Prizes for Bosham Sailing Club Finn Festival 2022
Published 09:52 on 19 Jul 2022
Photo Credit @ Chris Hatton
Prizes for Bosham Sailing Club Finn Festival 2022
Celebrating 70 years of Olympic Class Sailing at Bosham Sailing Club
A three-day celebration of seventy years of sailing Finns at Bosham took place 15th-17th July. It was also an opportunity to mark seventy years since the Finn was first sailed in the Olympics in Helsinki. Bosham SC has a fleet of eleven boats and is hoping to have more soon. Some have called Bosham SC the ancestral home of Finn sailing as the UK fleet started there soon after the design was finalised in 1949.
Twenty-six boats had entered but COVID took its toll and 23 actually competed over two days with three races per day. The event had a retro feel, not only because it was the 70th anniversary for the Finn fleet as an international class, but also within the fleet there three wooden-hulled 1950's and 60's classics, sailing with wooden and aluminium masts and Dacron sails. Moreover, adding spice to the sailing the courses set were around Chichester harbour using the local racing marks, several of which date from this early period in dinghy racing.
The sun blazed away as the days were to herald some historically high temperatures and unforgettable sailing in Chichester harbour. The weather patterns over the three days were virtually ideal with a sea breeze building each day from about 11.00.
Friday was an opportunity for visiting helms to familiarise themselves with the Chichester harbour waters. Cameron Tweedle ran the day's training providing his expert guidance as the current UK national champion. Starting with very little wind, as the day progressed, the wind built to a spectacular 15kts, about the limit for effective training communications. All participants gained and received their sailing skills under Cameron's excellent supervision. Topics covered included rig set up for a variety of conditions, faster tacking and just making the boat go faster.
Following a detailed briefing by the race officer Nick Fox, with stern warnings to get to the start area on time, the races on Saturday saw slightly less breeze than Friday's training day, but still sufficient to propel the fleet to several corners of the harbour. Sunday saw the return of the stronger breeze, but this time from a more awkward easterly direction.
Competition was tight as a different winner emerged at the end of each of three races, with some evidence that the previous days training had made a significant difference to some peoples sailing. Andrew Wylam, David Walker and Mathew Walker each scored bullets. Results were largely determined by the first beat, choosing the Itchenor shore paid off in races 1 & 2, but Dan Belton did well to come back from a choice of the Pilsey island shore in the first race. Race 3 was across the Winner Bank with a finish a long way down wind at Bosham Quay. It was noticeable that the lighter helms and those with local knowledge benefited from this format and Mathew Walker came through to win. Contrary to popular belief the old wooden boats demonstrated they are still competitive. Martin Hughes sailing a late 1950's Jeremy Rogers built Finn and a 1980's Musto Dacron sail, showed the fleet the way on several occasions during the day, placed in the top five all three races to complete the day in overall fourth place.
Bosham Sailing Club, hosted a magnificent Finn feast to commemorate the anniversary on Saturday night.
The meal was well attended by Finn sailors past and present with many Finn memories remembered and discussed. The event also sought to raise money for the Andrew Simpson Water Sports Foundation, to which purpose, Guest of Honour at the Dinner on Saturday evening was ex Olympian and multi medal winning coach David 'Sid' Howlett.
Day Two dawned with more gradient wind which built with an augmenting sea breeze, but stayed in the east. Easterlies in Chichester channel provided the Race Officer, Nick Fox with a significant headache to lay a windward leg and a fair start line sailing across the channel! This meant that the first beat was very short and crossing the strong spring tide made for some hectic activity on the start line and at the windward mark. Boat speeds were high with several downwind and reaching legs and boats covered the ground in quick time making for quite a short Race 4, won by Mathew Walker. The next race was longer, taking the sailors out into the harbour entrance, but as the wind built so the speeds went up with Roman Khodykin coming home first in 46 minutes. Determined to get at least one big race in before the end, the Race Officer sent the fleet across the harbour entrance and the Winner Bank before a big blast downwind to Finish at the Quay Line. Mathew Walker built a two-minute lead by the end, coming home in 1 hour 16 minutes.
All competitors received a commemorative hoodie and several product prizes from Force 4, Musto, Harken, Kingfisher ropes, Allen Brothers and Sandiline. Suntouched Sailboats liaised with all the industry sponsors and themselves sponsored the event.
Winner of The Bosham Plate as overall top boat was Mathew Walker, who also received a 25% discount off a new North sail. Winner of the Amoeba Trophy for overall fastest Classic (and fourth overall) was Martin Hughes, who also received a pair of new Musto Hiking Pants. Dan Belton took overall second place and Cameron Tweedle took third. All these winners also won traditional Bosham Sailing Club glassware.
The event was also sponsored by Edward Cooke (family lawyers) Covers (Timber & Builders Merchants), Devoti Sailing, Montezuma (chocolates) Treagust Butchers, Stride & Son (Chartered Surveyors, Estate Agents, Auctioneers & Valuers).
Results
1st Matthew Walker 8.0
2nd Dan Belton 18.0
3rd Cameron Tweedle 19.0
4th Martin Hughes (first Classic wooden Finn) 23.0
5th David Walker 34.0
6th Russ Ward 40.0
7th Andrew Wylem 40.0
Overall first place Finn
The Bosham Plate
A BSC glass
North Sails od 25% discount voucher for a new North Finn sail (to be redeemed via Suntouched Sailboats) - https://www.suntouched.co.uk/suntouchedsailboats_022.htm
Plus a Dib on the Dip (see below)
Overall first place Classic (Wood/Carbon Rig)
The Amoeba Cup
A BSC glass
1 pair of the new MUSTO FLEXLITE ALUMIN HIKING PANTS (Musto RRP is £250.00) - https://www.suntouched.co.uk/suntouchedsailboats_094.htm
Plus a Dib on the Dip (see below)
Second boat in category of modern boats
A BSC glass
A Sandiline Supplied Arctic Top XXL
A Sandiline £20 voucher
Plus a Dib on the Dip (see below
Second boat in Classic (Wood/Carbon Rig)
A BSC glass
A Sandiline £20 voucher
Plus a Dib on the Dip (see below)
Third boat in Modern Class
A BSC glass
A £20 voucher
plus first Dibs (see below)
Dib on the Dip includes:
Kingfishers supplied
12 control line ropes to length (i.e. for three boats)
1 length of Dyneema
8 spools of thin rope
2 woolly hats
2 mugs
1 belt
1 polo shirt
Allen Brothers supplied
3 wind indicators
3 sailing gloves
Harken Supplied
3 Dry Bags
10 XL T shirts
Sandiline Supplied
15 Neck warmers
3 Pairs Gloves
Additionally I would like to thank our Finn Organising Committee for the following very specific contributions:
·Viv Morgan and Rodney Cobb for the sponsorship drive and contributions to social media without them we would never have had the profile that we did have for this event.
·Doug Branson for having the vision and the design and fabrication skills to carry through a stylish event.
·Jem Drummond for organising the training day.
·Owen Muir-Davies for his deep experience in sailing event matters and liaising with the BSC office.
·Stephen Hart for his boundless enthusiasm and looking after our taste for beer and involving the WAGS!
·Merrick Rayner for liaising with Ben, Giles and Iain and bringing to the event a touch of class!
·David MacFarlane and Mike Storey for scrutiny of our NoR and SIs
Dick Pratt - Finn Class Captain
Last updated 11:51 on 12 March 2024
