GP Worlds: Day Three

GP World Championships - Day Three Report (07/08/2008)

Dobson & Tunnicliffe still lead despite mixed conditions on the Mailspeed Marine sponsored Day Three of the G.P.14 World Championships 2008.

Following yesterday’s abandonment, racing got back underway today at the G.P.14 World Championships hosted by South Caenarvonshire YC in Abersoch. Five time World Champions Richard Estaugh and Simon Potts found more familiar form, moving up the leader board to fourth after posting a first and a third in the two races sailed today. Overnight leaders and reigning champions Ian Dobson and Andy Tunnicliffe faltered a little in race one when they placed twelfth but hit back with a comprehensive win in the second race.

Race one got away cleanly in around ten to twelve knots of breeze and a short chop. Pathfinders Adam McGovern and Chris Robinson looked to be in a good place to take advantage of an early right hand shift and when they tacked on to starboard they looked to be leading comfortably. As the beat progressed however the wind shifted back to the left and it was those boats starting early who eventually found themselves able to tack and cross the fleet. First around the windward mark were Richard Instone and Steve Parker just ahead of Richard Estaugh. In third was Andy Hately and Frank Nickless followed by Alastair Duffin and Stephen Nelson. Overnight leaders Ian Dobson and Andy Tunnicliffe rounded back in thirteenth place.

Down the first run Estaugh eased past Instone to take a lead that he held easily to the finish. Richard Instone was able to stay ahead of Alastair Duffin to take second with Andy Hately coming home fourth. Having rounded the first mark in seventeenth place, Neil Platt & Jane Alexander made steady progress throughout the race to finish fifth which was good enough to give them the overall Championship lead after three races.

Having been promoted overnight from the Bronze fleet, Devin Goonwaredena & Jeremy Bolling finished forty fourth and led the Silver fleet by one point from Championship Chairman Ian Sinclair crewed by Alan Jones. Duncan and Gail Fraser’s sixty second earned them first place in the Bronze Fleet at this stage, ahead of Maurice Cooper & Karen Jewkes.

As the fleet awaited the start of the second race the weather quickly closed in with dark clouds, heavy rain and sea mist making for unpleasant conditions for both the competitors and race team. After a long delay, the rain cleared and the wind settled down enough for the course to be reset. However there was a further pause in proceedings when the subsequent start had to be abandoned. When racing finally got underway the breeze was up to around fifteen knots. Ian Dobson returned to his previous form to take race four by a comfortable margin ahead of Neil Marsden and Richard Estaugh. Ian Platt & Matt Johnson continued their consistent run of results with a fourth after a race long battle with Justin Jones & Lucy Evans. G.P.14 Class President Hugh Gill crewed by Ciaran Murphy had his best result of the regatta so far, finishing fifth.

In the overall standings and with one discard now in place, Ian Dobson & Andy Tunnicliffe had maintained their lead at the top of the leader board. Neil Marsden & Derek Hill moved up to second ahead of Neil Platt & Jane Alexander in third. Gerard O’Sulivan & Ben Saunders lead the Silver Fleet from Mark Greenhalgh & Paul O’Neil in second and Ian Sinclair & Alan Jones in third. In the Bronze Fleet, Mike Butler & Steve Caladine are leading with Duncan & Gail Fraser in second and Maurice Cooper & Karen Jewkes third.

Racing in the G.P.14 World Championships 2008 continues tomorrow with two more races scheduled. The final two Championship Races are scheduled to be sailed on Friday. As results and press releases become available they will be posted on the G.P.14 Website at www.gp14.org.

John Wormald’s (Totally Abersoch) photos from the Opening Ceremony and the racing on Day One can be found at http://john53.zenfolio.com/f757377055

Video clips of the racing on Day One and Day Three can be found on the Offshore Rules Website at www.offshorerules.com.

Photo credit: Justin Chisholm (www.offshorerules.com) Caption - ‘Richard Estaugh & Simon Potts won the first race of Day Three of the G.P.14 World Championships 2008’

The International G.P.14 Class Association are grateful for the generous support of their sponsors: Mailspeed Marine, Speed Sails, Harken, Goacher Sails and K. Drewe Insurance Brokers.

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