7th & 8th July Bembridge S.C.

A weekend of great variety from the weather gods tested the resolve of the National Swallow fleet but the 17 Swallows that sailed to Bembridge for the National Championships enjoyed some excellent racing. Harry, Pru and Charlie Roome are the new National Champions but the racing was always close with different winners in each of the four races.

The Vernon Trophy passage race from Chichester Harbour to Bembridge was postponed from the traditional start on Friday with a gale blowing through the Solent. Saturday morning dawned clear and sunny with an inviting Force 3 breeze. Mike Wigmore sailing his brand new Swallow [Gwaihir] led the fleet down the harbour and headed out towards the Isle of Wight. Others were not so lucky and tested the depth of the water at the first turning mark as they discussed which of the crew should get out and push. Malcolm Green navigated Archon through and was followed by Guy Knight in Spectre.These three boats led the way across the Solent to finish close to the shore at Bembridge with Gwaihir winning the Vernon Trophy.

After a quick stop for some of the fleet to pick up crew members the first race of the Championships was started by Race Officers [Vernon Stratton, Pete Landon and Colin Samuelson] on an Olympic course with a windward mark set close to the Bembridge shore in a WSW Force 4. A right hand windshift just after the start set the scene for a tough race and defending champion Carolyn Brigg sailing with Sue Glover and David “Slippery” Sloper in Marengo read the shifts well and sailed into a good lead. Guy Knight, Steve Hammet and Matthew Jolly were second in Spectre and Mike Bond sailing Buccaneer with son Jonathan and Mike Burnford finished third. Race Two got underway after a pit stop for lunch on the water. A windward leeward course was set and most of the fleet were caught out by a big port end bias to the starting line. Harry Roome and the team on Skua, the oldest boat in the fleet established a good lead from Cockersootie sailed by John Walmsley, Mike Ewart-Smith and Christine Graves. The big boys on Spectre were enjoying the breeze and added a third place to share the overnight lead with Marengo.

An excellent dinner was hosted by Bembridge.

Sunday dawned with brilliant sunshine but very little wind. A determined Race Officer started the third race of the championships and the fleet set off in a westerly breeze which came and went leaving many large holes. A number of boats were caught out by the fading wind and were late for the start. Mike Wigmore found a little wind and less tide and was joined by Carolyn Brigg making good progress up the coast towards Seaview. The windward mark was some way out into the channel and the leaders bravely made the decision to tack for it despite the glassy calm on the surrounding water. A number of boats arrived together, many on different points of sailing and all barely moving. Harry Roome and Malcolm Green treated us to a gentlemanly review of the relevant sections of the rule book but failed to notice the aptly named Solitude of Andrew Reed, Tony Lunch and Nick Fenner who with a great skill that only they could describe sniffed a sea breeze filling in from the South and sailed over the horizon to victory. The original windward leeward course was now a windward windward course and the rest of the fleet spent the next ten minutes in sight of the new breeze but with many different ideas of how to get there. Roome in Skua and Brigg in Marengo proved once again that the fast sailors make their own good fortune and finished second and third.

The scene was set for the final race with four boats in the hunt for the title. Over the next long hour the wind died, changed direction and died again as Race Officer [name] sailed the fleet up and down the Solent. With time running out the wind gods smiled again and a solid Southerly breeze came in. Race 4 was underway in a good Force 3 to 4 and John Walmsley on Cockersootie led the race from start to finish. The Roomes on Skua won the battle for second place and John Houghton sailed his best race of the series to finish in 3rd place. 

Harry, Pru and Charlie Roome in Skua were the winners of the 2007 National Swallow National Championships closely pursued by Marengo, Cockersootie, Spectre and Gwaihir. The “Fractured Hip” Trophy, awarded to the highest placed crew with a combined age of [number] years was awarded to Malcolm Green, Tony Bridgewater and Richard Wright sailing Archon into 6th place overall with a combined age of 201 years leaving many youngsters behind them.

Thanks to all at Bembridge SC for a great weekend, to Malcolm Green and Richard Thompson for National Swallow Class organisation of the event and to Peter and Karen Litchfield who sailed to Bembridge as our escort boat The racing was very competitive throughout the fleet in all of the races, the winners sailed the oldest boat in the fleet and a new boat finished third. As the fleet hoisted spinnakers and surfed back home to Chichester the Swallow Class had enjoyed the Championships.