======UK National Championships 1997====== The Nationals were held at Babbacombe Corinthian S.C. near Torbay, Devon, a popular venue with the Class. Sunshine was plentiful, but the wind, quite frankly, sucked! A variety of changes have been made to different boats with the new rules, but only Dave Roe had managed all the permissible modifications, and no-one has yet completed a new "new rules" boat. The format of the Nationals was planned to be the now usual 3 races each session, with one session on the first and last days, and two on the middle days. Alas, it didn't quite turn out like that, but the event did confirm everyone's opinion that a 5 knot minimum wind speed was the way to go for future events, and this will now be written in Sailing Instructions. ====Day One==== A sort of half-hearted sea breeze with enough wind to get fully powered up in the stronger patches. ===Race 1=== A Windward/Leeward course with 6 to 8 Knots of breeze from the SW. The left hand side of the course right under the cliffs was generally better for tide & breeze, but with some huge holes & shifts. Dave Roe was still rigging up at the start [so what else is new - Editor]. Andy & Alex Paterson took the race comfortably, second were Mike Chalmers & Matt Stobbart, 3rd. Graham Dickenson & Sarah Tindal, with Simon Clifton 4th. ===Race 2=== Windward/Leeward 10 to 12 knots. Best race of the Nats. Again the cliffs had it by a short margin as the breeze had shifted more into the South so the middle of the course became better. Dave Roe won by several country miles. 2nd. Mike & Matt, 3rd. Andy P., 4th. Robin Russell & Alan Attlebury ===Race 3=== Windward/Leeward. Ten to 5 knots, dogging out at the end with the wind moving more into the South, going light & shifting in direction. Behind Dravo there were lots of place changes. Dave's win by a country mile. 2nd.Robin Russell 3rd. Andy P 4th. Mike & Matt. ===Day 2=== Not a wonderful sailing day, with the tide tending to dictate a long inshore tack and a short hitch out into the current. The morning started with a wait for the fog to clear & the breeze to fill - about 2 hours in all. Only three races could be fitted in. Andy Paterson was fastest in these conditions, even though Dave Roe was the only one with the new maximum sail area. ===Race 4.=== Light & full of holes. 5 to 7 Knots 1. Andy P 2.Mike & Matt 3.Davro 4. Andrew Kinchin & Simon Roberts ===Race 5=== Just about 5 knots. Light & getting worse. 1. Mike & Matt 2.Andy P. 3. Graham D. 4. Dravo ===Race 6=== 5 knots - Conditions NO COMMENT 1. Andy P. 2.Dravo 3.Mike & Matt 4.Graham D. And that was about that really. One start was made on the 3rd afternoon, and the race abandoned as the wind faded out, whilst the final day was virtually flat until everyone's boats were packed away, long after the prizegiving, when the sea breeze finally kicked in. =====Final Results=====
2650 Andy Paterson Alex Paterson Gurnard SC Paterson 6a 0.75 3 3 0.75 2 0.75 7.25
2637 Mike Chalmers Matt Stobbart Blackpool SC Bistro + 2 2 4 2 0.75 3 9.75
2660 Dave Roe Claire Spens Lee on Solent SC Pasta Frenzy mod 19 0.75 0.75 3 4 2 10.5
2647 Graham Dickenson Sarah Tindal Llangorse SC Bistro 3 7 5 5 3 4 20
2645 Andy Kinchin Simon Roberts Lee on Solent SC Dog mod 19 5 6 4 6 8 29
2666 Robin Russell Alan Attlebury Lee on Solent SC Pasta Frenzy 5 4 2 9 12 18 32
2642 Will Lee Sarah Griffith Aberdeen Uni. SC Bistro 6 8 10 6 7 6 33
2669 Simon Clifton Maddie James Stokes Bay SC Hardon 4 19 7 8 8 7 34
2522 Phil Alderson Jamie Hilton Aberdeen Uni. SC Easter Beagle 8 10 11 7 5 5 35
2662 Tim Dean Una-Mary Colclough Lee on Solent SC Pasta Frenzy 7 6 8 10 10 10 41
2547 Mike Rolf Grafham Water SC Forman 8 9 11 12 11 11 11 53
2652 Neil Cardno Ken Scott-Brown Royal Tay YC Flying Trifle 10 9 9 13 14 12 53
2651 Simon Baker Tracey Baker Mayflower SC 19 13 19 12 9 9 62
2648 Paul Berry Geraldine Rutter King George SC 11 12 13 16 17 16 68
2612 Brad Bunyard Staff Glover Hill Head SC Ellway 12 14 19 17 16 15 74
2623 Jonathan Garfitt Andrew Wallis Ely SC Paterson 19 19 19 14 13 13 78
2658 Bryan Gadd Pip Gadd Mounts Bay SC Barr 19 15 19 15 15 14 78
2668 Matt Searle Alex Matthews Weston SC Bistro 19 19 19 19 19 19 95