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Maritimo 2023 S-Series LEADERBOARD

Great North Asymmetric Challenge (GNAC) 2022

by Paul Allen 20 Sep 2022 13:58 UTC
Great North Asymmetric Challenge (GNAC) 2022 © William Carruthers

140 competitors sailing 74 boats ignored the forecast and headed to Costa del Bass for the 11th Great North Asymmetric Challenge. This popular event attracts the who's who of asymmetric sailing in the North, with this year's entries over double what they were pre Covid. During the briefing visitors and members fell silent for one minute to honour Queen Elizabeth II.

The forecast was light winds Saturday and nowt on Sunday, but the reality was much better with sunshine and a force three on Saturday and similar on Sunday until the rain arrived and the wind faded for the last race. Race Officer Andy Smith and his team on the Bates set a busy schedule of four races per day, with quick turn arounds in-between races, no easy feat when the start line required constant tinkering in the shifting west to north westerly winds.

The fleet of 74 was split in two, with thirty RS400s and a handful of other fast asymmetrics starting first, shortly followed by twenty six RS200s also with a handful of similar speed asymmetrics including five youth teams sailing RS Fevas. The objective of splitting the fleets so the slower boats had a chance of a competitive start worked with seven races and seven different winners!

Following a postponed start and a course change, race one kicked off in a building force two to three. Those who started on the pin benefited from an early shift and tacked across those who started at the committee boat end. It was an RS200 top three, lead by Phil and Naomi Smith from Bass finishing thirty seconds ahead of John Reekie, also from Bass, sailing with his two sons Andrew and James - yes three in a boat!

With the breeze now in double figures the RS400s dominated race two. Dave Exley and Nige Hall (Bass/LLSC) used all two decades of their sailing partnership to finish 1st RS400 and first overall. Sam Waller and Martin Penty (Beaver SC) sailed consistently, adding a second to their fourth from the first race, also sailing an RS400.

In race three Jono Shelley and Graham Priestley (Ullswater YC) powered to victory sailing their VX One, finishing over two minutes clear of GNAC 2021 winners Chris Pickles and Matt Sharman who were second overall and first RS400.

The breeze began to ease for race four, the final race of the day. Sailing an RS400, Barrie Thornton and Nick Hunt (Scaling Dam) built a healthy thirty second lead to win, with Sam Waller and Martin Penty finishing second and making it a good day for the RS400s in the overall handicap. The RS400 of Sam Waller and Martin Penty lead overnight, counting eight points from four races. Phil and Naomi Smith were first RS200, counting just twelve points in fourth place overall.

As forecast, Sunday dawned windless, however by the time the fleet headed to the start line a west-northwest breeze kicked in, offering planing conditions to those who managed to spot the gusts and stay in the breeze. The RS200s dominated race five, won by Andrew Brown and Alex Sutcliffe (Tynemouth SC) with Phil and Naomi Smith not far behind. Starting day two as strong as their day one, Sam Waller and Martin Penty added a third to their results, and with it what was beginning to look like an unbeatable score line.

Chris Pickles and Matt Sharman won race six, finishing just fourteen seconds ahead of the VX One, sailed by Jono Shelley and Graham Priestley. A break for lunch was welcomed, with toasted paninis flying out the Bass galley. On shore there was rumour that Sam Waller and Martin Penty had it in the bag, with a very strong score line of 4, 2, 7, 2, 3. Not bad in a mixed fleet of 74!

The breeze began to ease for the seventh and what would be final race. Sailing an RS400, Hamish Gledhill and Ross Southwell (LLSC) finished just seconds ahead of Dave and Jethro Gebhard, also sailing an RS400. The heavens opened as race eight commenced, resulting in the wind slowly fading to nothing.

With dark clouds on the horizon the race officer made the right call and abandoned the final race as little to no progress was being made for those still to finish.

Sailing an RS400, Sam Waller and Martin Penty (Beaver SC) finished first overall and first RS400, counting just fourteen points from seven races. Chris Pickles and Matt Sharman, also sailing an RS400, finished second overall. In third place, and first RS200 was Phil and Naomi Smith from Bass.

Throughout the fleet there was some excellent performances, lot's of juniors and new teams mixing it up with the adults, and four female RS400 helms really encouraging to see.

What an incredible event both on and off the water. The racing was as frantic as it was exciting. 24 Bass asymmetrics on the water joined by 50 visiting entries.

GNAC 2023 - can we make 100 boats?

Overall Results:

PosClassSail_NoHelmCrewClubPYR1R2R3R4R5R6R7Pts
1stRS 4001492Sam WallerMartin PentyBeaver942427235314
2ndRS 4001453PixMattBassenthwaite SC9426OCS2851721
3rdRS 2001369Phil SmithNaomi SmithBassenthwaite104618652242322
4thVX One180Jono ShelleyGraham PriestleyUYC860DNF3172421124
5thRS 2001682Andrew BrownAlex SutcliffeTynemouth SC1046165183111RDG25
6thRS 4001511Hamish GledhillRoss SouthwellWest Riding/Leigh and Lowton SC9425541410203132
7thRS 4001460Dave ExleyNigel HallBass942713223084041
8thRS 2001606Martin JoesburySian JoesburyBudworth10463102911620.51343
9thRS 200600Fiona RiggHelen WightmanEast Lothian Yacht Club10461769214141649
10thRS 4001455Garry KnottAmy Hinsliff‑SmithNotts County Sailing Club942109101540.59.53753.5
11thRS 4001414Alex OystonNathan BatchelorTynemouth SC942361319616.571254.5
12thRS 4001398Philip MurrayNeil SchofieldTynemouth942297OCS4349.5857.5
13thRS 2001709Alex LeonardOlivia LeonardBass SC104611195267441759
14thRS 200990Luke ShawMarie ShawBudworth/Bass SC104652841710382460
15thRS 4001508Richard CatchpoleGary CoopLeigh & Lowton SC942815112322.520.5963.5
16thRS 4001316Mike sauloliver KentYorkshire dales942132749184361074
17thRS 2001642John WilsonLaura GloverEast Lothian Yacht Club1046272013121218DNC75
18thRS 2001068Martin SmithBarbara SmithYorkshire dales sailing club104614171213.51940.52075.5
19thRS 4001467Martin SpencerVanessa EvansLLSC94223352793941578
20thRS 2001120Peter CollingsIona SmithCSSC1046302221.5191435.5581.5
21stRS 2001314Jon ChapmanWendy MarrinBudworth10465716172816.5191482.5
22ndRS 2001730Kevin GeraldBex SmithBudworth104659142333935.5483
23rdRS 4001456Barrie ThorntonNick HuntScaling Dam9421925151272628.586
24thRS 2001560Jon WardHether WardBudworth SC1046202116DNC11292189
25thRS 2001037John ReekieJames & Andrew ReekieBassenthwaite SC104622920DNC15422692
26thRS 200728Adam CatlowMartyn CatlowLeigh & Lowton10462211323113311996
27thRS 4001484Mark SomervilleJoe RobertsBassenthwaite SC9421523.525.534261338.5103
28thRS 200807Phil DavenportOscar DavenportBass SC104625123427182722104
29thRS 400973Dave GebhardJethro GebhardDRSC942OCS34332532152107
30thRS 2001739Ginger PhilPoppy Christie 1046382682022.540.5DNC114.5
31stRS FEVA XL4766Emilia KiddFriedrich WoodsDRSC124432325416211631116
32ndRS 4001410Jacob AinsworthKayleigh RobertsTynemouth SC94218373024472336131
33rdRS 4001191Louise MckeandAlistair CoatesBass9422838.521.538.5253425133.5
34thRS FEVA XL4470Ben WelfareAda DanielsLLSC/DRSC124437456213.5351238.5136
35thRS 100 8.4360Andrew Todd Bala/Chester1004244124324417DNC138
36thRS 2001437Adam DinAlastair RimmerHLSC/SSC10466323.525.5OCS284318138
37thRS 4001461Caroline ExleyJude AllenBass94212363643662533142
38thRS 4008Keith EscrittIan EscrittYorkshire Dales SC9424130313750.5DNC6145
39thRS 4001197Robin DawsonMike CowanBassenthwaite94293338DNC3732DNC149
40thRS 2001071Matthew SomervilleHenry BullenBass SC104662DNC353684532156
41stRS 100 10.2481Ethan Dawson Bassenthwaite98126505730293934158
42ndRS 4001370Peter TaylorRuary WilliamsonDalgety Bay SC94234403740422827166
43rdRS 2001033Gareth WilliamsJen WilliamsLeigh and Lowton SC104621182829DNCDNCDNC173
44thRS 4001513Neil ParkhurstThomas ParkhurstBeaver Sailing Club9426146.5OCS35362241180.5
45thRS 4001363Ross RyanKathryn Hinsliff‑SmithNotts County94233444442313343182
46thDevoti D‑One906Stuart Halman Leigh & Lowton948583142413351DNC198
47thRS 200223Lindsay McCoshPizzly BurroughsELYC10466443604440.55230209.5
48thRS 4001148Hester RobertsonRichard HopeDalgety Bay94242665149453746219
49thRS 4001427Carl WhiteheadCarol MilnerFiley/YDSC94243.5424847494742221.5
50thRS 400768Angus MarshallImogen Marshall 942314845504855DNC222
51stISO1008Paul AllenGrace & Reuben & OliverBass SC92243.55152DNC50.54928.5222.5
52ndRS 2001538Matthew LuxtonDesmond LuxtonStaunton Harold SC10464654.53948576435222.5
53rdRS 200507Stephen KirkpatrickGeorgia Kirkpatrick / Lucy ThomasBass SC10464846.54146524847228.5
54thRS FEVA XL5279Grace StockdaleIona CheyneBassenthwaite12443538.55957635445229.5
55thRS 200867Chris huntBeth huntBass104645565038.5656550239.5
56thRS 400603Graham FraserPatricia WellsTynemouth Sailing Club94240626356545044244
57thRS 4001136Justin SmithSarah KincaidTynemouth SC942OCSDNC47454630DNC245
58thRS 400451Alan BennettBen SandoverCarsington/ ECMBC942395765DNC3846DNC245
59thRS 200501Rob HowardClare HowardSunderland YC104649594052606049249
60thRS 2001312Paul ClarkEmily ClarkBass sc104647584651596248250
61stBuzz578Jacob DinKieron FreerHollingworth/Jumbles103051614353535652252
62ndRS 4001272Andy WilcoxHannah WilcoxBass SC94267495858585351269
63rdRS 400142Anthony WaltonPhilip CowansTSC94266525554565853270
64thRS FEVA XL9Tristan ShawCameron SomervilleBudworth/Bass SC1244DNCDNC5355615956284
65thRS 4001077Sven RichardsAndrew NelTynemouth SC94256655659626355288
66thDevoti D‑One7Steve Dawson LLSC9486053DNCDNC5557DNC302
67th29ER1Charlie ExleyJack ExleyBass SC90353646160DNCDNCDNC315
68th29ER2175Max rawlinsonMathew PosslethmwaiteRoa Island BC9035260DNCDNC6866DNC323
69th49ER132Colin RawlinsonGraeme RoweRoa Island BC697506366DNCDNCDNCDNC333
70thRS FEVA XL7814Charlie RowellToby KiddBass SC/DRSC1244DNCDNC64DNC64DNC54336
71stRS 400647Charlie ExleyJack ExleyBass SC942DNCDNCDNCDNC6761DNC359
72ndRS 200447James LawtonJosephRibble Cruising Club104654DNCDNCDNCDNCDNCDNC362
73rdNorfolk Punt94Andy TunnicliffeIan HopwoodBassenthwaite886DNC54.5DNCDNCDNCDNCDNC362.5
74th20002272Simon EvansLucy EvansDelph111465DNCDNCDNCDNCDNCDNC373
75thRS 2001510Brendan LynchEllen ClarkELYC1046DNCDNCDNCDNCDNCDNCDNC385
75thISO1032Andy thomasHenry KirkpatrickBassenthwaite922DNCDNCDNCDNCDNCDNCDNC385

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