2/10/13
Joe and Tom McLaughlin won two of the three trophies at the National 18ft Class English National and UK Inland Championships at Tamesis on Saturday 28 September 2013. Sailing Heat-wave (343), they dominated the ten boat fleet, winning all three races on the water, the first two by convincing margins, to take the English National Championship Trophy for Classic, Penultimate and Ultimate boats (sailed under boat-type handicaps) and the Maddison Cup for finishing first on the water. The National 18 Trophy awarded on the basis of individual person-plus-boat handicaps went to Chris Pollard and Simon Veysey sailing the oldest boat on the water, Thumbelina (253).
2013 is the 75th anniversary of the National 18s. Recognising this, the new English National Championship Trophy was given by Jeremy Vines and Richard Howells, the former Class Captain of the Tamesis 18s, who died on 17 June, to recognise the work of their fathers, Murray Vines, who introduced the 18s to Tamesis, and Dr Wilfred Howells, in promoting the class as early Presidents of the National 18 Class Association. It was presented after the racing by Ann Howells, Richard’s widow.
Heat-wave won the first race by more than four minutes, with Ollie Houseman and Kaan Yargici second in Antedote (348) and The Goose Drank Wine (369) sailed by Rob Cruikshank and Barney Smith a close third. Jeremy and Max Vines in Rhapsody (375) had the misfortune to be slightly over the line at the start and had to make their way back through the packed fleet before Race Officer John Meredith, assisted by his wife Jean, cleared them to start again. A gusty easterly wind gave an upstream beat to the Canbury mark, set just downtream of Steven’s Eyot, with a close reach down river to a Lensbury mark a short distance along Trowlock Island. A west to east dogleg near the Clubhouse on the upriver leg proved to be the most difficult part of the course as it was in a less windy area of the river.
In the second race Heat-wave won by a margin of more than seven minutes with Antedote second and The Goose Drank Wine a close third.
With all three races to count, the third race was crucial and competition remained keen. Antedote was first to round Canbury mark followed closely by Heat-wave. Antedote held the lead until the dogleg but Heat-wave was just ahead by the end of the first lap. Heat-wave gradually stretched her lead to 33 seconds, with Rhapsody and The Goose Drank Wine eventually overtaking Antedote for second and third positions respectively.
In his speech at the prizegiving, Joe McLaughlin thanked Ann Howells for presenting the trophies, the seven visiting National 18 sailors from Bosham and Blackwater, and Nicky Chavasse and Tom in the kitchen and bar for providing lunch and tea.
Overalll Results:
English National Championship Trophy:
1 Heat-wave (Ultimate 343) Joe & Tom McLaughlin, 3 points
2 Toucou (Classic 368) Brian Hoolahan & Tim Reynolds, Bosham SC, 8 points
3 Thumbelina (Classic 253) Chris Pollard & Simon Veysey, 11 points
4 Trojan (Penultimate 334) David Edmund Jones & Andrew Young, 13 points.
Maddison Cup:
1 Heat-wave (343) Joe & Tom McLaughlin, 3 points
2 (after IYRU tie-break) Antedote (348) Ollie Houseman & Kaan Yargici, 9 points
3 The Goose Drank Wine (369) Rob Cruikshank & Barney Smith, 9 points
4 Rhapsody (375) Jeremy & Max Vines, 11 points
National 18 Cup:
1 Thumbelina (Classic 253) Chris Pollard & Simon Veysey, 7 points
2 Heat-wave (Ultimate 343) Joe & Tom McLaughlin, 12 points
3 Trojan (334) David Edmund Jones & Andrew Young, Bosham SC, 13 points
4 Ocatillo (316) Charles Fox & Stewart Colley.