FIREBALL NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP 2005
Pointe Claire Yacht Club, Montreal, Quebec
24th to 26th June, 2005
Report from an innocent bystander ( Joe Grant, crew, 14647 )
Thursday evening is a time of quiet desperation. Environment Canada is promising 20 to 30 kph winds for tomorrow morning, and 40 gusting to 60 for the afternoon. We all pretend to love those winds: but there is a nasty viral RTI going round, and a few injuries that have not healed, and a shortage of crew that means that many skippers will be sailing with hastily summoned unknown quantities. Lots of coughing and not much chat, at sailors supper.
Friday morning is not as promised. The winds are hardly enough to get us out to the course. The first two races are painful: light, variable winds and a nasty slop from the motor boats that abound on hot holiday weekends. Gaetan&Guy prove themselves to be the men of steel, taking a first and a second in these horrible conditions. Pierre&Tom show some spirit, too, with a third in the second race. Then the wind begins to build, and we get three more races in by 2:30 and 15 kt. The pattern for the weekend emerges: three boats in a leading group who can’t be touched by the rest of us, but are so nearly equal that they are continually swapping places, tumbling over each other like puppies playing in the yard. That’s Joe&Tom, Grant&Rob, Rob&Phil. Then a group of four, who have their own battle, not quite so intense but exciting enough: Eric&Joe, Gaetan&Guy, Pierre&Tom, Steph&Zane. David&Mona and Tom&Theo come in mix with them from time to time, but for the most part the rest of the fleet is struggling. The day ends with the top three boats separated by 2 points. We retire to the deck for tea ( in brown bottles ) and lies, and watch the wind build to 25 kt, pretending we wish we were out there. Its still 25 kt when the last of us leave in the early evening.
Saturday begins a little breezier than Friday, starting at around 5kt and building to 12 or so at midday before falling back to 8kt by the time racing ends at 2:30. Having done five races yesterday, and needing to save at least one for tomorrow, we settle on four races for today. The pattern is much as before, punctuated by some challenges from behind. David&Mona pick up a fifth and a sixth, and Tom&Theo a fifth. But the most exciting time comes in the third: Pierre&Tom get into second place, separating Grant&Rob in the lead from Joe&Tom, Rob&Phil and Gaetan&Guy, who are almost three abeam on the second reaching leg. But the usual order is established before the finish: hard old men have a way of grinding the young down. Rob&Phil just fail to provide a real drama, by loosing the lead at the second windward rounding of the last race. If they had held it, the top three boats would have ended the ady with equal points.
Sunday opens with a light contradictory gasp (from the south) which dies to nothing: the promised brisk North Easter does not appear. The Race Committee do their duty, and drag us reluctantly out onto a quietly steaming lake, but send us ashore to wait after an hour, and put an end to it all at 12:30 – no racing today. Just as well Rob&Phil mdae that mis-call at that last windward. There would have had to be a straw-picking before the prize-giving. As it was, everyone is glad to see Joe&Tom, Grant&Rob and Rob&Phil receive their well-earned awards in a brisk and orderly fashion, and to head home out of the heat.
|
Fireball North American Championship |
Final Results
Sailed: 9 Discards: 2 Ratings: Custom
|
Rank |
Sail No |
Helm |
Crew |
R1 |
R2 |
R3 |
R4 |
R5 |
R6 |
R7 |
R8 |
R9 |
Nett |
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|
Fireball Fleet - Sailed: 9 Discards: 2 Ratings: Custom |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
1 |
14769 |
Jospe |
Egli |
3.00 |
4.00 |
2.00 |
2.00 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
3.00 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
11.00 |
|||||||||||||||
|
2 |
14428 |
Lamont |
Thompson |
4.00 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
3.00 |
2.00 |
2.00 |
2.00 |
3.00 |
2.00 |
13.00 |
|||||||||||||||
|
3 |
14768 |
Levy |
Lawee |
2.00 |
6.00 |
3.00 |
1.00 |
3.00 |
3.00 |
1.00 |
2.00 |
3.00 |
15.00 |
|||||||||||||||
|
4 |
14647 |
Owston |
Grant |
7.00 |
5.00 |
4.00 |
4.00 |
4.00 |
4.00 |
4.00 |
4.00 |
5.00 |
29.00 |
|||||||||||||||
|
5 |
10295 |
Lavoie |
Leblanc |
1.00 |
2.00 |
8.00 |
6.00 |
6.00 |
5.00 |
7.00 |
6.00 |
4.00 |
30.00 |
|||||||||||||||
|
6 |
4769 |
Carpentier |
Bird |
8.00 |
3.00 |
6.00 |
5.00 |
5.00 |
10.00 |
6.00 |
9.00 |
6.00 |
39.00 |
|||||||||||||||
|
7 |
4736 |
Serre de St.Jean |
Murdoch |
9.00 |
10.00 |
5.00 |
7.00 |
8.00 |
7.00 |
10.00 |
8.00 |
8.00 |
52.00 |
|||||||||||||||
|
8 |
14768X2 |
Landsberg |
Landsberg |
14.00 |
DNC |
7.00 |
10.00 |
7.00 |
6.00 |
5.00 |
10.00 |
10.00 |
55.00 |
|||||||||||||||
|
9 |
4767 |
Rudinskas |
McLaughlin |
11.00 |
8.00 |
9.00 |
12.00 |
10.00 |
8.00 |
8.00 |
5.00 |
7.00 |
55.00 |
|||||||||||||||
|
10 |
14465 |
McCrae |
Flynn |
12.00 |
9.00 |
12.00 |
9.00 |
DNC |
9.00 |
9.00 |
7.00 |
9.00 |
64.00 |
|||||||||||||||
|
11 |
11153 |
VanHaeften |
Carpentier |
13.00 |
13.00 |
11.00 |
8.00 |
9.00 |
11.00 |
13.00 |
11.00 |
DNC |
76.00 |
|||||||||||||||
|
12 |
14767 |
Magder |
Magder |
5.00 |
11.00 |
10.00 |
11.00 |
DNC |
14.00 |
14.00 |
DNC |
DNC |
80.00 |
|||||||||||||||
|
13 |
13893 |
Slessor |
Lesperance |
6.00 |
7.00 |
DNC |
DNC |
DNC |
13.00 |
11.00 |
DNC |
DNC |
82.00 |
|||||||||||||||
|
14 |
13167 |
Stone |
Johnston |
10.00 |
12.00 |
DNC |
DNC |
DNC |
12.00 |
12.00 |
DNC |
DNC |
91.00 |
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