With what I hope will be the last posting as "Champs Chappie", passing on the batten to the HISC team for 2011, please find below some of my notes from the prizegiving and some personal reflections on the week. 

The overall results have been posted onto Y&Y by the PSC team, link below. For those that questioned the lateness of these: the final race was subject to a protest of one boat, by the race committee. This was further complicated by a potential reopening of the hearing. The Champs Team did not have confirmed results until around 6pm, which was tight for a final prizegiving at 7pm.

Winner Minima Trophy - first female competitor - Pippa Taylor (3662)
Winner Abererch Trophy - first helm between 45 & 55 years of age - Richard Whitworth (3703)
Winner Draycote Spring Series Trophy - first over 55 helm - Graham Scroggie (3661)
Winner Anniversary Trophy - first under 21 helm - Charles Anderson (3600)
Winner Grafham Goblet - first competitor under 18 - Duncan Bell (3652)
Winner Whitstable Trophy - first team with combined ages equal or greater than 100 - Graham & Ben Scroggie (3661)
Winner King Cup - first team with combined ages less than or equal to 50 - Ian Dobson & Andy Tonnicliffe (3670)
Winner Neil Henderson Trophy - first team related by birth, marriage, etc. - Graham & Ben Scroggie (3661)
Winner Ball & Chain Trophy - first team living together but not married / civil partnership, etc. - Rien Vilvold & Julie Nuttall (3692)
Winner Heavyweights Trophy - weight > 26 stone - Graham & Ben Scroggie (3661)
Winner Buttercup Trophy - lowest placed team finishing all races - Douglas Maxwell & Amanda Couper (3681)
Winner Tacktick Trophy - sailing without navigational aides - Steve Dunn & Ruth Johnson (3708) - recipients of a new Micro Compass, generously provided by Tacktick
Winner Old Boats Prize - Dan Alsop & Jennie King (3539) - they took away a £250 voucher for boat bimbling provided by Jamie Stewart, Synthesize Yacht Design
Winner Boats > 20 years old prize - James Middleton-Stewart & Andy Young (3400)
Triangle Team Trophy - Hollingworth Lake Sailing Club (3699, 3703 & 3662)

Special Prizes:

Prize for best capsize, sponsored by Baltic Lifejackets, went to Ben Archer & Chris O'Toole (3634) for their capsize on Thursday. Having rounded the windward mark, their PBO shroud let go. Quick thinking by Chris & Ben in instantly capsizing saved their mast and with replacement shrouds were out having their best race the following day. The guys won two new buoyancy aides.
Prize for the Nick of Time, a new award for this year only from Starcross Yacht Club, went to Nick Turner. For 2 & 1/2 years Nick has been beavering away in his garage to build a new boat. Fittings were still being screwed in when the warning signal for the practice race went. Nick & Carly Turner completed the week in their new ship "Highlander", completing all races in a boat finished just in the Nick of Time.
Tongs Trophy – for extra curricular activities - Liam Dempsey. You will have to ask him how he was awarded this as it is not for this forum.
Cock of the Week was between the two Dalby Sisters, Andy (3702) and Phil (3690). Andy was nominated for getting the best start of the week, then going back thinking he was OCS (clean start!) and also for lending Phil the General Lee, having to borrow a boat and then getting a better result. In the end, Phil took the prize, firstly for sailing to the wing mark in the final race and promptly capsizing when he realised his mistake, but more importantly for losing his only van key, so at the time of the prizegiving was stuck in Penzance with no way home for both Andy & himself. Opefully with the help of a overnight courier the boys will get home at some point. Top work chaps.

Holt Plate (Handicap Series), sponsored by Chipstow Masts:

1st - Andy Hay & Jo Marlow (3626)
2nd - Andy Dalby & Nicola Brook (3702)
3rd - Rein Zilvold & Julie Nuttall (3692)

The winners received a £200 voucher generously donated by Jacko for Chipstow related activities.

Crews Race - Not held due to the inclement weather & the fleet being shattered, prize of a Suunto watch, donated by Tacktick, went to the second placed team in the Holt Plate.

Raffle for two jibs (donated by P&B & Goacher Sails) & locally crafted vase:
P&B jib - Andy Dalby
Goacher Jib - Matt Biggs
Vase - Richard Dee – I hope the missus appreciates it!

Spot prizes from our other sponsors, namely: Speed Sails, Hyde Sails, North Sails, Harken, Marlow Ropes, Allen - were distributed to most competitors in the fleet. 

All competitors received a complimentary tee shirt; with each race top three receiving gold, silver & bronze caps - provided by MF Promotions

Competitor's handbook generously printed by Marine Publications Partnership, packed in a document wallet provided by North Sails, with a chinagraph pencil & laminated course card.

Glassware supplied by Moors Brothers, Dorset.

Fantastic support from Winder Boats who provided the funds for the "champagne" for Thursday's race and Phil Scott Boats & the Tosh’s, Blakes and others who provided the funds to cover the flowers to thank the club ladies and the organising team.

Personal thanks to the Champs Organising Team – Ben & Lou Archer and Caroline Hay, plus Alex Jackson for massive assistance & support. To Charlotte & Olivia & Roman, thanks for letting your Mums & Dads get on with the challenge, sorry it wasn’t much of a holiday.

Thanks to Tom, Stu, Ian, Simon & Willie for taking the time to be interviewed at the daily prizegiving and letting us know some of their thoughts on the day's racing, strategy and starting. Sorry that my interviewing technique is not as good as Parky! I still don’t know how they know how to go up the first beat.

Thanks to Penzance SC, fantastic hosts! Mike, Terry, Oriel, Joy - and all the rest of the team, far too many to mention - thank you.

To Sam the Race Officer, congratulations on a fair and complete race programme, in spite of the weather. Thanks.

Special mention for Katherine & the beach kids. Katherine was always first in the water to launch us and last to get out of the water when the last boat was ashore. She then worked behind the bar until the last person went home. A real diamond.

The class was so taken with this team that donations were received from those at the prizegiving. The total is not yet confirmed but is expected to reach £500.

Dave the barkeep - thanks for embracing the drinking habits of the class and their dancing habits too. I saw you at the Sport's Bar ....

A bit long winded, but we got there in the end.

For me, the story of the week was Stu turning up from the Sail for Gold regatta and not destroying the fleet. Yes, he won races, but as other top helms have said, they have learnt valuable lessons in the process. Stu & Christian, with Ian & Andy, were also generally the last in the bar and one of the first on the dance floor - aside from the crew's union when Stu and Christian went to bed ... they need to work on their speech writing and note the audience age next time ... 

Racing throughout the fleet was nip & tuck all the way, in varied and at points extreme conditions. Positions were decided by fractions of boat lengths and the Race Committee were impressed with the standard of racing and determination to gain a place in 30 knots of wind after 2 hours of racing.

For the first time in many years, the class witnessed two new Turner creations - from Jon & Nick. Both interesting in their way and will have many of the fleet's tinkerers looking forward to an autumn & winter of bimbling. Dave Winder was heard muttering about some tweaks he was planning. The Rules team might also have their hands full with some of the new developments.

All comments and feedback on the week will be graciously passed on to the next team running the Champs. From my side, running a champs, for the first time, with no local boats, whilst competing (well, sort of) has meant a few compromises along the way. There were no daily reports as the two chaps that generously agreed to write them had other issues to deal with, so we agreed to do one at the end of the week – I’ll start chasing Alex tomorrow! Trying to combine this with the needs of a pregnant wife and a 4 year old precocious child got a bit close to the bone occasionally. When Tom Stewart tells you that this year’s Champs was one of the best he had ever attended, then we must have done something right - even when I forgot to mention P&B in the prize giving.

The club have never seen ceiling surfing before - well done Fran - and are looking forward to hosting us again. So we must have left a good impression.

Well done to all competitors, Stu & Christian especially. I hope that you all got home safely and we look forward to seeing you all on the circuit or elsewhere sometime soon.

Hopefully the Championship’s bar has been raised and now is the time to get behind the HISC team and make 2011 something big.

Andy Hay, Champs 2010 Co-ordinator.
21st August 2010.

Well done Andy - nice summary of the week.

HISC are already on the case for next year, and always up for a challenge.

Good work by all involved.

GGGGGGGG

Thanks to Andy, Caroline, Ben, Lou and all the Team at Penzance- I know how much hard work goes into these events. We had a great time at a great venue. Please pass our thanks on to everyone concerned.

not a bad win for crew in a borrowed boat!

Thank you very much to all involved it was a fantastic week!  Particularly Andy, Caroline, Lou & Ben who worked hard all year and together with the volunteer members of Penzance Sailing Club last week made it a most memorable and successful championships!  Looking forward to Hayling already!

It takes alot of time and effort to pull an event of this size together, thanks everyone who work hard before and during the week. We really enjoyed the week on and off the water.

Highlander is once again upside down having a rub down before a final paint, hopefully it will be finished by the Starcross weekend in October!

my owner thoroughly enjoyed it   great week and fantastic organisation , well done Andy and all his team

sadly owners boat is also upside down , well worth doing that sometimes as you find somethings you didnt know were there

Megan,
hope the damage isn't too bad or have you found something interesting in the bailers?

jupiter needs a wee bit of TLC   drying of in a garage just now

will be up and sailing in a week 

the pop rivets pulled out attaching gooseneck to the mast  is it just a case of pop riveting back in again

Cigratulations Andy on a fantastic job and all at Penzance including the race team and crew helping us launch and recover - colder than the east coast in the water to stand for a long time catching everyone!

Yachts and Yachting Alex's report.

Great summary Andy - just wanted to add my thanks as well.  As guests in the fleet for the week, we were made to feel really welcome by all and I was particularly grateful for all of the concern when I injured myself!  There is so much hard work involved in running a nationals week and you didn't disappoint.  Special thanks to my stand-ins, Maria and Kelly for helping us to win a tacktick (just cos I forgot mine!!)