Twenty-three snipers gathered at Blue Circle Sailing Club for the first Open meeting in the UK Snipe calendar. Members from all six UK chartered fleets sent competitors. Winds were fickle with huge wind shifts and never exceeded force 1.
The first race of five, sailed over the weekend of May 11-12 was delayed because of wind strength and also because of FOUR general recalls! As recently as three years ago such aggressive starting would have been unheard of in the UK but a training programme instigated by UK Coach Keith Butler has turned us Brits into demon starters and the scourge of race officers!
When racing did finally get under way, local team Chris and Sue Surridge picked their way through the shifts expertly to lead from bullet to bullet in their British ITSA Marine Snipe. They also had up the sails used by Doug Hart and Jon Rogers at last year's Snipe Worlds in Rimini. Maldon Yacht Club's Jonathan Simpson and Ian Sinclair, also in an ITSA boat, sailed brilliantly to come second and Junior Snipers Matt Silver and Matt Clarke went like a train to pilot the famous JAWS into third. JAWS has huge teeth painted on the bows and is quite intimidating when snapping at your transom. The artwork is however something of a giveaway to race offices when over the start line! Those of you who have long memories will remember another British Builder called Len Miller. JAWS is his most recent Snipe. Now some ten years old but still quick as the great shark itself. Len is recovering well after a recent long illness.
The second race was equally shifty and this time European Cup Champions Peter Wolstenholme and Alan Williams representing the Stone and Budworth Sailing Clubs won in a 25-year old borrowed Skipper Snipe. Richard and Nicky Lambert came second in their newly acquired Persson and UK National Secretary John Love steered his Skipper into third with daughter Debbie crewing.
A superb Thai dinner was wheeled in for the evening and fortunately there were no members of the local Constabulary to check whether we'd remembered to get a licence to sell the booze that also went down very well.
On Sunday, conditions did not alter very much which gave race officer and UK Snipe Chairman Derrick Crouch further headaches. When racing finally did commence, Chris and Sue Surridge again sailed with gereat skill in the zephyrs to post their second victory. Honoured guests Tim and Kay Tavinor came second, sailing Peter Wolstenholme's McLaughlin. Tim is supplying most of the Finns for Savannah and Kay is a former Europe Olympic triallist. Peter and Alan were third.
The fourth race was equally shifty and sailed back-to-back. Tim and Kay posted their first win in a Snipe after just four attempts, with Wolstenholme/Williams second and Richard and Nicky Lambert third.
The wind finally filled in for the fifth and final race. Chris and Sue underlined their domination with a third bullet. Richard and Nicky Lambert were second and Erith Yacht Club stalwarts Brian Gregory and George Mees came a well earned third.
1st GBR 28398 Chris & Sue Surridge Blue Circle SC 2nd GBR 26671 Tim & Kay Tavinor Maldon YC 3rd GBR 20557 Peter Wolstenholme & Alan Williams Stone SC/Budworth SC 4th GBR 28451 Richard & Nicky Lambert Blue Circle SC 5th GBR 24154 John & Debbie Love Budworth SC 6th GBR 20556 Iain & Richard Marshall Maldon YC --Richard LambertReturn to the Snipe Home Page