Hornet National Championship 2024 at Dabchicks Yacht Club - Day 1

Hornet Nationals at Dabchicks day 1 © DSC

The first day dawned and the fleet were greeted by a grey and mildly moist morning, wearing clothing more suited to the SailJuice Winter Series. We mustered for the briefing and under our honourable RO's guidance, studied the charts, weather and the obvious lack of water for the sail out.

Our defending champions were first off down the creek, only to make a quick 180 and return for a change of rudder. Showing just how far out the tide was!

A full compliment of hornets readied themselves for the start and despite two thirds believing they were OCS, all but one were clear.

Race 1

Tacking straight off onto Port, McNamara & Chatterton headed out to the right and led to the windward mark, closely followed by Garry/Woolner and Curtis/Poulloin until the reach which proved to be too tight for 3 sails. Sadly Curtis/Poulloin tried and failed in a spectacular synchronised swimming display.

The lead two, joined by Skudder/Hills and Coombe/Francis commanded from the front for the rest of the race and places changed for the following two laps with Garry/Woolner showing strong downwind pace to push into the lead, but a few short tacks up the beat proved costly.

Into the final run and McNamara was ahead, Skudder was chasing down and Garry had lit the afterburners. There was no catching Michael, but a tussle in the final boat length saw Garry take second by a microscopic margin from Skudder in third.

Race 2

A clear start for all and a snakes and ladders beat followed. With clouds everywhere and reading them proving as challenging as the Times Cryptic Crossword, first to the windward mark was Tom Guy.

The following reach was nothing short of a mess, with half the fleet going to the correct mark and half the fleet heading to a virtually identical incorrect mark, what could have been a comfortable three-sail saw Coombe and Guy dropping and rehoisting spinnakers and McNamara and Skudder storming into the lead. These two spent the rest of the 2.5 laps match racing until the final beat where Skudder nipped in front to take the gun.

Coombe, Curtis & Garry changed places and tussled at marks until the final beat saw Coombe put some distance in to take 3rd and a final surge from Jones/Anderson in 2193 put them between the two to take fifth.

With a short sail back on a flooding tide, the anticipation of beer and chilli started the real race!

Hornet Nationals at Dabchicks day 1 - photo © DSC

The most exciting part of the day was yet to come. The included meal was wolfed down before the quiz started.

An array of questions, picture rounds and almost bearable sailing chat filled the evening with the hosts proving most hospitable in every sense of the word.

In a surprise turn of events, the winning team after 120 questions and pictures, with a score of 102 was the Starcross/Castle Cove Hornet team "Up the Creek" comprising the least likely culprits you could imagine, Terry Curtis, Gavin Poulloin, Dick Garry, Sam Woolner, Tom Coombe and Kevin Francis. Sporting their winnings of six bottles of Prosecco!

What can Sunday bring? It's looking sunny and light, can the heavy boys keep the momentum going or the featherweights make the most of the gentle breaths?

Results after day 1: