Cherub National Championships 1965 – Harwich Town S.C.

Transcribed by Neil C from the report in Yachts & Yachting, origina author unknown

The Cherub Class National Championships were held under the burgee of Harwich Town S.C. on August 11th to 13th and were won by Nigel Vaughan-Smith of Lee-on-Solent S.C. in his Gregory Mark V “Isotope 920” and crewed by Jim Leslie from Lee. The organisation was excellent with very good courses using a windward starting line from a committee boat.

First Day

The first race was held in a Force 2 on a flat sea. “Micro” (Peter Lee) was first round the windward mark followed closely by “Isotope 920” and “Hart ta-Beat” (Robert Gregory). “isotope 920” and “Micro” were fighting neck and neck on the run and the next close fetch until, on rounding the mark on to a reach, “Isotope 920” took “Micro’s” wind and got by with spinnaker up. “Hart ta-Beat” was third. The second race was held over the same course in the same conditions and the order was “Isotope 920”, “Hart ta-Beat” and “Micro”.

Second Day

The wind had risen to Force 3-5 for the second day and a course was laid part in and part out of the harbour, giving very awkward seas in the harbour entrance. “Isotope 920” went into the lead on the first beat and increased it the whole way round. However, a battle for second place between “Micro” and “Hart ta-Beat” ended on a hairy spinnaker reach near the end of the second round when “Micro’s” shroud snapped. “Isotope 920” was first with “Hart ta-Beat” four minutes astern and “Lucifer” (Greg Gregory) a further eleven minutes behind. The fourth race was held over a short triangular course on flat seas in a Force 2-4. It was won by “Hart ta-Beat” with “Micro” second and “Isotope 920” third, thereby clinching the title.

Third Day

The fifth and final race on the third day was held over a similar course and in the same conditions as the third race. “Isotope 920” and “Hart ta-Beat” rounded the first mark together and on a broad spinnaker reach shot through the three or four boats in front of them into the lead. They fought on down this leg and up the next beat with first one, then the other, in front until “Isotope 920” misjudged the tide and hit a mark. “Hart ta-Beat” was first, “Micro” second and “Sredni Vashtar” (A.J.Maws) third. “Sredni Vashtar” was the only boat with a girl, Julia Vaughan-Smith, on the wire for all five races.

The overall positions were:

  • 1st, “Isotope 920” (N.V.Vaughan-Smith, Lee-on-Solent);
  • 2nd, “Hart ta-Beat” (R.C.Gregory, Lee-on-Solent SC);
  • 3rd, “Micro” (P.G.Lee, Island SC);
  • 4th, “Lucifer” (G.C.Gregory, Lee-on-Solent SC);
  • 6th, “Sredni Vashtar” (A.J.Maws, Lee-on-Solent SC).
  • history/1965-nats.txt
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