United Kingdom Fireball Association
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2007

7-8 July 2007 Parkstone SC

It was pure champagne sailing for the Fireball Open at Parkstone over the weekend of 7th and 8th July; sunshine and breeze.

Race 1 started in 10 knots. Class newcomers, Tom Jeffcoate and Mark Hogan, showed impressive speed to lead for most of the race but as the breeze built they were overhauled by double World Champion DJ Edwards and Simon Potts on the final triangle. Edwards took the winner's gun, with Jeffcoate 2nd and Chips Howarth and Vyv Townend 3rd.

The wind built to 17 knots for Race 2. Edwards took an early lead but it was the conditions in which Adam Whitehouse and Mike Pratt revel and they swapped the lead with Edwards throughout the race eventually taking the winners gun with Vince Horey and Andy Thompson third.

Sunday dawned with little breeze, but after a postponement the sea breeze kicked in at lunchtime to provide some excellent racing out in the bay. Howarth led from start to finish with Jeffcoate 2nd and Horey 3rd.

Going into the final race, Howarth, Jeffcoate and Horey were all in with a shout of winning. However, it was Howarth who once again led from the start and extended his lead to comfortably win the race and the meeting, with Jeffcoate 2nd and Becky Priest and Tim Sanders 3rd.

Overall Results:

1st 14830 Chips Howarth & Vyv Townend (Hayling Island/Bewl Valley SC) 5pts
2nd 14960 Tom Jeffcoate & Mark Hogan (Notts County SC) 6pts
3rd 14920 Vince Horey & Andy Thompson (King George SC) 10pts
4th 14954 Becky Priest & Tim Saunders (Staunton Harold SC) 13pts
5th 14941 Derian Scott & Andy Scott (Chew Valley Lake SC) 16pts
6th 14894 Noel Butler & Seamus Moore (DMYC/SSC) 18pts

16-17 June Shoreham SC Super Series

30 Fireballs enjoyed fantastic conditions at Shoreham Sailing Club on the 16th and 17th of June. The racing on Saturday was held in around 20 knots in big waves, classic Shoreham conditions!
Race 1 got underway under the black flag after one general recall. Whitehouse/Pratt led at the top mark but were past by 'DJ' Edwards/Simon Potts followed by Matt Mee/Richard Wagstaff. Edwards/Potts had rudder problems mid race which handed the lead to Mee/Wagstaff who led to the finish. Richard Estaugh/Rob Gardner made a late charge on the final run, pulling through to take 2nd with Whitehouse/Pratt 3rd.
Due to a number of capsizes, broken rigs and a spectacular 'pitchpole' by Vince Horey/Andy Thompson the nearby RNLI lifeboat advised the race officer to cancel racing for the day due to the worsening sea conditions.
Shoreham SC provided an excellent hog roast on the Saturday evening which was enjoyed by all, except the hog.
Sunday's forecast was for lighter winds, dropping throughout the day but still with great wave conditions. Race 2 was held in around 15 knots. Mee/Wagstaff took the gun comfortably from Whitehouse/Pratt who again led at the windward mark, and Becky Priest/Tim Saunders taking 3rd.
Race 3 was started in similar conditions with Horey/Thompson leading from the Left of the race course to be first at the top mark. They were followed in by Malcom Davies/Paul 'Spanner' Cullen. The second beat saw Mee/Wagstaff go from 4th to 1st . Keeping a loose cover on Edwards/Potts, they lead to the finish to take their 3rd bullet of the weekend and the event.
Race 4 was held in lighter conditions. Mee/Wagstaff had headed in leaving Noel Butler/Ian Gibbs to take the lead at the windward mark. Edwards/Potts worked their magic to take top spot with a tussle for 2nd and 3rd resulting in Butler/Gibbs just pipping Kev Hope/Russell Thorn on the line.
An excellent weekends racing was had by all, thanks to everyone from Shoreham SC for a fantastic event. Next stop Parkstone on the 7th/8th of July.

full results

19 20 May Notts County Golden Dolphin

Nearly thirty Fireballs from all over the UK made the trip to Notts County Sailing Club for the second event in the Fireball Golden Dolphin series.

The conditions proved testing for all the fleet with winds squalling to an estimate force 6 or 7, though the winds were generally nearer a force 4 to 5 in the gusts, making for some exciting and enjoyable sailing on the Saturday.

Vince Horey from King George SC took the first race crewed by Andy Thompson. The second race held back to back and saw Andy Smith crewed by John Mildrew from Notts County take the lead at the first mark, from where he pulled out nearly a leg clear of the fleet by the end of the race. He also won the following race giving a commanding lead by the end of the first days racing.

Meanwhile second and third were much closer with Vince Horey having two fourths, Richard Mason a fourth & third and John Curzon a couple of thirds.

Sunday dawned sunny but calm with just enough wind to run one race won by Richard Mason & Simon Hextell from the home club, giving them second overall. Tom Fenn was second and Nigel Potter third

Full Results

28th and 29th April Chew Valley Super Series

35 fireballs took part in the excellent racing at Chew Valley Lake SC on the 28th-29th of April. 3 back to back races were held on Saturday and Sunday.
Saturday's racing was held in a north easterly variable breeze gusting up to 15 knots. Matt Mee/ Richard Wagstaff led round the top mark in race 1, only to be caught on the second reach by the chasing bunch. It was Adam Whitehouse/ Mike Pratt who came through and took the win followed by Mee/Wagstaff 2nd and Alex Taylor/ Byran Mobbs in 3rd place.
Race 2 saw Andy Pearce/Olly Goldsmith break away from the fleet at the top mark never to be seen again, leaving the rest of the fleet struggling with the shifting conditions resulting in lots of place changing, Kevin Hope and Russell Thorne eventually winning the battle for 2nd.
In Race 3 Mee/Wagstaff led at the top mark who were pushed all the way round by Whitehouse/Pratt who finished a close 2nd. Vince Horey/Andy Thompson came in 3rd closely followed by the improving Tom Jeffcoate with guest crew Dave Hynes.
Sunday's racing was held in lighter conditions of around 10 knots from the same direction.
Race 4 saw Whitehouse/Pratt take the win followed by Mark Maskell/Jon Watkins with Noel "Cheap flights" Butler/ Jon Bale in 3rd.
Races 5 & 6 saw Mee/Wagstaff post a 1st and a 2nd giving them the overall win from Whitehouse/Pratt in 2nd and consistent Dave Wade/Ben Dunton finishing 3rd.
1st Silver Fleet James Fryatt and Richard Anderton
1st Bronze Fleet Christine Slater and Graham Slater
1st Classic Boat Tom Burrows and Tom Greenhalgh
1st Lady Helm Becky Priest
1st Lady Crew Andrea Wilcocks
1st U21 Helm Matt Mee
1st U21 Crew Rob Higgins

Full Results

14th and 15th April Grafham Golden Dolphin

27 Fireballs joined the Flying Fifteens at Grafham. The fog cleared and a light breeze allowing marginal trapezing in the sunny conditions developed.
Few boats had read the sailing instructions section on number of laps and it was Andy Bines and Kerrie Forster who took full advantage from Vince Horey and Andy Thompson.
The shifting breeze was not to everyones liking but it was Richard Estaugh and Rob Gardener who took full advantage by winning the next two races to take the event from Kevin Hope/Russell Thorne and Derian Scott and Andy Scott.
Mark Maskell with his boat patched up after the last event (and his brother safely out the way) took 5th.
The next fireball event is at Chew Valley 28th/29th April, which is also the first event of the youth scholarship qualification series. For more details see the class website.
Full Results

28/03/07 Fireball Super Series at Staunton Harold Sailing Club

36 Fireballs lined up for the first Fireball open of the year including 15 boats from the home club. Moderate North Easterly winds made for cold hands on Saturday, but Sunday saw warmer and sunnier conditions.

As always the racing was close. Adam Whitehouse/Mike Pratt took line honours in race 1 continuing their good early season form from the Draycote winter series, with Richard Mason and Simon Hextall from Notts County second.

Race 2 went to Grahame Newton/Mark Stevens with Kev Hope/Russell Thorne 2nd with another home team of Tom Foskett/Tim Needham 3rd.

Race 3 saw a win for Matt Mee/Richard Wagstaff although they had already picked up an OCS in race 2 reducing their chances overall.

The apparently ‘retired’ Simon Maskell scurried off on Saturday evening after breaking brother Marks boat (you have told him?)  whilst the rest of the competitors enjoyed a sit down dinner. Some of the younger and older competitors ended the evening at a local nightclub which slowed some of them on Sunday.

An evenings clubbing had no ill effects on Newton, as he posted 1,2,2 on Sunday to take the event, as task made easier by Mee and Wagstaffs second black flag of the weekend which put them out of the running. Whitehouse and Pratt won the last race giving them second.

Silver fleet winners; Daren Fasey & Colin Davis

Bronze Fleet winners; Jonathan Cooper and Cheryl Jessop

First U21 Helm and Crew; Tom Foskett and Tim Needham

First U18 Helm; Tom Burrows
First U18 Crew; Simon Foskett

First Lady Helm; Becky Priest
First Lady Crew; Ali Cormack

Full Results here