Builder: Edel (FRA)
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Spinlock Sportsboat Regatta at Pwllheli Sailing Club
Author: Justin Chisholm
October 20th & 21st
Billed as a two weekend series the Spinlock Sportsboat Regatta was reduced to a four race series following the abandonment of the first weekend due to the October gales ravaging Cardigan Bay. A fleet of sixteen boats dominated by ten Cork 1720s took to the water on a warm and sunny Saturday morning. The forecast 20 knots failed to materialise but the substitute 10 knots breeze provided a close fought and tactically challenging series for the final sportsboat regatta of the year at Pwllheli Sailing Club. Club Commodore Richard Tudor and his race team once again ran a slick operation setting excellent windward-leeward courses throughout the weekend. Sailmakers representatives from Hydes, Quantum and Norths were in evidence throughout the fleet along with significant numbers of crew who had travelled from the south of England to enjoy the superb racing facilities at Pwllheli.
The first race was led until the final windward mark by Hyde Sail's Rob Larke steering Paul Kearn's Cork 1720 Holy Cow. Some shifty conditions at the end of this beat allowed Justin Chisholm's Cork 1720 Schullduggery back into contention. On the final run Holy Cow managed the gybes and downwind angles better to take the gun with Schullduggery second and Mike Budd fresh from his Mumm 30 Worlds top ten result third on Cork 1720 Gull.
A second race seemed unlikely when the breeze disappeared as the fleet were finishing the first race but the gods smiled on the race team and the fleet came to the line in an 8 knot shifty northerly. This start was blown off following some uncharacteristic bumping and banging at the committee boat end allegedly perpetrated by the normally mild mannered Johnny Rickards on Babbalaas. Chastened by this experience and assisted by a less biased start line the fleet got away at the second attempt. This time Gul found the fast pedal and were never challenged with Ian Williams in High Power Henry second and Holy Cow third.
Gul repeated their winning ways on Sunday morning with Schullduggery slotting in another second and Dave Ashcroft's Cosmic finishing third. Going into the final race Gul, Holy Cow and Schullduggery were all in contention for a regatta win. A short course was laid to guard against a dying breeze. Paul Kearn's took the helm of Holy Cow and made the best of the first beat to pull out an unassailable lead. Behind him Schullduggery battled with Cric Peter's on Corker on the final run with the Corker recording a well deserved second to end the season as the most improved team. Schullduggery's third along with their consistent 2,4,2,3 scorecard proved to be enough to win the regatta when Gul finished a disappointing 8th.
The regular Schullduggery team aided and abetted for the weekend by the skills of North Sail's Shane Hughes were delighted to end the season the way they began back at the Easter Mailspeed sponsored regatta with another series win.
The Pwllheli Sportsboat fleet with its twenty boat Cork 1720 contingent looks to be going from strength to strength with a strong racing programme for 2002 already in place. Owners and crew looking for excellent sportsboat racing in the north of the UK can be sure of a warm welcome. For further details see the Pwllheli Sailing Club website.
See also: EDEL 3 for sale
