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Q
uestion: What have the FB Nationals got to do with upsetting a good friend’s
bride on his wedding day?
Answer: In 2005, Bill, Ado and I started sailing Tak together and we entered the
Nationals. On the last day, I was in a rush to get back from Yarmouth in order to attend
the Wedding Party, however, a call from the Royal Solent informed us that we had won.
A somewhat tricky phone call to my friend ensued and then we were on a RIB heading
back to Yarmouth to collect our prize. Some friend I am, I hear you say.
Since then the Nationals have, with a few distinguished exceptions, been dominated
by a boat helmed by Eamon Andrews – no not that Crackerjack, you idiot.
The 2016 Nationals were hosted by the Royal Lymington on 10th and 11th September,
the race team was very ably headed by John Whyte with starts from a committee boat
moored to the East of the Lymington River. There were seventeen entries including
boats from Yarmouth and Emsworth.
Saturday was quite fresh and there was the usual pre start careering about in a chopped
up Solent. In the first race the wind was 22-25 knots Tak started between Madelaine
and Crackerjack, with Crackerjack on our Starboard (windward) side . We all tacked on
to Port for the shore and somehow we seemed to edge out ahead of both and had
gained a reasonable lead by the first mark, leaving Madelaine and Crackerjack to have
their own private battle. Tak held the lead to the finish with Madelaine edging Stuart
in Crackerjack to third.
The wind was building for the second race at 25-30+ knots causing some retirements.
Cy Grisley helming Padfoot went out fast to windward and had a good lead at the first
mark. Tak and Madelaine had a great battle with Ed ahead until he tacked a little early
for the finish line which allowed us to finish second near the Committee Boat behind
Padfoot and just ahead of Madelaine. With the wind increasing, the PRO decided to
call it a day much to the relief of the bedraggled crews.
The regatta dinner was a success but I am unable to supply any salacious detail as
team Tak were good boys (for once) and did not attend. Sunday dawned a beautiful,
hot and windless day. The fleet moored to anything that might prevent us sluicing out
through Hurst; we read the papers, dried out gear and passed the time with gentle
banter. It was something of a shock when the tide turned, the breeze filled in and we
had to disentangle the boats, shake off our soporific state and go racing.
In race 3 the fleet was quite well spread up the first beat, Tak went for the buoy too
early and missed a shift, allowing a number of boats to pass us resulting in Madelaine
finishing first, John Whyte in Scaramouche second and Crackerjack third.
FOLKBOAT NATIONALS 2016
