Nine Phantoms entered the Royal Windermere's first ever event held for this fantastic class.
After a warm welcome and bacon butties the fleet set of into the north end of the lake to face a strong, gusty westerly wind. Challenging for competitors and the race management team alike.
A course was set and the fleet got away cleanly. Unfortunately, the wind shifted giving a one sided beat, but on a plus, some great reaching. Due to the fast pace the race course was fully completed in under half an hour, something the PRO would sort for the afternoons entertainment...
1st Ed Thomas
2nd Matt Harris
3rd Richard Rigg
After lunch competitors made their way back out onto the water to face much larger courses. Laps of comparable size to the nationals were to prove a test of stamina and skill as the wind strength had increased further from the morning race. Gusts well over twenty miles per hour whistled through and the gybe mark claimed its first victims of the day. Not surprisingly, the lighter sailers started to fade as the afternoon drew on. The heavier sailors pulling away on the long, hard beats. However, all Phantoms had some blistering down wind legs. The acceleration of the Phantoms on the reach was breath taking at times, the gybe, heart stopping! The result though the same order as the first race for the top 3.
1st Ed Thomas
2nd Matt Harris
3rd Richard Rigg
The third and final race of the day used the same size course with the wing mark being move slightly further south to get a slightly shyer reach and more speed!
For the third time everyone got away cleanly, although the helms who had done more than their fair share of swimming in the second race were now really feeling the pace (Martin Knott and Matt Nield were in close competition for who went swimming the most both being feather weights in phantom terms). One boat had gone back early through exhaustion and although the remaining competitors all stuck it out to the bitter end, complaints of "not enough weight" or "too old" could be heard in the bar at the prize giving!
Capsizes were a plenty in the final race, including a particularly spectacular one from local lad Richard Rigg in his brand new Ovington flying machine. Riggy had come back from his honeymoon early just so he could do this meeting. Speculation was rife about the knowledge, or lack there of, that his bride had about the new boat!!
Ollie Shaw managed a excellent 3rd place in this last race with Dave Kellsall plugging away in the hard conditions and finishing a creditable 4th place in this final race.
All Phantoms that stayed out for the last race finished it to their credit, and bruised, battered and exhausted they all limped back to the warmth of the club house.
Some great prizes were duly awarded and we look forward to having a bigger, better event on Windermere next season.
Well done to Richard Rigg for finishing a excellent 3rd place in his first ever Phantom open, and also to Matt Harris who is also new to the fleet for going one better and finishing 2nd, and last but not least Ed Thomas for a clean sweep in all 3 races.
1. 1342 Ed Thomas TB4E.com
2. 1175 Matt Harris Southport sc
3. 1434 Richard Rigg RWYC
4. 1111 Ollie Shaw Leigh and Lowton sc
5. 1412 Adam Perry Pennine sc
6. 1154 Dave Kelsall Leigh and Lowton sc
7. 1309 Matt Nield RWYC
8. 1161 Ian Smith Yorkshire Dales sc
9. 1198 Martin Knott Ribble sc
