The 5th
Blaze Nationals took place at the Warsash Sailing Club on the 15th
and 16th of June. The 21
entries were partly testament to the expectation of England’s Soccer World Cup
Quarter final against Denmark. Also
notable a year after its introduction was the impact of the semi-soft 10.0m rig
on class support. While the sail is
now smaller it much more efficient and has significantly refined the crafts
handling. The boat was always fast but
its potential is more easily won by typical club sailors with the new
configuration.
Day one and the
fleet fought tide and wind to get away from the shore with some difficulty with
class treasurer Paul Taylor breaking a mast in the process. Outside the river the competitors found a
variable 20 knot wind and typical choppy Solent conditions. In the first race Steve Cockerill cheekily
crossed the fleet on port in race in his brand new boat. However the 2001 champion Chris Coleman got
to the windward mark first and was also closely pursued by Mike Lyons. Many in the fleet were sailing
conventionally ‘high’ upwind, but these three leaders were utilising the power
of the new rig and the leverage of the wings to sail lower but plane to the
mark. With the current taking the many
sailors high on the reaches Cockerill took the lead at the end of the second
reach by working the waves lower than the other competitors. Chris Coleman again retook the lead up the
next beat, proving that his rowing machine training had not gone to waste. Cockerill finally reasserted his authority
down the run, working the boat by the
lee so taking what proved the fastest route to the leeward mark. Steve hung on to the lead in the short beat
to the finish, from Chris Coleman, Mike Lyons and Dave Evans.
Race two saw a
similar breakaway by the leading three but with the main duel continuing
between Cockerill and Coleman. Once
again Coleman, sailing on his home waters, had height and speed and took the
first mark with a good lead from Steve and Mike. The broadness of the legs again favoured the lighter sailors and
Cockerill at 74 Kg closed on Chris finally passing him on the next reach only
to be passed again upwind. Steve
finally broke away on the run applying his impressive Laser style technique
through the waves. In the end he
maintained his lead up the beat to win from Coleman and Lyons with Darren Smith
featuring in 4th.
Race three saw
slightly less wind but still most were
locked into the back of the boat and flying down the reaches – and holding
their nerve through the gybes.
Cockerill led round the first mark closely pursued by Coleman and Lyons
for much of the race. The chasers were
by now beginning to more effectively emulate the Cockerill running
technique. This allowed Lyons to
stretch a modest lead over Coleman gained on one of the reaches and get close
to Cockerill who capsized up the last beat.
Cockerill’s recovery was too rapid to change the positions though and he
retained the first position from Lyons and Coleman.
Day two was now
slightly less windy and with flatter water.
The sailing was made even more enjoyable with slightly tighter reaches
which produced whoops from the sailors. Once again it was the power sailing of
Chris Coleman that took the first mark honours with Cockerill continued to
dominate downwind. The latter again
catching Coleman down the sausage of the triangle sausage course.
Race 5 was to yet
another rerun of previous ones but an even more determined Coleman led by the
biggest margin yet at the top mark but he was to lose it to Cockerill by the leeward mark. These two swapped the lead in a close battle
around the course with Cockerill again taking line honours.
By the time of
the final race most of the overall positions were certain but the course and
conditions were ideal for the Blaze with long reaches and a steady F4. The mid-fleet were fighting a much less
predictable battle than the leaders and places changed regularly. Dave Evans, Ralph Jones, Ian Moss, Peter
Barlow and Oliver Daniels were having a real ding dong but finally finishing in
that order. Special mention to Derek
Morland sailing his not yet converted old rig small sail Blaze completed all
races and finishing lowest in the fleet received special mention at the prize giving.
Cockerill won the
event convincingly at the first attempt but not without serious and sustained
challenges from the class ‘establishment’ - the fleet is now fast entering a
new level of competition. So impressed
was the maestro that he has now taken up a distributorship for the Blaze
through his Rooster Sailing company.
The growing Blaze circuit moves on to Mengeham Rythe SC in late
July.
Overall
Results:
1st
Steve Cockerill (Langstone SC and Stokes Bays SC)
2nd
Chris Coleman(Warsash Sailing Club)
3rd
Mike Lyons (Burghfield SC)
4th
David Evans (Calshot SC)
5th
Darren Smith (CCYC)
6th
Oliver Daniels (Sutton in Ashfield SC)
7th
Ian Moss (White Friars SC)