Please select your home edition
Edition
Savvy Navvy 2024

Challenger open meeting at Ogston Sailing Club

by Marion Edwards 9 Sep 14:33 UTC 7-8 September 2024
Challenger open meeting at Ogston © Marion Edwards

Usually the Challenger Open at Ogston SC is part of their general handicap event. However, this year the dates didn't work and Dave Driffill generously organised a special Challenger Open for us.

There were ten Challengers including seven visiting sailors, four of whom were kindly loaned Ogston Challengers. Caz Jerromes (4) was most insistent that the report include her thanks to Ogston SC for the loan of a boat because without it she would not have been able to come.

On Saturday the wind was an unhelpful north easterly meaning launch and recovery were on a lee shore but fortunately the winds were light, with a F2 possibly gusting F3 in the morning and a more consistent F3 in the afternoon. It was described by Caz and Chris Keats-Hannan (5), in unison, as "An extremely flukey wind and very frustrating".

Caz also said (with feeling) that "It was b***** hard work"!

As the fleet started launching for Race 1 Duncan Greenhalgh (280) discovered he couldn't hoist his sail. Having taken the mast down he discovered a loose rivet. It was nothing that couldn't be fixed (temporarily) with a hammer and a screwdriver but it meant that he was (very) late for the start.

The first lap was led by Graham Hall (270) but a combination of going the wrong way up the beat on lap 2 and finding some very unhelpful wind shifts on the final beat to the finish meant that he finished fourth. The race was won by Val Millward (312) (it's not surprising she said it was "wonderful") with Dave Driffill (275) in second and Bex Foulsham (3) sailing to a remarkable third place. Duncan managed to claw his way up to sixth. Caz was not happy to lose two places on the final beat.

The fleet returned to shore for an excellent lunch (excellent food is rather taken for granted at Ogston!).

In Race 2 Val reached the windward mark first and proceeded to head for the wrong mark. Duncan alerted her to her error.

The defining incident of Race 2 occurred at the second windward mark. Val, Graham and Duncan (or the "Terrible Trio") were approaching the mark on starboard in that order. Bex, rather unwisely, decided to approach on port, Val firmly shouted "starboard". Bex was unable to bear away as they would have hit Graham, so they rounded up, hit and proceeded to drag the mark.

The prime beneficiary of the manoeuvre was Graham as he would not have been able to round the mark in its original position but could in its new position! Duncan tried to think which rule Graham had broken but concluded that he hadn't so was unable to protest him! Graham managed to get past both Duncan and Val on the next beat and held the lead until the finish with Duncan taking second and Val third.

In race 3 Duncan executed a perfect port tack flier, crossing the whole fleet. David Chadwick (75), sailing in his first Challenger event, clearly recognised a good port tack flier when he saw one and described it as "Awesome". Unfortunately Duncan then proceeded to sail to the wrong mark! The Terrible Trio battled it out at the front with the lead changing on each lap.

Ultimately Graham came out on top with Val second. Val commented that the last race could have been anybody's but "if you didn't get it right you were stuffed"! In the silver fleet Stephen Thomas Bate (6) was very happy with his fifth place and so he should have been as ultimately this gave him the edge over Chris..

Duncan commented that the afternoon's saw excellent racing between the Terrible Trio. Dave Driffill couldn't quite capitalise on his Race 1 success and took two fourths behind them.

Cody Braithwaite (51) was also sailing in his first Challenger event and showed steady improvement throughout the day. He also provided much invaluable help launching and recovering the Challengers.

Dave had organised an evening meal at the club for those able to stay. No-one would go to their bed hungry.

Saturday night it began to rain (incessantly as Stephen said) disturbing those who were sleeping under canvas at the club.

Sunday morning was wet and windless. The race officer went out to have a look for wind and came back not having found any and a postponement was agreed - a number of sailors were desperate for the discard to kick in.

The race officer headed out again when the rain had eased and there were hints of a northerly breeze. Well, all the Challenger wind indicators were pointing that way and there were ripples on the water. He returned admitting defeat and racing was abandoned. The positions after racing on Saturday stood. Prize-giving took place immediately as everyone was in the clubhouse.

Graham and Val were only separated on countback with Graham scraping the event win. Dave took third by a single point from Duncan (who was no doubt ruing his errant mast rivet).

Stephen led the silver fleet by one point from Chris (who not surprisingly had very much wanted a fourth race) with Caz taking third.

Thank you to Ogston SC for hosting an excellent event and particularly to the race officer Phil Hind and assistant race officer Sarah Rumball, the safety crews and galley team. Thanks also to everyone who helped launch and recover the Challengers and to those who turned up on Sunday ready to launch them! Special thanks to Dave Driffill for organising the event.

Overall Results:

PosSail NoHelmClubR1R2R3Pts
1st270Graham HallRutland SC4116
2nd312Val MillwardRutland SC1326
3rd275Dave DriffillOgston SC24410
4th280Duncan GreenhalghBassenthwaite SC62311
5th3Bex FoulshamOxford Sailability35614
6th6Stephen Thomas BateAnnandale SC86519
7th5Chris Keats‑HannanOgston SC58720
8th4Caz JerromesRutland Sailability77923
9th51Cody BraithwaiteScaling Dam SC109827
10th75David ChadwickOgston SC9101029

Related Articles

UK Challenger Championships at Rutland
The wind began with a lively F5 gusting F7/8 Sixteen Challengers gathered at Rutland Sailing Club for the 2024 UK Open Challenger Championship on Friday 27 September. Unfortunately "gathering" was all they were going to do that day. Posted on 1 Oct
Challenger Travellers at Loch Earn
"Proper Scottish sailing," they said The strong winds forecast for Saturday 24th did not disappoint. The Westerly wind bounced down the Loch bringing gusts of up to 30mph. This proved to be ideal, with exciting, Challenger sailing, but the shifts demanding concentration from all sailors. Posted on 29 Aug
Scottish Open Challenger Championship
A great turnout at Loch Venachar Sailing Club On Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th August ten Challengers entered the SOCC hosted by Loch Venachar Sailing Club. A great turn out with competitors travelling from far and wide to sail in the heart of the Trossachs in Central Scotland. Posted on 11 Aug
Welsh Open Challenger Championship
For the first time in some years, the visitors were joined by the two local boats Five Challengers travelled to Llyn Brenig for the Welsh Open Challenger Championship. Most had rather trying journeys, especially the two sailors coming from the north. For the first time in some years, the visitors were joined by the two local boats. Posted on 23 Jul
English Open Challenger Championship
Another very successful event at Scaling Dam After a very successful event at Scaling Dam Sailing and Watersports Club in 2023 the Challengers returned in 2024 for the English Open Challenger Championship. Posted on 4 Jun
WISH SC Open Challenger Event
Six Challengers representing five clubs race at Wigan and St Helens SC After a very successful Challenger event WISH (Wigan and St Helens) Sailing Club in 2023 the Challengers returned for the weekend 18-19 May. Posted on 22 May
Challenger Travellers at Castle Semple
Launched on Saturday more in the hope than expectation of racing Seven Challengers raced at Castle Semple SC during the weekend 4-5 May. Chi Chian Wu was kindly loaned one of the Challengers based at Castle Semple SC and Lynn Steward of Wigan and St Helens SC borrowed a Sailability Scotland boat. Posted on 8 May
Challenger Coaching Weekend at Rutland
Led by Brett Cokayne, the RYA's National Sailability Developer The weekend 27-28 April saw the first Challenger event of the season. It was a coaching weekend led by Brett Cokayne, the RYA's National Sailability Developer. On Sunday Brett was joined by Andy Gordon of Scaling Dam. Posted on 1 May
Purple patch at the RYA Dinghy & Watersports Show
Clear the 'in' colour for sailors in 2024 Sailing fashion is a fickle thing, one minute yellow is all the rage, then red, then orange. In 2024 it was most definitely the colour purple. Posted on 26 Feb
Challengers in the Selden Sailjuice Winter Series
Seven took part in at least one event of the 2023-2024 series Challengers have taken part in the Sailjuice Winter Series almost since its inception and the 2023-2024 series was no exception. A total of seven Challengers took part in at least one event. Posted on 26 Feb
Maritimo 2023 S600 FOOTERSavvy Navvy 2024