I'm sat in the office, thinking if the nationals is this windy, who is likely to win?

Then I had a thought, for a bit of fun, lets try to guess who we think will be 1st 2nd & 3rd respectivley.  Winner gets a pint in the bar after the nationals by the overall winner!

I reckon 

1 = Tom Stewart
2 = Richard Whitworth
3 = John Bell

Any takers?

I think that more likey to be the order they swim in on the wing mark!

1. Un- Trustwell
2. Blithall
3. Blake Jnr

I think the last entry was a little bias towards the younger end of the fleet!

1. Alan Warren (I think there's still one left in him somewhere, it's just taking him a short while to find it!)
2. Whitworth (Solid, steady performer)
3. Team Blake/Davo (Why not add a little spice to the mix!)

Anyway I don't know why we're speculating, I bet it doesn't blow!

Who knows a good wind dance?

On the basis that Truswell is having a mental wobble, Blake Junior is out of practice and who the hell is Davo?????????

Roll on Captain C !!!!!!!!!!!

I don't know i rekon winder's going pretty quick at the moment and confident after his win at salcombe (always good in a breeze as is Jilly.)

Try Chris Lewns as an outside bet.  Looks good, shouts alot, has a dodgy mast and a fit crew !!!

Glen
Richard Whitworth
Tom Stewart

Pureley based on the fact that I am sure the beaver patrol may have been playing mind games on the fleet this year with a bunch of conservative results.  Showing true potential every so often.

However, I could be wrong and team are mentaly unbalanced and incapable of putting a result in. 

Who Knows!?

Didn't we have this discussion about the beaver patrol last year?  Remembering they came last at Harlow open the week before.

I think that Blake Junior could do quote well ????

Rumour has it that Storm Cloud has been tuned by the "lack of marks" guru......

Odss are now 5 to 1...........

1. Beaver Patrol
2. Dan the Man
3. Fluffy poles
4. Blakeo

Don't forget team Whizzler / "Chris ... Grrrr ... Robinson".

Also Jude and Phat Phil go well in a bit of breeze.

My money's on the Winder wonderboy and Jilly

Only Phil King can defend the class from the 'proffessionals'. 

Absence makes the heart grow fonder....

Bring back the KING!!

He's left the building

Surely "left the building" as in "Elvis has" (The origin of this phrase.) (Bizarrely the man who coined it did just that last week!) meansin English useage "has died". I sincerely hope that this report of Phil's demise is (As it was in the case of Mark Twain aka Samuel Longhorn Clemens.) very greatly exagerated.

Well Elvis was the King, and as everbody knows Elvis is alive and working in a supermarket in Basildon.

As is Phil King reportedly.  It is also roumered that Phill would sacrifice 3 winder boats to the sea gods in preperation to winning a nationals event?

Noooo. Elvis owns a chinese restaurant in Welling

Well Phil was alive and kicking yesterday lunchtime when I spoke to him about Champs trophies, although I can't vouch for where he was - probably not Basildon or Welwyn!  Unfortunately he won't be at Tenby to defend his title this year, despite rumours to the contrary.

PS He says never take the Merlins to Garda, it's only ever worth going in a trapeze boat....... the King has spoken

xcweather forecasting 13 mph sund/mon, wind guru 18 mph and BBC 28 mph for Tenby. Who to believe?

Ask Elvis

I see that the Opi sailors made it out at Phwelli on monday despite the conditions but the merlins did not get out at Tenby.  Its an interesting question as to who will win a windy nationals if there is no sailing!  Still I would rather be sat on the beach not going sailing than be at work not going sailing

I seem to remember (and I'm sure the Ancient Geek will correct me if I'm wrong)that we sailed a heavy weather race well inshore at Pwllheli in 1970 when conditions were pretty bad round the corner at Abersoch, so I guess I'm not too surprised that the Oppies got a race in.

Pwllheli was amazing sailing and the waves were huge! I didn't have a fixed rudder then and lived to regret it!We sat out one of the really windy races and sat on the rocks opposite the windward market. Seeing the carnage as Britain's best Merlin sailors went round the mark was worth the entry fee alone.
I suspect that they'll run a pretty decent Championships there next year.

No need to Correct Chris from my memory he's right, however Tenby with the shallowing sea bottom -extended Severn Estuary- and Long-Ships Reef effect will tend to have bigger steeper waves whereas The North Wales Southern (ish) facing coast protected by the hook of Abersoch and Pwhelli even more so by Abersoch are protected deep approaching sea bottom means longer seas which are less intimidating.
Pwhelli is a great place to race.
I did write up that heavy race for Mags, abiding memory is Rodney Pattison attempting the worlds underwater sailing record! The reaches, plus three of the first four boats being blown flat on the final beat (we were fourth!) and just looking at each other untill Spud Rowsell start the pull his boat upright and so we all did without losing places! The race officer did sunsequently quietly admit the the final lap was a lap too much it did not effect places, what was surprising was how little damage was done. Perhaps because it blew so hard that of the 200+ boats only about 40  kept going.
Om another note a venue that has much to say for itself is Brightlingsea the Colne Estuary is surprisingly very free of tidal anomalies if it blows a race is very feasible inside the Blackwater between Brightlingsea, and the Old Nuclear Power Station and West Mersea, The Mirrors had a very good Europeans there a couple of years back the Scandinavian Visitors (Used to no tides at all.) were suitably impressed, the Tornados are going there shortly. but then it is the home of British Catermaran Sailing (Reg White --- McAlpine-Downie and all that.)The home club even has a fe Merlin Rockets I believe, lots to do, Clacton! - Frinton - Colchester - for those who want to go lower than Clacton there is Jaywick sands.

I have heard glowing reports of the sea off Blackwater and Brightlingsea!

I think this is the story?

Oh no Mags, your link has inadvertantly revealed the mystery !

What mystery?

You might just escape this one Mags. Mums the word!

Ah, Most top sportmen ( or women ) use ghost writers, I'm sure AG does as well.

Yes Sherlock I noticed before you did but decided that Mags being such a good egg n' all that, anyway it's been an open secret for months however I remain AG.

I thought everyone knew already?!

new what?

In my young day, "Ancient Geek" was nicknamed................







GOD.

I think it went to his head....