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News / Edwards & Townend claim Inlands title at Chew

Fireball Inlands at Chew Valley Lake (1 of 20)
Photo © Andy Robinson
Photo © Errol Edwards
Photo © Andy Robinson
 
The Allen Brothers sponsored Fireball Inland Championships was held at the lovely Chew Valley SC this weekend. With 37 boats on the entry list, the final event of the season promised to be a corker and with amazing conditions on day 1, it certainly didn't disappoint. The fleet is enjoying a revival ahead of next years UK World Championships and it was great to see the return of some quality partnerships and the forming of new teams.

Race 1 got underway 1st time in 15 knots of breeze and bright sunshine. It was Jonny McGovern & Tim Carter from Port Dinorwic SC who made the most of the conditions. They headed a trio of boats who escaped the pack and used the subsequent laps to extend quite a significant lead over the remainder of the fleet. McGovern/Carter were kept honest by DJ Edwards and Vyv Townend, and the podium was completed by Pete Gray & Tim Saunders.

Race 2 saw the wind swing slightly east, dropping in strength and the sun disappear behind some ominous looking clouds. The fleet again got away 1st time but this time it was Lucy Boreham & Richard Anderton who led at the 1st mark after a disappointing result in race 1. They were chased down by Dave Hall & Paul Constable with Edwards/Townend and Gray/Saunders also in the mix. Some great racing ensued with cracking reaching conditions in a freshening breeze. The final order saw Edwards/Townend take the win with Hall/Constable in 2nd and the consistent Gray/Saunders bagging another 3rd place.

In race 3 the conditions remained largely the same and again there were plenty of place changes and some screaming reaches. Christine & Graham Slater led the 1st lap but the eventual winners were the formidable Edwards/Townend with Ally Martin and Russel Thorn taking a well deserved 2nd and Hall/Constable in 3rd.

The tired fleet retired to the bar for some beer and food and the warm hospitality (and great bar prices!) at Chew Valley SC.

Day 2 dawned with rain and low cloud. After some delay due to the changing conditions, race 1 got underway in the driving rain and a westerly breeze of 8-10 knots. It was the overnight leaders who made the most of the variable conditions and they went on to take another bullet from Gray/Saunders and Hall/Constable who completed the now familiar top 3.

In race 5 the wind freshened and moved left, leaving the 1st reach too tight for most, including Edwards/Townend who rounded the windward mark 1st. Towards the end of the reach they had to drop the kite and head up to make the mark but despite this, their lead remained unassailable and they took another bullet and won the event with a race to spare, allowing them an early shower. The majority of the fleet had to Aussie drop on the 1st reach to make the gybe mark and the freshening breeze took a few casualties.

Race 6, without the presence of the dominant winners, allowed the chasing pack to fight it out for the podium places and it was Hall/Constable who took a deserved win from Gray/Saunders.

The prize giving was well attended and there were generous prizes from Allen Brothers for 1st Youth boat, 1st Classic boat, 1st Lady, 1st, 2nd and 3rd in both Bronze and Silver fleets and prizes for the top 10 boats including the overall winner and the highest placed local crew.

The class really enjoyed the event and DJ Edwards led the show of appreciation to Chew Valley for their excellent organization and warmth.

More Errol Edwards photos can be found here.

Day 1 Photos by Andy Robinson 

Day 2 Photos by Andy Robinson 

Overall Results:

PosGroupSail NoHelmCrewClubR1R2R3R4R5R6Pts
1st Gold 15096 D.J.Edwards Vyv Townend Bewl Valley SC 2 1 1 1 1 (DNC) 6
2nd Gold 15073 Peter Gray Tim Saunders Staunton Harold 3 3 ‑11 2 2 2 12
3rd Gold 15100 David Hall Paul Constable Blackwater SC ‑6 2 3 4 3 1 13
4th Gold 15093 David Winder Simon Potts Hollingworth Lake 5 8 10 ‑12 4 4 31
5th Gold 15089 Jonny McGovern Tim Carter Port Dinorwic 1 15 7 3 6 (OCS) 32
6th Gold 15094 Ally Martin Russ Thorne Burghfield 7 6 2 ‑11 11 7 33
7th Gold 14898 Paul Cullen Adam Whitehouse Weirwood 4 ‑12 12 8 7 6 37
8th Gold 14941 Derian Scott Andy Scott CVLSC ‑15 9 4 9 8 RDG 39
9th Gold 15112 David Sayce Nick Rees Hayling Island 14 4 13 ‑21 10 5 46
10th Gold 14886 Simon Maskell Tom Maskell Hunts 17 ‑24 5 5 9 13 49
11th Gold 15113 Dave Wade Adrian Kenny Northampton 10 14 9 15 5 (DNF) 53
12th Gold 15081 Lucy Boreham Richard Anderton Chichester SC ‑20 5 14 10 17 8 54
13th Gold 14483 Allan Tyler Tim Parsons Lyme Regis 12 13 ‑19 6 15 15 61
14th Silver 15041 Maria Richards Richard Wagstaff Blackwater SC 21 7 (OCS) 14 20 3 65
15th Gold 15083 Chris Gill Jon Gill Portishead SC 13 (RAF) 6 22 14 12 67
16th Gold 15045 Christine Slater Graham Slater Portishead 19 17 8 ‑23 16 9 69
17th Silver 15115 Steve Jarred Nick Collins Blackwater SC ‑23 19 18 7 12 14 70
18th Silver 14928 Anthony Wilcocks James Wilcocks PYSC ‑26 18 16 18 13 11 76
19th Silver 15066 Mark Maskell Nigel Sheppard Blackwater SC 11 ‑26 21 16 22 21 91
20th Silver 14801 Richard Cornes James Goodfellow Whitstable ‑34 11 25 20 21 16 93
21st Silver 14834 Charlie Maunder Will Maunder CVLSC ‑28 16 20 19 19 19 93
22nd Silver 14909 Ian Priest Lucy Priest Scaling Dam 18 21 ‑23 17 23 17 96
23rd Silver 15091 John Smalley Adam Broughton CVLSC 24 20 15 ‑30 25 18 102
24th Gold 15070 D. Popple Gavin Tilson Shoreham 8 25 24 13 (DNC) OCS 108
25th Bronze 14991 Fiona Gray Tim Morgan Waldringfield 30 ‑31 17 26 18 22 113
26th Silver 14976 Nick Copsey Andrew Clarke HISC 16 23 26 25 24 (OCS) 114
27th Silver 15004 Rob Watson Si Forbes Staunton Harold 9 22 28 24 (DNC) DNC 121
28th Bronze 14889 Barry Smith Olivia Stidiek Thornbury SC 27 27 ‑29 28 26 23 131
29th Bronze 14391 Hannah Showell Jo Line Starcross ‑33 28 27 29 28 20 132
30th Silver 14821 Nick Hurst Jake Elsbury Hayling Island 22 29 22 27 (DNC) DNC 138
31st Bronze 14229 Geoff Holden Sophie Holden Northampton 25 ‑35 33 31 30 24 143
32nd Brass 14791 Angus Hemmings Steve Chesney Stokes Bay 29 10 31 (OCS) DNC DNC 146
33rd Bronze 14894 Bryan Thompson Torie Morley Cobnor ‑37 36 36 35 29 25 161
34th Bronze 15075 Andy Wilcocks Andrea Wilcocks Portishead 31 30 30 32 (DNC) DNC 161
35th Bronze 14761 Mark Dinwoodie Rory Dinwoodie CVLSC 35 34 34 33 27 (DNC) 163
36th Bronze 14624 Vicky Ellis Laurie Ellis CVLSC 36 32 35 34 31 (DNC) 168
37th Bronze 14950 Chris Thorne Jez White Lyme Regis 32 33 32 (DNC) DNC DNC 173

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