Grafham

Following the disappointment of both Pagham and Stokes Bay being blown off, the Shadows finally took to the water at Grafham for both a TT event and a shot at the inaugural Fast Single Handed Nationals (sponsored by Cooks of Bedford). Conditions ranged from a gusty F4-5 on Saturday to a gentle F2-3 for the final race on Sunday. Starting in a big fleet of mixed cats and with around 65 boats on the course, a clean start and a certain amount of luck in mark rounding were critical factors as well as finding the bands of wind in shifty conditions.

Olly Harris continued to dominate on the water although he was chased hard and occasionally overtaken by Tim Swinburn. Olly sailed consistently to win the event and take third place in the Single handed nationals. Phil Neal would have done better but for stopping to check that the underneath of his trampoline was in good order in the first race. This is clearly a regular maintenance check for Phil as he repeated the manoeuvre in the second race. When upright, he had has new boat going fast at times and there was some close racing between him and David Brief on Sunday. Chris Pilgrim and Chas Bedford were enjoying their first event in their Shadows with Chas coming through well in the lighter airs of Sunday. All in all a great event, with four Shadows in the Top 10 in the National Single hander competition and the boat attracting a lot of enquiries.

Overall Results:

1. Olly Harris (Weston)
2. Tim Swinburn (GWSC)
3. Phil Neal (Rutland)
4. David Brief (GWSC)
5. Chris Pilgrim (Rutland)
6. Chas Bedford (Catamaran YC)

Fast Single Hander Nationals:
3. Olly Harris
4. Tim Swinburn
9. Phil Neal
10. David Brief

Pagham- Re-scheduled UK Open Championship

Great to be with the Spitfires- definitely the way forward for the future. Very sociable, great friendly club. A good turnout for such short notice (9 boats), with people travelling from Brittany and Cornwall. BUT: Blown Off AGAIN- can you believe it!!! We will try again at Grafham! (nobody tell the weather that we're coming!)

Stokes Bay- UK Open Championships

Blown Off- force 7-8!!!

East Coast Piers Race- Marconi SC

The second Shadow Open meeting of the year took place as part of the East Coast Piers Race weekend with two races on Saturday and the Shadows sailing the shorter Colne Point Race on the Sunday. It was an amazing couple of days on the Costa del Essex with temperatures in the 30s and light but consistent winds. Olly Harris and Phil Neal were again the men to beat with not much to choose between them overall. After a close battle, Olly took the first race and eventually got past Phil to also take the second. In the Colne Point Race, all the Shadows battled closely in the estuary with Olly eventually taking the lead from Phil off West Mersea. Joining up the patches of pressure and finding the best way through the tide being the important factors upwind. Olly managed to hold onto the lead all the way back downwind with Phil and an F16 chasing hard. Both sailors were some way ahead of the other Shadows with the two leaders making far fewer errors, which in a four hour race translates into a big distance! On both days there were 3 Shadows in the top 10 overall, also taking 2^nd, 3^rd and 7^th in the Colne Point Race. (The week after the event, the club re- calculated the results, using the correct rating for the F16, putting a Shadow 1st in the Colne Point Race)

It was, as always, a great weekend and any cat sailor who has not done the Piers Race needs their heads examined – especially as the alternative was that penalty shoot out! (1^st Olly Harris (Weston); 2^nd Phil Neal (Rutland); 3^rd  David Brief (GWSC); 4^th Peter King (Pevensey Bay)

Rutland Water TT - 13/14 May 2006

Could it really be mid May? Rutland Water provided a cold, grey weekend for the first Shadow TT of the season with many sailors wishing they had brought their winter gear with them! Winds were predominantly light and shifty with Sunday stronger than Saturday. Nevertheless, the race officer managed to get five races in giving us a very long afternoon on the water on Saturday. Racing within the Open Handicap fleet, it was essential to get a good start and thereafter avoid the traffic and Phil Neal was particularly inspired in the latter!  Phil sailed consistently fast all weekend winning three races with Olly Harris taking the other two. The racing on Sunday was closer with the Shadows staying close together until the later stages when Olly and Phil’s superior boat handling began to tell. Being a strict one design, there was very little difference in pure boat speed with the ability to find the fastest bands of breeze making all the difference, especially downwind. The closest race was Race 4 where Olly led Phil until the final leeward mark only for a shift to swing things Phil’s way on the beat to the finish. The next TT will be at The East Coast Piers Race on 1^st/ 2^nd July.  

Results: 1. Phil Neal (RSC) 2. Olly Harris (Weston) 3. David Brief (GWSC) 4. Anthony Wykes (RSC)

Results table 2006

There are 4 events in the Series, with 3 to count to the overall result.

At the East Coast Piers Race weekend, the Colne Point race contributes double points to the overall result for that weekend.

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