24 August 2014
Event Sponsored by Harken, Performance Penguin, fbm Holidays
Fireball Nationals 2014 - Tenby Sailing Club
Final day
With the event already in the bag for Gillard & Anderton, the final day could have been an anticlimax and in terms of the podium places it probably was. However the Fireball Nationals always offers more, and with prizes to play for across the fleet there was plenty of action in the last 2 races.
Going into the day, the Canadian team of Joe Jospe & Tom Egli were leading the Silver fleet on 88 points from Nick Copsey & Andy Clarke, one of a number of strong teams from the growing fleet at Hayling Island who were on 95. The Bronze fleet had a clearer leader in Martin Walker and John Piatt from Shoreham who had been sailing really well all week.
Race 9 got underway on a gate start in a fresh Northerly breeze around 13 knots. Ian Dobson & Tim Linsell got off to a flyer and in lovely sunny conditions they went on to take a well deserved race win. The Swiss pair of Claude Mermod & Ruedi Moser joined them on the podium, with Alex Taylor and Tim Saunders notching a great 3rd place.
For the final race of the series the wind freshened just before the start and the fleet enjoyed some champagne Fireball conditions to end the week. Gillard & Anderton displayed the form they had shown throughout and won it from Dobson & Linsell, with the Irish duo Barry McCartin & Conor Kinsella getting a well deserved 3rd. In the Silver fleet, Simon Lomas-Clark and Rob Daniels had an absolute flyer, carding a seventh to bring them within one point of a fleet win. Oh so close!
The day ended with a prize giving that included gifts for the team at Tenby who have been superb throughout, and also for the event organisers Jeremy and Sue Hurst who have dedicated themselves to arranging the last 4 Nationals.
Thanks to Tenby SC for their efforts on and off the water, to Jeremy and Sue for pulling it all together, again, and to the sponsors, Harken, Performance Penguin, North Sails and P&B, especially the title sponsors Harken, for the amazing range of prizes that were distributed throughout the fleet.
The Winners were:
Novice crew - Neil Ballard
Novice Helm - Tori Morley
Brixham Trophy - Christine & Graham Slater
1st Classic Boat- Tony Godwin & Joe Ironside
2nd Classic Boat - Tori Morley & Toby Hamer
Under 21 Helm - Nick Copsey
Under 21 Crew - Andy Clark
Lady Helm - Christine Slater
Lady Crew - Andrea Wilcox
Typhoon Perseverance - Barry Smith & Olivia Stodieck
Wheelchair Helm - Dave Hall
Wheelchair Crew - Russell Thorn
3rd Bronze- Colin Snowden & Karen Hiles
2nd Bronze - Dave Giles & Natalie Sansom
1st Bronze - Martin Walker & John Piatt
3rd Silver - Keith Walker & Rhys Pickett
2nd Silver - Simon Lomas-Clark & Rob Daniels
1st Silver - Joe Jospe & Tom Egli
10th - Kevin Hope & Russell Thorn
9th - Alex Taylor & Tim Saunders
8th - Dave Winder & Simon Potts/Tom Castle
7th - Dave Hall & Paul Constable/Simon Potts
6th - Claude Mermod & Ruedi Mosler
5th - Barry McCartin & Conor Kinsella
4th - Dave wade & Tim Hartley
3rd - Matt Burge & Simon Wheeler
2nd - Ian Dobson & Tim Linsell
1st - Tom Gillard & Richard Richard Anderton
Andy Robinson - 25th August 2014