(12/10/02) (21/10/02) (4/11/02) (17/11/02) (24/11/02)
(22/12/02)
The Winter Series at the Downs Sailing Club concluded on 22nd December. Out of the eight scheduled races only four were sailed due to inclement weather during December, however this was sufficient to produce an overall result. The winners were Ed and Sarah Styles, closely followed by Simon Cory and Annie Smith. The domination of the Buzzes was only broken by the RS400 of Richard White which took third place. In the slower boats, youth overcame experience with daughter Clare Stubbs beating father Chris into 7th place.
Results: 1st Ed and Sarah Styles (Buzz) 2nd Simon Cory and Annie Smith (Buzz) 3rd Richard White and Martyn Styles (RS400) 4th John Cass and Julia Brazil (Buzz) 5th Steve and Katie Restall (Buzz) 6th Clare Stubbs and Roger Phillips (RS200).
Downs SC members welcomed the New Year in style at a party at the Clubhouse. The proceeds were in aid of the club's potential Olympic sailors; Hugh Styles and Jenny Heeley who are hoping to represent GB in Athens in 2004. Over one hundred pounds were raised and the guests were entertained with live music from local band, Little Marrow.
(24/11/02)
The third race of the Winter Series at the Downs Sailing Club took place in a moderate breeze on a Sunday morning made more pleasant by the occasional flash of sunlight in between the clouds. The course was a triangle beginning with a short beat towards Dover and the fleet of sixteen boats quickly spread out as those further out to sea found more breeze. The first reach was fairly tight for the spinnaker boats, and as the breeze and tide strengthened throughout the race they found it more difficult to fly their kites. The RS400 of Richard White and Martyn Styles rapidly established a lead which they maintained throughout the race. Behind them, the Buzz fleet were closely packed but split by the RS400 of Chris Shelton and Dave Webb. Ed Styles and Simon Cory were having a tight contest in their Buzzes, but in the increasing breeze, Cory capsized on the beat when his mainsheet jammed and this allowed Ed to get away. The long leg down towards the pier became more exciting as the wind grew in strength and the spinnaker boats reached some impressive speeds. In the slower boats, the Stubbs clan were making it a family affair with parents in a Laser 2000 winning out over daughter Clare sailing an RS200 with Roger Philips.
Results: 1st Richard White and Martyn Styles (RS400) 2nd Ed and Sarah Styles (Buzz) 3rd Simon Cory and Annie Smith (Buzz) 4th Chris Dutton and Martin Wyman (Buzz) 5th John Cass and Julia Brazil (Buzz) 6th Chris Shelton and Dave Webb (RS400)
Elswhere, a group of juniors from the club attended an Optimist regatta held on the Serpentine in Central London. Three Downs members took part and finished near the top of the fleet: James Blackman (6th), Zara Brazil (7th) and Nathan Brazil (11th). The racing took place in light winds with a number of heavy showers, and the Downs results helped the South East Regional Team to win overall.
(17/11/02)
The annual prize-giving at Downs Sailing Club took place on Saturday evening
(photo attached) attended by around 80 members and guests. Commodore Dave Webb
presented the trophies and shared several humorous anecdotes about the
recipients (much to their embarrassment!)
Father and daughter team Ed and Sarah Styles walked off with the greatest number of prizes but they were closely followed by Simon Cory and Annie Smith, the latter also taking the Crew's trophy. Performances away from the club were also rewarded, with Chris Catt receiving the Millenium trophy, having achieved a 3rd and a 2nd in the Topper National and World Championships, respectively.
The conditions the following morning looked uninviting for sailing, with fog, rain and no wind. However a very light breeze from the South-West began to appear and the 2nd race of the Winter Series began after a delay of half an hour. With the 15 competitors closely bunched at the inshore end of the line it was inevitable that some would be over and there was a General Recall which meant that they had to start over again. The fleet got away cleanly the 2nd time and Richard White and Martyn Styles quickly built up a lead over a chasing swarm of Buzzes. There was close competition in the latter with Ed Styles and Steve Restall vying for the lead. The RS400 of Chris Shelton and Dave Webb was also going well. Further back, in the slower boats, Clare Stubbs and Roger Philips in an RS200 and John Wilkinson in his Albacore were keeping the leaders in their sights.
However it was all change on the final lap, the slow boats finished a lap early and were disadvantaged when the breeze began to fill in slightly along with the rain after they had finished. This made an exciting last lap for the faster boats and Chris Shelton managed to pass Richard White in the RS400s. Steve Restall won the battle of the Buzzes and Simon Cory made up a considerable amount of ground in the slightly stronger airs to take 4th place behing John Cass.
Results: 1st Steve and Katie Restall (Buzz) 2nd Ed and Sarah Styles (Buzz) 3rd John Cass and Julia Brazil (Buzz) 4th Simon Cory and Annie Smith (Buzz) 5th Chris Shelton and Dave Webb (RS400) 6th Richard White and Martyn Styles (RS400)
Following last week's gales, the sailors were pleased to see sunshine and a moderate South-westerley wind on Sunday when they arrived for the first race of the Winter series. The race officer set a triangular course beginning with a short beat towards Dover against the tide. With some big gusts and changes of wind direction close to the shore, and a steadier wind, but more tide further out, deciding how far to come inshore was key to success on this leg. Richard White and Martyn Styles in their RS400 pulled out a good lead followed by Simon Cory and Annie Smith in their Buzz. In the chasing pack, Clare Stubbs in an RS200 was doing well to keep in touch with some of the faster boats. There were a few capsizes in the gusts, which grew in strength towards the end of the race when a huge squall came through. The race officer sensibly shortened the race as nearly all the fleet capsized at least once, and there were a couple of bent masts. Coming ashore posed a few problems in the large waves but commodore Dave Webb showed us how to do it without getting his feet wet.
Results: 1st Simon Cory and Annie Smith (Buzz) 2nd John Cass and Julia Brazil (Buzz) 3rd Richard White and Martyn Styles (RS400) 4th Clare Stubbs and Roger Phillips (RS200) 5th Chris Dutton and Martin Wyman (Buzz) 6th Steve and Katie Restall (Buzz)
Following his 2nd position in the Topper World Championships and 3rd in the Nationals, Chris Catt claimed yet another prize to add to his bulging trophy cupboard. He took first place in the Topper Open meeting at Datchet, dominating the fleet and winning three out of the four races sailed. This win also brought him first place overall in the Travellers series which is a culmination of designated Topper Open meeting results over the season. Other Downs sailors were close behind in the Open meeting , with Robert Waite taking 2nd place and Mitch Webb, 8th.
On Sunday, the forecast gales did not appear until evening and so the two races in the morning were held in a steadily increasing Force 3-4 South-easterly. In the Pursuit race a trapezoidal course was set with a short beat towards Dover against both tide and wind. Nigel Cureton, sailing a Contender found the conditions to his liking and managed to pass the earlier starting Laser 2000 of Allan Dewar just before the finish to win overall. The wind had increased slightly for the points race and the course was lengthened to a triangle to give a longer beat. The fast handicap boats were closely bunched at the start but as the race progressed they split into two pairs of Buzzes and one of Contenders between which there was close competition. At the front the Buzz of Simon Cory led initially, but then was passed on the beat by Ed and Sarah Styles. In the second pair of Buzzes, John Cass passed Chris Dutton when the latter dropped his spinnaker on the reach in towards the shore but then on the beat the positions were reversed as Dutton pulled ahead. The Contenders were closely matched throughout but Tony Cook took the line honours.
Results: Pursuit Race 1st Nigel Cureton (Contender) 2nd Allan Dewar and J. Love (Laser 2000) 3rd Chris Dutton and Martin Wyman (Buzz) 4th Tony Cook (Contender) 5th Simon Cory and Annie Smith (Buzz) 6th Ed and Sarah Styles (Buzz)
Points Race: Fast Handicap 1st Ed and Sarah Styles (Buzz) 2nd Simon Cory and Annie Smith (Buzz) 3rd Tony Cook (Contender) 4th Chris Dutton and Martin Wyman (Buzz) 5th Nigel Cureton (Contender) 6th John Cass and Julia Brazil (Buzz) Slow Handicap 1st Allan Dewar and J. Love (Laser 2000) 2nd Rosie Lord (Topper)
12th/13th October
Three teams from Downs SC travelled to South-West London, close to Heathrow airport, to contest the final Buzz Open Meeting of the season over the weekend of 12th/13th October at Datchet Reservoir.
In the first race it was Steve & Katie Restall who looked good from the start and got the win, followed by Ed & Sarah Styles with Simon Cory and Annie Smith in third. The second race in similar condition of gusty force four a similar pattern emerged, however some close tactical battles allowed home boat of Roger & Robert Gates to take their first win of the series, the ever consistent Styles duo were second again and the Restalls third. Disaster struck in the Styles boat when their mast started to break whilst waiting for the third race, fortunately a replacement was available for Sundays racing. The final race on Saturday was sailed in slightly lighter conditions; many places changed until the Gates won another race. Simon Cory & Annie Smith were second.
Sunday brought much less wind to begin with, this suited Cory & Smith who won the first two races of the day, a battle emerged between the Restall's and the Gates's with the Gates's getting second on both occasions. The Styles were hard on the heels of the Restall's in fourth for both races. So with only one race left it was between Cory & Smith and the Gates's for the open meeting, one point separated the two boats. With slightly more wind for the last race it was again the Restall's, Gates's and Cory and Smith at the front with Styles & Styles close behind. The Restall's broke away from the chasing pack on the first lap, never looked back and won. A tense battle between Gates and Cory / Smith took place for the whole race but it was the Gates at the finish in second. This gave an overall win to the Gates and second to Cory & Smith only one point in front of the Restalls in third. Fourth overall went to Ed & Sarah Styles. This was a great result for Downs SC with their teams taking three of the top four places to add to the first, second and third that was achieved at Eastbourne earlier in the season.
Meanwhile, back at Deal, it looked as though a second Sunday's racing in the month would be lost, this time due to lack of wind. However, as the crews waited on the beach a band of wind began to work its way up the channel from the South. By the start of the race the wind strength had increased to a steady Force 2-3. The RS400 of Mike and Adam Heeley started well, followed by the Laser 2000 of Chris and Helen Stubbs. The twin trapeze flying machine of Eric Styles and Roger Phillips recovered from a poor start and made rapid inroads into their lead and then went ahead, but could not pull out a big enough lead to win on handicap. The Stubbs family dominated the slow handicap fleet, with father Chris in first place throughout, followed by daughter Clare, crewed by Sally Waite.
Results: Fast Handicap 1st Mike and Adam Heeley (RS400) 2nd Eric Styles and Roger Phillips (ES500) 3rd Chris and Nicky Dutton (Buzz)
Slow Handicap 1st Chris and Helen Stubbs (Laser 2000) 2nd Clare Stubbs and Sally Waite (Laser 2000) 3rd Mitch Web and Robert Waite (RS200) 4th John Wilkinson and Will Hardy (Albacore) 5th Clive Godderidge (Streaker)