The annual end-of-season Phantom-bash took place over the 13th/14th October week-end. Seventeen boats competed over six races, with prizes supported by JJ-Boats (established
builder of high quality Phantoms, and recently newly appointed Javelin Class Builder). Spouses and friendships, which are 'hallmarks' of this Class, made for a happy social atmosphere in the Waterside hostelry on both Friday and Saturday evenings.
Typical of Broads sailing, wind-shifts were aplenty, and some large variations in strength also.
Race-1 on Saturday forenoon was led away by Jez Taylor (1259), making a very welcome return to the fleet. The first light-wind run saw Ben Falat (1359) dive low, stay clear of a calm patch behind a willow coppice and then proceed to pull out a huge lead, while in the main pack there was much inter-boat banter with calls of "What wind?"; Tyler Harmsworth (1340) lit up a cigarette to help not just calm the nerves, but also identify any zephyrs. Falat's lead turned out to be too big, as later when he became becalmed the pack rushed up on a reach and home Club James Jarvey (1403) overtook, with Matthew House (1355) snapping at any error by these front two.
Races-2 and 3 ran back-to back in the afternoon, and were set as triangle-sausage within
the wider body of the Broad. Sailing quite bizarrely, on the first reach Falat lying 4 th and seeing the pack bearing down from behind with new wind, gybed off to port for a hundred metres, came back and having sailed a hugely longer distance took the lead; thus the nature of this race, Falat and Jarvey exchanged the lead, and when conditions became very one-sided it wisely needed shortening by the Race Officer; early leader Harmsworth was ready to pounce, and on a closing tight fetch to the last buoy, with Jarvey in full control of Falat, Harmsworth took this final opportunity to sail lower and faster to just take 2nd place. Again House in 4th was stating his overall intentions, accompanied by Chris Roberts (1395) and Taylor. Last race of the day (3) saw a slight increase in breeze and Class secretary 'Titch'
Wayling shot off the port end of the line to eventually clear the fleet with a huge lead. Falat and Roberts set off in fruitless pursuit overtaking an early show by Doug Conway (1288); at the last off-wind mark, with Titch already finished, Falat was pressurised into such a poor rounding that Roberts, Jarvey and House came through as well.
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