Sialens - Pwllheli - Challenge

Racing for 2010 has now finished with the last weekend racing on 30th & 31st October. Congratulations to 'Will to Win' on an excellent campaign. Prize giving will be during the Christmas party.

The Final Results after four weekends is available here.

Pwllheli Challenge 2010. Wil2Win dominates series.

After the big launch party of the newly build Corby25Ep in Wales on the Good Friday, Wil2win’s sailing season started with some very average results. It became apparent that the radical high aspect rudder tip was affecting helm angle and producing a ‘rooster tail’ off her transom- evidence that there was indeed a drag issue. We reverted to the standard Corby-design rudder and then re-tuned the rig. This transformed the feel of the new epoxy Corby 25 built by Partington Marine. Following Wil2win’s maiden victory in the Coastal race during Keelboat week and winning the Wil Parc Trophy. She currently leads the Pwllheli Challenge series with 10 wins.

Pwllheli Sailing Club have altered the format to enable a Saturday, and Sunday series to run alongside the main event. With 16 races sailed over four alternate weekends, the event has proved to be a successful format attracting a ten boat entry to this Autumn series. The fleet have been faced with strong southerly winds producing some sizable waves for the early part of the series, the second half characterised by very light airs. Races 1 to 4 were raced in force 6 SW and breaking seas which set the teams up for similar weather the following weekend. Gear failure and seasickness left only 2 boats after R3 with the others favouring the shelter of the marina and clubhouse bar.

Saturday’s races 5&6 were sailed in similar heavy conditions, contrasting entirely with the following morning which provided 4-7 knots of breeze and a welcome respite for crews. Although the racing has been close, Wil2Win has remained dominant throughout. Having been OCS in R8 the crew found their groove, sailing through the fleet and a win by 7 minutes.

With 8 races sailed, two boats head the table –Wil2Win and Quango (Hunter 707) co-owned and sailed by veterans Banthorpe, Wells & Sparrow for over ten years, with ‘Filthy Gorgeous’ Arfon Jones’s newly acquired Projection762 helmed by Irish Sea race guru Stephen Tudor also in the running. John Robert’s Poppy (Contention 33) is netting solid results and with consistency will be pushing for a placing overall.

Weekend three drew out Mike Crompton’s Xpletive, (XC42), Owen Griffith’s Wennol II (First 34.7) and ‘Sable’ Matt Wilde’s class winning Sigma33 from Abersoch in the extremely light airs. Wennol looked as though they had got sufficiently clear to demolish the fleet, but light airs at the windward mark enabled those who’d banged far left in search of wind the opportunity to close in. In the hunt for wind off Gimblet Rock, Wil2Win tracked down the isolated breeze line, closed the gap on Wennol & Filthy Gorgeous and rounded the final mark on their tails. Quango was clinging in for her first win of the series, but was to be denied by 19secs. R10 saw the winds fill to 8-10 knots, and in their haste to hoist the huge kite for the initial short hitch from the club line to the first mark Wil2Win overshot the line and allowed the fleet to flee. Returning to the line with the remainder of the fleet away under kites, it looked as though the winning run was over. With heads out of the boat, and all to play for, a gybe at the first mark into filling breeze allowed them to close on the fleet by the second mark. From there the upwind, light airs excellence of the John Corby design was in a league of its own, pulling through the remainder of the fleet to lead by the next mark and subsequent lap rounding to lead the fleet home and secure another victory.

Sunday’s Race 11 began in 16 knots & choppy seas with the wind freshening to a force 5 over the course allowing the well drilled syndicate team aboard Quango their first win of the series, Wil2win was 2^nd & Poppy in 3^rd.

Race 12 started in 20 knots with Wil2win leading to the windward mark only to be chased down on the close fetch by the two duelling sportsboats but managing to defend the lead with some tactical positioning at leeward mark. Upwind the three leading boats all got rounded up by a hammering gust just prior to the entire fleet getting completely becalmed!

A shortened course gave Quango her second win of the day, Wil2win 2^nd and this time a 3^rd for Filthy Gorgeous.

Final weekend (Wil2win unable to attend due to half term holidays and family commitments) Races on the Saturday- Poppy and Quango each get a win in the breezy onshore conditions.

Light airs on the Sunday and Peter Dunlop's Bavaria 39 'Mojito' makes an appearance complete with her new mast. Quango gets another race win then in a dying breeze, the local lads on the Projection 'Filthy Gorgeous' achieve a well deserved win in the last race of the series.

It is clear that the early season familiarisation events has enabled boatbuilders W. Partington Marine the opportunity to modify the Corby25Ep’s rudder, install English Braids Performance ropes, tweak the rig for the cut of Des’s designed ‘One Sails’ and establish a series winning machine that is going to be difficult to beat. Her mast having been unstepped and the shiny new hull tucked away for the Winter. Team Wil2win are relishing the thoughts of next years racing season and once again visiting Dun Loaighaire to participate in the inaugural Dublin Bay regatta 2011 – assuming she’s not been bought.