Gill series #4 @ Royal Harwich

Round 4 of the 2007 National 12 Gill Series was held at Royal Harwich YC on 16 & 17 June, a joint meeting with Larks and Fireflies. With more than 60 boats, including 27 Twelves the event was an excellent success both on and off the water.

Race 1 saw Graham Camm and Zoe Ballantyne record a comfortable win.  In the second race Jon Ibbotson & Charlotte Stewart won from the chasing Camm & Ballantyne and then Tom Stewart & Elizabeth Ross.  The final race of the day saw a start line pile up at the pin involving a large blue boat caused chaos as the fleet tacked onto port to avoid each other.  Remarkably Richard Williams & Stella Brown emerged in the lead at the first mark.  A revved up Stewart & Ross worked their way through the fleet to win, ahead of Frances Gifford & Sophie Mackley and Antony & Jo Gifford.

Saturday night saw the bar open at 4pm, a Pimms party,  giant Jenga, Sumo wrestling, connect 4, croquet and bar boat racing in an inter class challenge.  A lot of fun was had by all; the Firefly team winning.

Sunday morning dawned with less wind.   Stewart & Ross reasserted their dominance, winning race 4 from Camm & Ballantyne, with John & Katy Meadowcroft in third.  The final race was a head to head between Camm & Ballantyne (who needed to win) and Stewart & Ross.  Early leaders Sam & Fiona Mettam were overhauled on the second beat by Gifford & Mackley who emerged from the pack by finding more wind on the right hand side of the course.   In their 26 year old Tigress Matt and Joe Stiles doggedly held on in the leading group.  With Stewart & Ross among the back markers, Camm & Ballantyne had the meeting up for grabs.  At the final gybe, seeking an inside overlap on leaders Ibbotson & Stewart, they fouled and had to take a 720.  The leaders were now very tightly packed with Stewart & Ross waiting to pounce.  They timed their run to perfection, getting  into the lead on the final beat, and winning from Gifford & Mackley, then  Ibbotson & Stewart, with the Stiles hanging on to 4^th.  By winning the final 3 races, Stewart & Ross won their first Gill meeting of the year.

Overall Results

1         N3501, Feeling Foolish, Tom Stewart & Elizabeth Ross, Royal Harwich YC

2         N3492, Numinous, Graham Camm & Zoe Ballantyne, Burghfield SC

3         N3494, Feeling Foolish, Jon Ibbotson & Charlotte Stewart, Royal Harwich YC

4         N3431, Feeling Foolish, Frances Gifford & Sophie Mackley, Aldeburgh YC

5         N3484, Paradox, Antony & Jo Gifford, Aldeburgh YC

6         N3450, Final Chapter, Richard Williams & Stella Brown, Royal Harwich YC

Admirals Cup

1         N3373, Baggy Trousers, Kevin & Lindsey Iles, Thorpe Bay YC

2         N3143, Tigress, Matt & Joe Stiles,  Wraysbury Lake SC

Family Cup

1         N3485, Paradigm, Gavin & Sabrina Willis, Bristol Corinthian YC

2         N3373, Baggy Trousers, Kevin & Lindsey Iles, Thorpe Bay YC