Rooster Lark Nationals Final Report

Just getting to a national championship is always hard work, what with arranging childcare, organising your neighbour to feed the cats, some people even have trouble remembering to bring the boat, but the 2007 Rooster Lark Nationals at Looe Sailing Club takes the biscuit. The journey through the floods to Looe was particularly difficult with some people resorting to sleeping in the middle lane of the M5 on the way down.

With scrutineering complete and a pleasant force 3 to 4 offshore breeze Harry Pynn & Clare Gosling won the practice race. The sun was spotted by a few crews on the second beat, a rarity this year!

Race 1 took place on the Sunday with a southwesterly force 3, bringing with it a large swell that would characterize the rest of the week. Simon Cox & Adam Owens got racing underway as pathfinders. Unfortunately for them the left paid up the first beat. Steve Dunn & Toby Lewis had a clear lead at the first windward mark that they held to the finish. After a close race Nigel Hufton & Ellie Bremer overtook Emma Harris & Becky Priest on the final reach to claim second place.

Race 2 took place in similar conditions. Again left paid up the first beat with Chris Fish & Beth Condie leading from start to finish. Hufton & Bremer showed consistency to claim another second. Steve Cumley & Eluned Jones claimed third.

An overnight gale caused a confused and awkward sea for Monday’s races. There was much amusement as the fleet assembled on the beach to watch a few boats attempt to launch in the surf. Although not as funny as the way back in later!

Race 3 was sailed under an overcast sky and force 3. Fish & Condie continued their winning ways with a second bullet in the testing conditions. Dunn & Lewis continued to put together a very credible campaign by finishing 2nd. With the conditions moderating slightly, Pynn & Gosling won race 4 from Cumley & Jones having taken advantage of more pressure on the right of the second beat.

A night of preparing new masts for some was rewarded with perfect conditions for the Tuesday. Race 5 took place in bright sunny conditions with a steady south-westerly force 3 to 4. The race track was slightly shorter than some expected causing many to over stand the laylines. Cumley & Jones were first to the windward mark and held their lead to the finish. Dunn & Lewis took second on the water to take the overall championship lead. Fish & Condie scored an eighth to drop to third overall.

Then on to the main event, the one they all come along for! The Crew’s race was held after the main race on the championship course. Becky Priest & Emma Harris won from the weeks’ on-fire pairing of Jeremy Stephens & Chris Whitehouse.

A very solid force 4/5 on Wednesday provided the most challenging conditions of the week. Race 6 was recalled, quite probably due to the fact that no one could see the pin end in the monster swell. Cumley & Jones lead around the windward mark enabling them to keep clear of the carnage at the first gybe mark where championship leaders Dunn & Lewis took a swim. Steve Hall & Simon Haighton eventually won from Alan Krailing & Ed McArdle with Cumley & Jones in third.

Cumley & Jones once again rounded the first mark of race 7 in the lead closely followed by Dunn & Lewis and Harris & Priest. With spinnakers finally in evidence on the reaches there was great opportunity for place changes. Dunn & Lewis pulled through to a lead that they held to the finish followed by Hall & Haighton in second.

The breeze increased further on Thursday meaning that racing was postponed, allowing the fleet to concentrate on getting fancy dress costumes ready for the evening.

Going in to the final day Dunn & Lewis maintained their overall lead closely followed by Cumley & Jones in second. Silver fleet sailors, Chris Whitehouse & Jeremy Stephens continued their consistent series and were in 3rd overall. Conditions were significantly lighter than the previous two days. The residual swell had turned into a difficult chop causing some of the hardest sailing conditions experienced at a Lark Nationals.

The race for the championship was on. Cumley & Jones signaled their intentions early with some aggressive pre-start maneuvering. Both boats were mid fleet at the first mark and were seen in a titanic luffing match on the first reach.

Meanwhile, at the front of the fleet, Krailing & McArdle finally rekindled their 2006 Nationals winning form to take a well deserved race win. Matt White & Harriet Steer took second place to enhance their top 10 position. The two championship contenders posted discards.

With conditions conspiring against them Dunn & Lewis had a huge challenge on their hands to steal back the lead. Once again a pre-start dual commenced and both boats were mid fleet at the first mark.

Surprise leaders at the first mark were Justin Jones & Lucy Evans followed by Jon Lewis & Tessa Nicholls. Lewis & Nicholls eventually took the lead to take the race win with an ecstatic Jones & Evans in second at their first Lark Nationals. In fact GP14 sailor Justin loves the class so much he's now going to buy his own boat!

Every year the depth of talent in the Lark Fleet increases and this was no more evident than 2007 where a number of pre-championship favorites struggled to hit their form. At the end Steve Cumley & Eluned Jones had done enough to win the 2007 Rooster Lark National Championships by a winning margin of 4.75 points from Steve Dunn & Toby Lewis.

Silver Fleet sailors Chris Whitehouse & Jeremy Stephens maintained their consistency throughout the week to take third overall from last years champions Alan Krailing & Ed McArdle in fourth and Emma Harris & Becky Priest in fifth.

The Bronze fleet was won by Will Branton & Helen Hunt who put together a very consistent series to finish in 25th place ahead of many Gold and Silver fleet sailors.

In time honored tradition the Lark Class maintained its reputation for the best socials! Not least with the Duckham’s that had some great nominations as well as the nightly victors of Toby Lewis, Steve Cumley, Simon Haighton, Alex Cruttenden, Rachel Rhodes and Dan Watson

Finally, the Lark Class would like to thank Looe Sailing Club and its members for hosting this memorable championship and to our event sponsor Rooster who along with Pedrollo, Speed Sails and Pinnell & Bax who provided the excellent prizes.

Overall Results

1st 2496 Steve Cumley & Eluned Jones (Barnt Green SC) 23.75pts
2nd 2264 Steve Dunn & Toby Lewis (RYA) 28.50pts
3rd 2411 Chris Whitehouse & Jeremy Stephens (Ranelagh SC) 37.00pts
4th 2464 Alan Krailing & Ed McArdle (Waldringfield SC) 38.75pts
5th 2311 Emma Harris & Becky Priest (Waldringfield SC) 42.00pts
6th 2471 Matthew White & Harriet Steer (Waldringfield SC) 46.00pts
7th 2491 Stephen & Chris Videlo (Waldringfield SC) 49.00pts
8th 2494 Christopher Fish & Beth Condie (Waldringfield SC) 50.50pts
9th 2356 Jonathan Lewis & Tessa Nicholls (Burghfield SC) 56.75pts
10th 2452 Harry Pynn & Clare Gosling (Waldringfield SC) 58.75pts

Simon Cox - 01st August 2007