarded as a classic event, the good forecast added to the excitement of competitors, many of whom arrived early on Friday evening to establish camp with motorhomes and tents in the car park. A BBQ was organised and drinks soon appeared to toast Clive and Lorraine’s engagement far in to the night.
The morning saw a total entry of 15 boats including three “classics” that were to race on a shorter course in their own series.
Race Office Edwin Buckley and his team were relieved to see that the wind was a steady Easterly offering the chance of a good beat downriver towards Burnham on the flooding tide and set the course accordingly. The first race saw competitors getting in to Creeksea mode and short tacking along the northern bank to the first mark off the marina, with John Wayling making the best of a good start followed round the windward mark by Chris Roberts. The tidal gate meant that the run back was relatively free from place changing although some debate later took place about the benefits of kinetic activity with reference to video footage putting FIFA to shame. The race ended with Wayling in first having kept a tight rein on Roberts in second place and House holding off James Jarvey for third.
Following lunch in the “pop up” canteen the fleet prepared for two further races on the ebbing tide. The change in the tide meant that the course could be extended in to Burnham with the navigation mark off Burnham Sailing Club affording excellent viewing for spectators on the sea wall. The strengthening breeze added to the excitement as the fleet planed from the windward mark toward the bank to cheat the tide as close to the bank as they dare. For some this proved to be too close and some embarrassment by those that should have known better!
The two races were dominated by Tyler Harmsworth and John Wayling who appeared to revel in the strong wind with third place being taken by a consistent Matt House.
Somewhat tired, and sunburnt, the fleet retired to their corral for beer and banter before hitting town. Dinner at the sailors favourite waterfront pub the White Harte was very well received and much Steak Pie consumed with copious quantities of Adnams. Minicabs having been organised in advance those camping at Creeksea were whisked back for a late night tea and cake session and a fairly early night.
Sunday held up to its promise with both super conditions and further entrants with Neil Fulcher continuing his jet setting ways joining the fleet fresh from the Squib Nationals joining Daren Pike, Ian Sullivan and Tim Harris who couldn’t resist the opportunity of a days racing in such conditions.
In a reverse of the previous days plan, two races were held before lunch in a good hiking breeze with a beat to Burnham being followed by a challenging round of three triangles over a shorter course off the club. This gave members a chance to see the fleet at their best and provided some interesting options in the strong running tide.
Harmsworth made the best of the initial windward leg but wasn’t able to maintain sufficient height to stay out of the worst of the tide whilst Roberts managed to keep inshore and pull away to round first and hold the lead despite strong pressure from the pack comprising Harmsworth, Fulcher and Pike.
The following race followed a similar pattern although this time it was House could kept his cool under pressure to win from Fulcher and Harmsworth. John Wayling has scored two fifth places and thus it looked too close to call going in to the lunch break.
The final race saw the breeze continue to strengthen and as the tide had turned the course was tweaked a little to give the Phantoms a little more leg room up river as well. Despite the groans that the prospect of a longer course produced, the fleet lined up for the decisive race.
Wayling, who always performs well at this event, took the challenge in his stride and kept his composure to win the race and secure a well earned open meeting win, with Matt House taking second place and third overall. Harmsworth finished in fourth but did so in style by just beating Roberts over the line in the last few boat lengths.
In the Classic fleet John Torrance sailed an impeccable series to win from Bill Taylor with Mark Ingall in third, whilst of those that could only sail on Sunday the victor was Neil Fulcher who would surely have challenged overall if he had been able to compete on Saturday.
The Commodore Alan Shrimplin thanked competitors for attending and expressed his delight at seeing Creeksea’s new slipway put to such good use after the huge efforts that had been made to secure funding and get it built in time. It was particular good to see new members of the fleet attending and judging by their welcome in to the fleet we shall see more of Olly, Jon and Warren aka “Thumper”.
The fleet now moves on in two weeks to Stone Sailing Club on the nearby River Blackwater on the weekend of 20th / 21st.
1 1175 Alice Phantom John Wayling NSC 6 1 2 2 5 5 1
2 1340 Hoobies Phantom Tyler Hamsworth SSC 7 7 1 1 2 3 4
3 1355 Wildcat Phantom Matthew House RHYC 9 4 3 3 7 1 2
4 1395 Gromit Phantom Chris Roberts CSC 12 2 4 16 1 7 5
5 1423 Phantom James Jarvey IBSC 21 5 6 4 8 9 6
6 1256 Paris Phantom R.Thorpe WHSC 24 6 7 5 16 6 16
7 1184 Phantom Clive Morley MBSC 28 8 5 7 12 8 16
8 1243 Apparition Phantom Paul Lester CSC 29 9 8 6 6 11 16
9 1204 Erik Phantom Olly Moon RCYC 35 3 16 8 11 13 16
10 1233 PinkDJinn Phantom Warren Martin W&FYC 36 10 9 9 13 12 8
11 1362 Phantom Neil Fulger SSC 37 16 16 16 3 2 16
12 1349 Jade Phantom Daren Pike RBSC 40 16 16 16 4 4 16
13 1415 Phantom Tim Harris URYC 42 16 16 16 9 10 7
14 1404 Little Monster Phantom Ian Sullivan NHSC 45 16 16 16 10 16 3
15 1097 Phantom Jonathan Pulfer RBSC 48 16 10 10 14 14 16
Classic fleet
1 955 TwoXS Classic John Torrance CSC 3 1 1 1 1
2 349 Manta Classic Bill Taylor CSC 6 2 2 2 2
3 931 Angelsegg Classic Mark Ingall CSC 9 3 4 3 3
Chris Roberts.
