Lightning 368 Noble Marine Sea Championship 2024 at the Lymington Dinghy Regatta

Noble Marine Lightning 368 Sea Championship 2024 © John Butler

The Lightning 368 Sea Championship was once again part of the Lymington Dinghy Regatta held over the weekend of 1st and 2nd June 2024.

In the week leading up to the Regatta, the gales had swept the country, but were supposed to die away before the Regatta started. Seven of the eight entries arrived on Saturday morning (Paul Beven dropping out with a bad back) to find it was still very windy with gusts touching 30mph.

Race 1 - With the howling wind over tide, the waves were big and it was pretty scary conditions out there and it was impossible to hear any start guns. Simon Hopkins, down by the pin, out of the tide and the really big waves only realised the race had started when he saw boats hard on the wind and people sitting out. Consequently spent the first beat trapped between two Solo's to round mark one about 100 m behind Robbie Claridge, with father John Claridge a similar distance behind. I think by then all the other boats had called it a day and there were only the three left. Downwind was crazy. Personally, I wasn't brave enough to point the bow straight down hill and took the run in two reaches and yes I did my one and only gybe of the day and survived. Robbie pulled away out of sight and on the second run John decided to go straight downwind, overtaking Simon who was still reaching everywhere. It stayed the same to the end where the three boats all crossed the line close together. It later turns out Robbie had capsize 4 times due to his centreboard not staying down on the runs.

Race 2 - For the second race it got windier and the waves got bigger! It was the same order round the first mark, only this time Robbie was not risking the run in an attempt to keep the boat upright with his automatically raising centre board and was reaching down the runs with Simon. This allowed "downhill John" to sneak ahead of both of them on the second leg, which is where Simon met his end. Coming in to the leeward mark on port at warp speed he met a Topper on Starboard, also at warp speed and in the ensuing chaos of a bear away on to the dreaded run manage to lose control do an elegant windward capsize. After recovery and retirement, he found John had called it a day and only Robbie finished the race.

That evening the Lightning fleet descended on John Claridge's house, where they were all saying, ordered way too much Indian food and drank way too much wine to recover from the days events.

Noble Marine Lightning 368 Sea Championship 2024 - photo © John Butler

With Jason Gallagher having to leave for work and Paul Taylor deciding it was still too windy only five boats sailed out for day 2.

Race 3 - Today it was just very windy but completely sailable. At the start, Robbie was at the committee boat and Simon was right down by the pin with the intension of getting out of the tide and waves as quickly as possible. This was working and a perfectly time wind shift came in allowing him to tack on the port lay line and round well clear of the fleet. Following these two John was sailing a lonely race in third and John Butler and Caroline were having their own private battle. Downwind Robbie caught slowly then upwind Simon pulled away again and this stayed the same until the final mark. Simon was still clear but rounded behind a Scorpion (in a different race) who decided to luff Simon forcing him the tack off onto the unflavoured side of the beat. This allowed Robbie to close up and heading into the line there was nothing in it, but Rob was slightly further inshore, out of the tide and took the win by half a beep. John C came in third whilst John B held of Caroline for fourth.

Race 4 - No mistake this time and Robbie nailed the start midline when Simon was attempting a port start and had to dip the entire fleet. Rounding the first mark it was Robbie, Simon, John C and Caroline had the edge on John B. The lap was pretty static when everyone was surprised to get a shortened course flag after one lap. Rounding the penultimate mark Simon had a moment of Deja vue from race 3 when a Europe (in a different race) decided to luff him hogh of the mark and then cover him up the beat which was just enough to allow John C to slip ahead and it finished in that order. Caroline held on to fourth ahead of John B.

Noble Marine Lightning 368 Sea Championship 2024 - photo © John Butler

So congratulations to Robbie Claridge, our 2024 Noble Marine Sea Champion ahead of John Claridge and Simon Hopkins. The fleet now moves to a salty River at Up River YC for their Training day and over the weekend of 22-23rd June.

Overall Results: