Superspars Solo UK Nationals at Plas Heli - Day 5

Ollie Davenport (2nd junior and 7th overall after 6 races) on day 5 of the Superspars National Solo UK Championship © Will Loy

Peter Ballentine (1st junior and 6th overall after 6 races) on day 5 of the Superspars National Solo UK Championship © Will Loy

Race day 5 sponsored by HD Sails

After a very late night and one too many drinks in the lavish Pwllheli bar, I awoke to the sound of a particularly vocal seagull. A waft of breeze through my partially open sash window peaked my enthusiasm to get out of the bed that had been my sanctuary from the hell of yesterday.

At the marina there was a buzz as competitors readied themselves for another day of general recalls. Out on the race course PRO Mike Butterfield made final race checks and taped prayer mats to the deck of "Banzei". The wind was at 200 degrees and at 12 knots across the start.

Race 5

A starboard bias on the line produced the first general recall and two further attempts under the black flag resulted in a number of high profile casualties, Chris Brown and Steve Ede among them. With the fourth attempted start finally away, the 82 sailors powered upwind, the Pwllheli swell and sunshine combining for some near perfect racing conditions. You could see the anguish that had been painted on to the competitors faces disintegrate and on Banzei, the prayer mats were rolled up the stowed away...for an hour or so.

First to the mark was Ollie Davenport on a mission after a DSQ on day 4 with Tim Law second, Andy Fox, Ian Hopwood, Pete Mitchell and event leader Andy Davies in sixth. Law gained water at the gybe mark and moved into the lead with Davies up to third. Good wave technique was a pre-requisite if you wanted to make places and there were some with skills and some with spills.

Law held at the top and Davies nipped inside Davenport to move menacingly into second. Mike Sims was in fourth with Pete Mitchell fifth and with Steve Denison in the works Winder hull, second overall and in sixth in the race, relishing the downwind legs. Law, no stranger to a high pressure environment used all his skill to deny Davies another trophy for the cabinet and held on the shortened course for the gun. Davenport showed his talent to record third with Sims, Mitchell and Denison completing the top six.

Race 6

After a short delay we were into another set of start sequences which we hope to include in our SIs in future. That would be; 5-4-1-recall-5-4-1-recall-5-4-1 start. Eventually the fleet were off and the pressure was holding at 12knots. Iain McGregor was elated at rounding first and could almost taste the "first to the mark" beer on his parched lips. Davies rounded second from Hopwood and Dave Mitchell with Davenport and Sims in close pursuit.

Davies was in the lead by the end of the lap and extended on the second beat as the wind tracked right. This time the PRO was on the ball and had dropped a new top mark accordingly. The race played out over the remaining legs and at the gun it was Davies who recorded his third bullet of the series in convincing style. Davenport was second from Tom Gillard, Pete Mitchell and Mike Sims.

Day 5 of the Superspars National Solo UK Championship - photo © Will Loy

Race 7

As the last competitor crossed the finish line the start sequence began. From my lofty position on the "media" rib I counted at least thirty sailors with feet up and lunch laid out on the dinner table that is also our centreboard capping. I appreciate the PRO wanted a clean start and the super quick turnaround certainly reduced the chance of BFD so he was actually doing them a favour. There were chuckles and giggly faces from those at the favoured pin end but in a now familiar ironic twist, the wind went right at the gun and those still wallowing near the picnic area, cleaned the crockery away and hardened up to cross ahead of the beggars on the left.

Davies played the right middle of the course, never too far away from the rhumb line and eased around the top mark with Leo Dixon in second who was having a blinder and Hopwood third. Sims, Ollie Wells and Dave Mitchell were all up close and personal and the fleet peeled off behind them down the generous reach. The wind was down to 10 knots so clear air was critical and going low was not a big gain maker.

Davies controlled the race over the next three legs and romped to a facile win from Sims and Dixon. Steve Denison and Tom Gillard had worked the gust and wave combination to finish next from Wells Mitchell and Peter Ballentine.

The fleet returned to the beach after the shortened third race, the PRO keen to ensure the fleet had enough energy to pull their boats up the beach. I do hope the local council can get the sand removed from the slipway soon, albeit too late for the 82 competitors here.

I do need to make some clarifications that, while tedious to the average reader will soften the blow to this who were black flagged in yesterday's second race.

Sunday we completed race 1 and 2. Race 3 was postponed and sailed on Wednesday. Race 4 was postponed and will be abandoned or not re-sailed until all other races have been sailed. We completed races 5-6 and 7 today and, with an earlier start time of 10.30am we will attempt to run races 8-9 and 10. So, we will hopefully have 9 races completed by lights out tomorrow.

Andy Davies has just about wrapped this Superspars Nationals up and with a day to spare. Peter Ballentine is 1st junior in 6th with Oliver second junior in 7th while Tim Law is 1st Veteran in 8th. Iain MaGregor is 1st Grand Master in 19th and Vanda Jowett is 1st lady in 28th.

Tonight is the class BBQ at the club and at 9pm is the daily early bird prize giving which will be sponsored by HD Sails. Fittingly, top prize is a one on one coaching session with Andy Davies. There are also some spot prizes for "Where's Wally" and the President's beer tokens. Free food, two free beers and free prizes, no wonder the bar takings are up.

Andy Davies on day 5 of the Superspars National Solo UK Championship - photo © Will Loy

Results after day 5: