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5th & 6th June saw a slightly disappointing 15 Phantoms head South East for the Thorpe Bay Open for 2004. The forecast was for a sunny weekend with 5mph winds but a hope of some sea breeze! 3 races were held back to back on Saturday, with 2 more on Sunday, Saturday turned out light and shifty, as the sea breeze failed to materialise, while Sunday was slightly fresher but only peaking at an occasional F2-3.

Race 1 saw an early battle between Phil Argent, Neil Fulcher and Simon Childs, with Childs just squeezing round the windward mark in front. With Argent and Fulcher off to the wrong gybe mark, Childs battled with Andy Elliott for the lead before easing ahead to win, Alan Husk claiming 3rd.

Race 2 saw Argent ahead to an early lead, with Fulcher, Elliot and Childs in pursuit. The second beat proved decisive as the breeze disappeared and let Childs drift from 4th to 1st, straight between the others. With the race shortened, Childs claimed a lucky win from Elliot and Argent, Elliott having caused the kiss of death by suggesting a possible “Red Eye Sails” 1-2-3.

Race 3 followed, and Argent again made the mistake of getting into an early lead, with all the other contenders having to restart after the tide pushed them over the line. Argent held on until the run when Elliot and Childs split gybes, both going past. As the wind dropped Childs sailed away to a comfortable win from Elliot and Fulcher.

Race 4 started on Sunday with slightly more wind, the fleet started with Childs quickly out of the blocks, hotly pursued by new arrival Nick Beloe and Argent. Childs and Beloe had a close battle before Childs found a little more breeze to escape on the run, Beloe finished 2nd and Elliott 3rd.

Race 5 saw a one sided beat and again Childs and Beloe led at the first mark, the positions remained close with Paul Beasley having a good race in 3rd. After 4 laps Childs peeled off while leading for an early bath, having won the event, most of the rest of the fleet followed, possibly thinking they had finished. This left Beloe and Beasley ahead, and when Beloe headed straight for the shore at the gybe mark, Beasley took a comfortable win followed by Henry Ayres.

Childs therefore took the event with 4 firsts, and was pleased with the first competitive outing in his new boat, the Dorsal foils and Wavelength sail seeming to be on the pace straight out of the bag! With a few people experimenting with different sails and foils it looks like being an interesting build-up to the Major events to come later in the year.

Overall Results:

Pos     Sail No     Boat Name     Helm     Club     Pts

1st      1177      Magic Marine      Simon Childs      Grafham      4

2nd      5      Red Eye Sails      Andy Elliott      Rotherham      9

3rd      1096            Henry Ayres      West Oxfordshire      14.7

4th      1176      Wee Willy Winky      Phil Argent      Stone      19

5th      1135            Neil Fulcher      Stone      19

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