Minnis Report - the real one!

Phantom Eastern Series at Minnis Bay SC

The Phantom fleet travelled to Minnis Bay SC on the North Kent coast for round 8 of the TemperaTech/JJ Boats Eastern series over the weekend of 26/27 September.

By the time of the 11am briefing on Saturday a light onshore breeze had arrived and the fleet were sent afloat for 3 back to back races. The race officer set a trapezoid course to give 2 tight reaches with a beat and run.

Race 1 set the scene for the weekend with a water based game of snakes and ladders where anything could happen and it paid to stay awake and never give up. Chris “Yotting Cod” Roberts fresh from his half ton cup win at the Nationals led up the final beat but could only watch as James Jarvey and Jez Taylor hit the right hand corner and passed him. These three held their positions around the final lap in the rapidly decreasing wind.

Thankfully the breeze returned between races and after a quick course change the fleet were off again. John “Titch” Wayling nailed a perfect port end start and led up the first beat chased by the in form Roberts. These 2 battled it out at the front with Roberts briefly taking the lead before Wayling regained the ascendancy. Wayling held his lead to the finish, with Roberts 2^nd and Jarvey 3^rd.

By race 3 the flood tide was in full effect and there was only really one way to go up the beat. Roberts had found his corner, which was somewhere towards Margate and promptly showed the fleet the way round, chased by Chris Shelton and Rod Thorpe, again another race of snakes and ladders with place changes aplenty throughout the fleet.

Key lessons from the day were: 1) If you think you’re laying the windward mark, you’re probably not, and 2) Apparently James Blunt isn’t very good at sailing.

The sailors headed ashore and after making a dent in the stocks of the Sundance bar retired to the sailing club to watch Ipswich Town FC get humiliated live on national tv, much to the amusement of everyone but the writer of this report! They then sampled the excellent food served up from the galley, how many chilli con carnes can one man eat? and consumed a barrel of Spitfire laid on by Minnis Bays Phantom representative Clive Morley.

Sunday morning brought more of the same conditions, a gentle sea breeze and sunshine and the fleet headed out for a 10:30 start and another 3 back to back races.

Roberts started as he’d finished the previous day leading at the windward mark and sailing away from the fleet for the race win, with Ingram 2^nd and Wayling 3^rd.

Race 5 and Taylor led around the first lap, under pressure from Wayling, Jarvey and Ingram, the pressure told on lap 2 and Wayling took the lead and pulled clear on the final lap. Behind him Taylor and Jarvey match raced to the finish with Taylor taking 2^nd on the line. With Roberts back in midfleet it meant the fight for 1^st place overall would go down to the final race.

Chris Shelton lead at the windward mark and down the first reach, but was passed by Taylor and Wayling on the run, Wayling again applying the pressure and passing Taylor to take the lead, with Roberts back in 6^th and with work to do. Wayling held his lead to the finish with Taylor 2^nd and Jarvey 3^rd following another last beat tacking duel.

Overall Wayling had done enough in the final 2 races to take the event by a two points from Roberts, with Jarvey 3^rd.

At the prizegiving the commodore of Minnis Bay SC thanked the Phantom fleet for visiting and hoped they would return next year. John Wayling thanked the club for hosting the event, the excellent race management with quick course changes to allow quick turnarounds between races and especially the bar and kitchen volunteers for keeping the sailors fed and watered.

The Eastern Series now moves to its finale at Hickling Broad on 10/11 October, with all still to play at the top of the overall standings and the minor places, together with the legendary end of season social at the Greyhound and final prizegiving it looks set to be a great event and one not to be missed.

Phantom Eastern Series Round 8 - Minnis Bay SC

1^st John Wayling Northampton SC

2^nd Chris Roberts Creeksea SC

3^rd James Jarvey Hickling Broad SC

4^th Jez Taylor Southwold SC

5^th Marcus Ingram Up River YC

6^th Chris Shelton Downs SC

7^th Rod Thorpe Creeksea SC

8^th Ian Miller Alton Water SC

9^th Clive Morley Minnis Bay SC

10^th Dave Hawkins Alton Water SC

11^th Stephen Popple Shoreham SC