Please select your home edition
Edition
Savvy Navvy 2024

2023 Phantom National Championship at South Caernarvonshire Yacht Club - Day 2

by Mark Spruce 16 Sep 2023 20:18 UTC 16-18 September 2023
2023 Phantom Nationals at Abersoch Day 2 © Peter Hawkins

Harry Briddon continues to dominate

After an hour's postponement for lack of wind and a hold on shore to allow The Rock Triathlon and a paddle board race to finish on the beach, the fleet sailed out into a building ENE wind eventually reaching 12knts for the start of Race 3.

Pin end bias spread the fleet down the line with Briddon popping out clear ahead, tacking off the right to pick up a nice lifting breeze on the starboard lay-line into the first windward mark. He wasn't challenged from there with Martin Watts, Mike Webster and Nick Oram fighting for the podium places. Boring Briddon took another bullet.

The wind continued to build to 14/15knots for races 4 and 5 with 7-10degree, regular shifts and nice building swell waves. Finally, proper sea sailing that the Phantom revels in!

Briddon led round the course in Race 4 only to cross the finish line to silence at the end of long, alternating, two windward - leeward and 1 triangle laps. This gave the win to fast improving Jon Rickard (Hooe Point SC, Plymouth) who is blistering fast upwind in breeze. The medium to strong winds brought a new crop of sailors into the front of the fleet with Mike Tustin, Duncan Adams, Adam Froggat and Richard Cumberbatch all showing consistent speed to challenge the established class performers.

Race 5 saw normal service resumed with Briddon taking another well-deserved win. His upwind speed and tactics can't be faulted and he works hard on the waves upwind and down- all skills he no doubt learned sailing a Finn in the GB squad in a previous life.

The entire fleet revelled in the perfect angle, high-speed surfing plane back to the beach pushing exhausted hiking muscles for one last grinning buzz!

It was fantastic to see the entire fleet, including the winners rally round to help everyone onto trolleys and ashore through the surf on the beach. This show of class support has been echoed down then fleet throughout the last two days. Simon Hawkes lent a mast to a fellow sailor to keep him sailing and Martin Watts showed his boat work skills to fix Nick Oram's kicker to enable him to keep fighting for the overall podium.

Earlier during the pre-race postponement / hold on the beach, tension gauges and tape and rig set up tutorials were given, helping new sailors to fleet get to grips with the complexities of the very adjustable Phantom rig. Great to see.

Tonight, sees the Daily Prizegiving and Class AGM squeezed in around the WC Rugby (apparently, Religion up here in Wales this evening?). That's followed by a Pie & Mash Supper for all the fleet, volunteers and supporters.

Tomorrow sees the fleet tackle the final two races in similar conditions to today. I'm no mathematician but I'm not sure Harry Briddon can't be beaten. However, the increased breeze has really opened up the top 20 so everyone has skin in the game tomorrow. Watch this space!

Provisional results so far can be found here.

Related Articles

Phantom Eastern Series at Waveney & Oulton Broad
Another well-attended event for the finale The Phantom Eastern Series has been well attended all season and this weekend proved no different. Fifteen helms made their way to the Norfolk / Suffolk border for the Waveney and Oulton Broad Yacht Club two day Phantom open. Posted on 28 Oct
Phantom Open at Burton
Final event of the 2024 Midland Circuit series Perhaps it was the forecast of very light winds that dissuaded some, but six visitors arrived for the Burton Open meeting, the last of the Midland Circuit series. Posted on 15 Oct
Phantom SE Travellers Series at Broadwater
A warm welcome from the BSC members Broadwater Sailing Club hosted the final round of the 2024 Phantom Southeast Traveller Series on Saturday 5th October. The conditions were clear and bright, with forecasts predicting gusts up to 20kts. Posted on 9 Oct
Ovington Multiclass Open at the WPNSA Preview
This is the final big multiclass event of 2024! Entries are now open for our multiclass event down at Weymouth, WPNSA on 5th / 6th October. This is the final big multiclass event of 2024 and features top coaches Adam Bowers and Sam Pascoe, who will host a racing de-brief on Saturday night. Posted on 20 Sep
Burnham Week overall
Storms and sunshine, heartbreak and mast breaks, parties till dawn Storms and sunshine, heartbreak and mast breaks, parties till dawn, series decided in the last race, a regatta of many firsts - Burnham Week 2024 ended with a bang. Posted on 17 Sep
Allen Phantom UK Nationals overall
Jamie Morgan lifts the trophy on Day 3 What I did on Day 3 of my holidays at Sunderland Yacht Club, by Sprucey, age 62 half Posted on 10 Sep
Allen Phantom UK Nationals Day 2
Or what I did on day TWO of my holidays at Sunderland Yacht Club by Sprucey, age 62.5 It's been an "interesting" day! That's TWO times I've written that in TWO repots now - deja vue? I can only sum things up saying that it's been a day of TWOs, at least for your humble scribe. Why TWOs? Posted on 8 Sep
Allen Phantom UK Nationals Day 1
Or 'what I did on my holidays at Sunderland Yacht Club by Sprucey, age 62.5' It's been an "interesting" few days! Seven hours driving from the deep south and I hit the Wall where the Night Watch directed me to the city, past the stadium of light to Roker and Sunderland YC. Posted on 6 Sep
Burnham Week 2024 Day 8
Strong winds, high swell and overcast on Trophy Day Strong winds, high swell, overcast and the inaugural edition of the Dinghy Town Cup - the Burnham Week 2024 final day sees David Evans in Hullabaloo win the Town Cup Trophy for the second year in a row. Posted on 2 Sep
Burnham Week 2024 Day 7
Choppy, but sunny and decent breeze and a hard fought battle in the Squib fleet Choppy, but sunny and decent breeze and a hard fought battle in the Squib fleet on the penultimate day of this year's iconic East Coast regatta. Posted on 31 Aug
Savvy Navvy 2024Maritimo 2023 S600 FOOTER