Blue skies and a gentle force 3 greeted the 19 Fireballs who turned up at Hayling Island for the Peter Milne memorial open. Racing was tight with 8 ‘older’ wooden boots, including 4 classic Fireballs, K2, K6, K11 and K96, fighting it out with more modern Fireballs. This is a testimony to Peter, who in 1962 designed the Fireball, and like other radical designs of that era the boat has been tweaked here and there, but never been bettered!
The racing was held ‘around the cans’ inside Chichester harbour. The first race with a beat against the Emsworth tide meant it paid to stay right. The reunited team of Andy Pearce and Adam Broughton fought it out with locals Walker and Pickett. After a tight reach it was a beat into East Head, before a reach and run back down the Emsworth channel. On the next round National Champions Dave Wade and Ben McGrane pulled through to 2nd.
The second race was more challenging with gains possible by picking the right shifts and judging the tide right. But again Pearce and Broughton showed the way, hotly pursued by Becky Priest and Tim Saunders who managed to hold off Wade and McGrane who took third.
Further back K6 in original configuration of proctor B mast, wooden boom, no spinnaker or trapeze, held off the challenge from the other ‘classic’ Fireballs.
A great days sailing was concluded over tea, with Peter Cook who successfully raced with Peter Milne saying a few words, and Maggie (Peter’s widow) presenting various prizes to throughout the fleet.
Results:
1st Overall 14820 Andy Pearce and Adam Broughton King and Queen SC
1st All wood boat 14576 Sam Downing and Alex Downing Parkstone YC
1st Classic boat 6 Chris Turner and Helen Turner Dell Quay SC
Photos on Picasa thanks to Fiona Sayce for taking the photos and Greg Byrom for uploading.