Andy and Ed Win Tornado National Champs
Weston Sailing Club on Southampton Water last weekend hosted the Tornado National Championships with 10 races scheduled over Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
As usual the best-made plans in sailing largely depend on the weather and although there was plenty of sunshine there was precious little wind and as a result Friday was abandoned and only 6 races were completed on Saturday and Sunday.
Some 22 crews assembled at Weston for the event and being an Olympic class meant that although there were few entries there was undoubted quality throughout the fleet.
Truro’s Andy Walsh and Ed Barney probably need a miracle to displace Leigh McMillan/Will Howden from being chosen as the UK Tornado crew for Beijing next year but they are continuing to campaign right to the selection trials and appeared at Weston.
They were joined by several other RYA Transitional/Development and Performance Squad members including close rivals Rob Wilson/Mark Bulkeley, John Gimson/Stuart Bithell, and Chris Rashley/Simon Marks as well as several foreign crews from Australia and Demark.
With 2012 looming and the incredible current success of Team GBR in all the Olympic classes more and more overseas competitors will be competing in the UK to observe the techniques and coaching methods of the RYA and of course familiarize themselves with the joys of sailing in an English summer.
There was one other interesting Cornish entrant namely Tom Phipps from Mylor with a new crewman Marcus Lynch at the front end. Phipps twice an ISAF Youth World Champion in the Hobie 16 class is keen to have a shot at the Olympics with 2012 obviously the target and this season marks his debut in the Tornado fleet both at national and international level.
The loss of Friday meant that the Race Management Team got the fleet off early on Saturday and tried to squeeze in 6 short races in a light 8-knot Northerly breeze and a strong tide.
There was an element of snakes and ladders to proceedings with horrible shifts and strong tidal currents. As usual the cream does come to the top and the RYA squad members performed in style.
Race 1 went to Wilson/Bulkeley, Race 2 Gimson/Bithell, and Race 3 Rashley/Marks before the Danish crew of Allen Norregarrd/Michael Risor interrupted proceedings by winning Race 4.
Race 5 saw Walsh/Barney take their first win with Phipps/Lynch also making the podium in 3rd place.
The wind finally packed up altogether and curtailed any further racing to leave Gimson/Bithell as the overnight leaders closely followed by the Danes and Wilson/Bulkeley.
Sunday saw similar light conditions and Walsh/Barney lead off the line in Race 6 to gain clear wind and gradually pull away from the rest of the fleet to take a 2nd win.
None of the overnight leaders had a good race and this proved decisive as Race 7 was abandoned and with it sailing for the rest of the day.
That left a 6 race 1 discard series and by 1 point Andy and Ed claimed the title from fellow RYA squad members Wilson/Bulkeley and Gimson/Bithell.
Tom Phipps and Marcus Lynch had an encouraging event finishing 6th overall and can only improve as the teamwork and Tornado skills are perfected.
In tough light conditions it was a fine performance from Walsh/Barney and with light airs expected in China who knows?
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[...] was plenty of sunshine there was precious little wind and as a result Friday w… source: Andy and Ed Win Tornado National Champs, South West [...]
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