GreatKit.com Sponsored UK Nationals

Filey SC - 25 - 28 August 2006

Report by Ian Renilson; Photography Carol Baker

The impressive turnout of 47 boats was treated to a warm welcome and excellent hospitality at Filey SC for the Greatkit Musto Skiff UK National Championships 2006. The boats came from 23 clubs spread all over mainland UK - from Peterhead in North East Scotland to Torbay in South West England.

Event sponsor Greatkit provided excellent prizes and mementos in the form of Gerber gear, and the class association kept the fleet informed of the latest information & results with an innovative and very useful text messaging service.

The event had a wide range of conditions, starting with light winds and finishing with two days of gusty 15 to 20 knots. In between there was a day of no wind - which was a good opportunity for the better sailors to help the others, encouraged by an enthusiastically applied buddy system.

The fleet is becoming increasingly competitive, but despite this the results were dominated by Richard Stenhouse from Rutland SC, who has regained the trophy that he last won in 2003. Richard puts much of his success down to his recent efforts to create a DVD for the class - which is making him think again about how he sails the boat and has led to improvements in his sailing.

Race Reports:

Day 1 (Friday)
The first day’s racing was dominated by a light sea breeze which eased and moved slowly right throughout the day.

Race 1
Richard Stenhouse (Rutland) led throughout the race to win from last year’s champion Ian Trotter (Derwent), who rolled Simon Reynolds (Whitstable) just short of the finish line.

Race 2
Ant Chapman (Rutland) showed the fleet his excellent light airs speed to win comfortably from Rick Perkins (Whitstable) who just squeezed past newcomer Fred Shone (Castle Cove).

Race 3
The start was postponed for 30 minutes to see if some wind would arrive.
The race was lead at the windward mark by Kit Stenhouse (Rutland), with newcomer John Reekie (Largs), Mike Palfreman (Starcross) and Ian Trotter close behind. Richard Stenhouse was down in 23rd place, and went right down the first run to lead at the leeward mark! He held on to take the win from Kit and Reekie.

Day 2 (Saturday)
There was no sailing due to the glassy-calm conditions.

Day 3 (Sunday)
Conditions were glorious, with 15-21 knots of gusty offshore breeze and brilliant sunshine, which remained for the whole day.

Race 4
After a general recall the fleet got away on the second time of asking, and immediately split with half the fleet going left and half going right. This was to be the form for the 4 races held, as the fleet looked for the best shifts on the upwind legs. Downwind was an exhilarating ride for all, with boats flying downwind in perfect conditions. Racing was very close throughout the whole fleet, with close battles emerging during the day.
Dave Poston (Datchet), Richard Stenhouse, Dan Dixon (Stone) and Graeme Oliver (Whitstable) showed good speed upwind to round in a close group. The battle then ensued for the lead, with Richard Stenhouse eventually winning from Dave Poston and Dixon.

Race 5
In identical conditions the fleet got away and again were headed by Dixon, Stenhouse and Poston with Ian Trotter, Rick Perkins, Gareth Davies (Stone) in close company. Dan Dixon opened up a big lead on the first downwind leg, but was caught by the fleet when undecided on which side of the second beat to take. Stenhouse again took the win from Perkins and Davies.

Race 6
Dave Poston sailed an excellent race to win convincingly from a close battle between Stenhouse and Trotter, with Ian Renilson (Dalgety Bay) and Dan Dixon in close company.

Race 7
Renilson was first to the windward mark, but was quickly overtaken by Stenhouse, who then showed the fleet how to sail in the conditions, and dominated the race. Whenever the group behind closed, he always managed to control his position in relation to any closing sailor, and won by a comfortable margin. He was followed home by Oliver; Trotter; and Renilson.

Day 4 (Monday)
The final day of racing was again sailed in bright sunshine and a gusty 15-20 knot offshore breeze.

Race 8:
A group containing Dan Dixon, Ian Renilson, Rick Perkins, Martin Goodlad (Peterhead) and Dave Poston broke away on the first beat, with Dixon sailing the shifts well to round in the lead. He then extended this to a comfortable margin from Poston, and looked to have the race under control. Unfortunately an error at the leeward mark saw him capsize, and although he recovered to post a 2nd position, it was not the result Dan was looking for. Dave Poston passed at this point, and held on for the win, with Renilson third.

Race 9:
A battle emerged at the front of the fleet between Richard Stenhouse, Dan Dixon and Dave Poston. This was soon joined by Ian Renilson, Ian Trotter and Rick Perkins, with Simon Reynolds sailing consistently close behind. Ian Trotter held off Dan Dixon and Richard Stenhouse, but was eventually overhauled, when he went left downwind, and the other two went right. Stenhouse held on for the win, closely followed by Trotter, Dixon and Renilson.

Race 10:
Richard Stenhouse rounded the windward mark in the lead, and held off the challenges from behind with an excellent display of tactical covering in the shifting conditions, to become the worthy winner of the Greatkit/Gerber sponsored UK National championships. Dan Dixon was second and Ian Trotter third.

Thanks to all our generous sponsors, Greatkit, Musto, Hyde Sails, Harken, Selden and Force 5 Marketing for supporting the class, and to Filey Sailing Club’s team led by Peter Crooks (PRO) and Paul Tyndall (Events Coordinator) for a superbly run event.

Overall Results:

1st Helly Hansen - Richard Stenhouse (Rutland Sailing Club)
2nd Trident - Ian Trotter Derwent (Reservoir Sailing Club)
3rd Sunrise Engineering - Ian Renilson (Dalgety Bay Sailing Club)
4th Dan Dixon (Stone Sailing Club)
5th Harken - Rick Perkins (Whitstable Yacht Club)
6th Blighline - Simon Reynolds (Whitstable Yacht Club)
7th Mark Addison (Stokes Bay Sailing Club)
8th Dave Poston (Datchet Water Sailing Club)
9th BovBoats.co.uk - Graeme Oliver (Whitstable Yacht Club)
10th Selden - Ant Chapman (Rutland Sailing Club)

1st Silver fleet, Gareth Davies (Stone Sailing Club)
2nd Silver fleet, Gavin Homer (Dalgety Bay Sailing Club)
3rd Silver fleet, Will Crocker (Emberton Park Sailing Club)

Buddies: Barry Shotton & Gavin Homer

Full Results >>>

Photo Gallery by Carol Baker >>>

Pre event information for the record >>>