Stone Phantom Open meeting
The fifth event in the JJ Boats / Allen sponsored Eastern Series took place over the weekend on 20th /21st July and a smaller than expected fleet of eight boats fought it out in perfect sailing conditions.
Saturdays racing took place on a sausage / triangle course in a stiff breeze with wind over tide conditions kicking up steep waves. These conditions proved to the liking of home club hero Neil Fulcher who rounded the windward mark first hotly pursued by Matt House and Ian Sullivan. Rounding the first leeward mark Fulcher pulled up as his mainsheet failed leaving House with a great chance of a win. Unfortunately in his haste to cross the finish line on the next sausage leg he failed to actually round the last mark, whilst Sullivan and Roberts took the gift they had been given and crossed the line correctly.
Race two saw Fulcher again dominate the windward leg with the fleet maintaining close contact all the time but unable to break in to the lead Fulcher established. House made no more schoolboy errors and kept ahead of Sullivan and Miller.
The third race followed the same order but the final results belied the battles that took place throughout the fleet.
A tired but happy fleet returned to shore after three hard back to back races for an immediate beer and de-brief with Neil generously explaining how much he enjoyed sailing offwind in the steep short waves of the Blackwater in wind over tide conditions. As if it hadn't been noted by the entire fleet....
Sunday saw an earlier start time with again three back to back races planned. The wind had eased a little overnight but the day remained cloudy with the tide flooding hard giving a different tactical challenge.
Race four saw the fleet split with most heading for the south shore or the centre of the course with Roberts being the first to hit the starboard lay line looking like the first to the windward mark for a change. Class Chairman Ian Miller had however remembered lessons from past Stone open meetings and had persisted with his bold strategy to see it pay off handsomely as he tacked ahead at the mark and set off on the run ahead of Roberts and Fulcher.
By the end of the race Fulcher had again shown the benefits of local knowledge and pulled through to the lead ahead of Roberts and House with Miller again taking fourth.
Race five saw the same leading boats try to hold Fulcher back without success. House scored a second place ahead of Roberts, both of whom had managed to close the gap on Fulcher on the final downwind leg sufficiently to ensure Fulcher couldn't relax until the line was crossed.
Race six saw the meeting winner already decided but Fulcher stayed out to enjoy the close racing in the fleet.
From the gun James Jarvey seemed to have the bit between his teeth having started at the pin end and made the decisive move to the south shore to make the best of the now ebbing tide to round the windward mark and thereafter never be challenged. Fulcher and House were engaged in a close race with a replay of luffing matches looking likely. Boats were waiting to pounce but this time the puffing was a little less serious and House took second ahead of the Fulcher for once. Roberts took fourth whilst Sullivan had retired having done enough to feel confident that Roberts wouldn't score better than fourth.
The sun finally came out on the run back to the club and smiling faces abounded with all competitors agreeing that the racing was the closest yet.
Rear Commodore and now former Phantom sailor Mike Stone took pleasure in presenting the winners trophy to Stone Commodore Neil Fulcher. Neil declined the opportunity of giving a victors speech and handed the floor to first visitor Matt House who thanked the slick race team and the rescue boat crews.
1st Neil Fulcher
2nd Matt House
3rd Ian Sullivan
4th Chris Roberts
5th James Jarvey
