For the Nationals on the Bank Holiday weekend, Bridlington was again where Catapult meets the real sea, with a range of wind, tide and wave heights across the three days (and surfing in at the end of racing to run up the beach) with the usual friendly welcome from the host club (now with local Catapult sailor Syd Gage.)

  Gareth Ede scored six firsts after discard to emphatically win (and get himself in  position to challenge John Terry on the Leader  Board ) The battle for second was decided by half a boat's length in the seventh race, Alastair Forrest just holding off George Evans as the boats edged downwind against the tide in dying breeze.

  Saturday gave two back-to-back races over a port-turning triangle, a good course for Catapults. The forecast light northerlies under cloud had more pressure than forecast (Gareth quickly trapezing) and with a largely steady wind direction, and boat speed much greater than the tide at peak, the tactics were about keeping boat speed through a steep chop over an underlying NE swell 

   In the Race 1 starboard start, Gareth using his customary technique of coming in fast from above close-hauled, drove through below Alastair and took the lead, these two moving out ahead, only to throw this away when Gareth headed confidently to another mark, Stuart bellowing from behind to stop him. The fleet closed up, and Gareth recovered to take the lead back from Syd. George pulled up, and Alastair just caught Syd downwind to take second from him. Stuart could not find enough upwind speed to prevent being pushed to fifth, and further back, Damien gamely kept pushing on in sixth.

   In Race 2, the breeze had come up, Gareth trapezing throughout. On an unchanged course, Stuart's decision to start on port was disastrous by the time the gun went. Gareth moved out ahead, with Syd holding him upwind and defending second place (setting up a three-way battle through the event) This time George's quicker upwind speed did not gain enough on Alastair to capture third.

    Sunday brought sunshine and the same brisk northerly somewhat lessened,  and lumpy seas, still with plenty of speed,  with the course kept as  port triangle. For Race 3 a good port start put Alastair just behind Gareth after the first long beat, Gareth gaining over the second of the two laps for another win. Alastair held out for second as George, followed by Syd, gained downwind. The lumpy seas made smooth tacking a priority.

  (Below: Gareth Ede, National Champion 2013, leads the fleet over the swell downwind, Race 3)
              (Photo RYSC Rescue Team, with thanks.)

  In Race 4 following immediately, Gareth's fast starboard start took him into the lead, with Syd and George again showing good upwind speed to catch Alastair. Downwind, the boats surfed on the big NE swells, the bows  running into the wave ahead without risk, but with difficulty in keeping a surfing rush going. George gave the competition some bite by gaining upwind to take second ahead of Alastair and Syd, while Stuart was still struggling to find upwind speed in moderate conditions.

   After lunch, the course was re-set further east, in a lighter NE breeze with a taxing long beat. With the tide out, the boats launched through waves breaking well out and then re-breaking, two or three waves sweeping each boat before riding the unbroken swell. Essentially the same port-turning course was possible, complicated at the downwind mark by the Dart 18s coming in tacking downwind.  (Coming back after racing, there was plenty of breeze to keep speed up surfing in, to ground in an inch or two of water)

  After a tight fleet starboard start in Race 5 , the boats peeled off one by one to head out to sea on port, but unexpectedly no clear tactical advantages came to anyone, indicating that boat speed through the waves was the key factor rather  than tide assistance  or wind strength across the course. Again Gareth moved to the front, making the event win ineviable, while George showed good upwind speed, taking second from Syd, and the battle for event runner-up intensified as Stuart pushed Alastair back to fifth.

  Race Six on Monday brought sun and a falling northerly breeze. The fleet was away tightly, Gareth slowly gaining a lead although clearly less dominant not trapezing. The fleet tacked together onto port and out to sea, George and Syd again showing good upwind speed passing Alastair. In lap 2 the fleet split left and right gambling better tide assistance out to sea against smaller wave height but after being half a mile apart came together still in close contact. George held his second place and Alastair caught Syd downwind, that small gain putting him on equal points with George, so that it went to the final race to decide the runner up position

   Race Seven found the breeze swinging to the ENE and fading, at the same time as the tide pushed harder northwards. Stuart and Alastair  picked the port end advantage, joined late by others, and Alastair eked out a small lead upwind holding this down the reach and slow run against the tide as the fleet closed up. This lead became vital at the downwind mark as the Darts, tacking downwind, arrived at the mark with the Catapults,  with the tide pushing onto the mark while rounding.

   Alastair emerged safely but the pack behind tangled, Gareth suffering the ultimate mark collision, jammed by the tide onto the inflatable buoy. Stuart emerged followed by George and these two gained on the reach. The final run to the finish was interminable, the boats slowly stemming the tide, and Stuart successfully manoeuvred to the win in the last 100 metres  while Alastair just held off George to hold second by a half a boat length, and take the event second place.

(Write-up: Alastair)
 
RESULTS

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