Hawk Nationals 16th - 18th July 2004

Christchurch Sailing Club, once again, hosted the 10th HAWK 20 Nationals over the weekend 16-18 July. Twenty-seven competitors signed on for the 3-day event, some having trailed their boats from the four corners of the country. Ray Boden and his two crew, in boat no. 112 'Bella' boasted a combined age of over 200 years. They became known as the 'octogenarians boat'.

A really nice feature of these Nationals is the number of family crewed boats that enter the events.

Friday's weather was dull and overcast, but the all-important wind was there in generous proportions to provide some exciting, close-quarter racing in Christchurch Bay.

The hot favourites, Tim Reid (Boat 250) and Ashley Taylor (Boat 208) soon showed the others their heels as the first race got underway in 25 knots of wind. But Neil Stevenson (Boat 33) was determined that they were not going to get away from him. At the end of the first lap, it was Tim Reid hotly pursued by Neil with Ashley lying a very close third. But at the final post, it was Tim Reid taking line honours, with Ashley Taylor right on his heels.

At the end of the day, it was even-stevens, both of them having one first and one second each with Christchurch Sailing Club's Commodore, David Miller, lying in third place.

The second day (Saturday) was passage race day. Two races were held on the way to Studland Bay via Bournemouth Pier and a pursuit race all the way back. The weather was absolutely perfect for this day. The first race involved a beat around Hengistbury Head buoy and then paying off a little to a close reach over Bournemouth Pier. David Miller judged the wind and tide just right and rounded the first buoy ahead of the fleet. Thereafter, nobody could touch him as he romped the 5 miles across Poole Bay to the Pier.

The start of the second race saw light and fluky winds, with some of the competitors finding themselves in a complete hole. But the further out to sea they went, the better the wind was. At the finish line, with the Old Harry Rocks providing a splendid backdrop, a steady 25 knots of wind was recorded. As the competitors closed towards the line, it soon became obvious that something was a little different with the placings. To everybody's surprise and delight, it was the octogenarians who stormed across the line in first place, leaving the hot shots in 4th and 7th places.

The stopover for lunch in Studland Bay had a touch of Swallows and Amazons about it. The sun was shining, the breeze in this very sheltered bay hardly perceptible with 20 plus Hawk 20's either bobbing gently up and down at anchor, or simply beached. After a hard morning's racing, the crews just lay around their boats having a picnic or waded ashore and disappeared up the lane for a quick re-hydration stop. On their return, though, they found their boats need re-hydration as they were now high and dry on the beach where the tide had gone away and left them! Manhandling over 800kg of boat across the sand is no mean feat, but with a little help from their friends 'many hands make boat float'!

The race back to Christchurch is held as a pursuit race, with competitors going off at 2 minute intervals in six groups. The groups were based on the previous day's results, ranking from the not so competent racers in group 1 to the champions in group six. A downwind start was set up for the return race. It was quite a sight watching the spinnakers popping up almost as soon as the boats crossed the start line. Blue skies, sunshine, a good following sea and a fair wind made this a cracking sail back with boats surfing down the face of the waves, giving their crews a roller coaster ride back across Poole Bay.

At the finish, it was Patrick Sheahan from group 4 in Boat 5 "Tradewind II" - the oldest competing boat, who took the honours and first place.

Sunday morning broke overcast and virtually windless. Out on the racecourse, the offshore breeze just about managed force 2. with 2 races to fit in before lunch, the race officers were set a challenge with setting the course length and number of rounds.

The championship was still hanging in the balance between Tim Reid and Ashley Taylor. Ashley, though, had to get two firsts if he were to clinch the title. At precisely 1000 hours race number 5 got underway and, as if right on cue, came the wind. The competitors whizzed round the course, with all boats completing the three laps in just 50 minutes. Ashley flew across the finish line ahead of Tim, the championship title now firmly in his sights.

The sixth and final race course had to be adjusted to account for a 30o wind shift, but got underway in a steady force 3 which soon increased to force 4. Some challenging and exciting spinnaker work was soon being demonstrated around the course, with crews working furiously to hoist, set, gybe and drop the kites in the shortest possible time. The gap between the leaders and the 'tail-enders' soon became quite large and it looked as if the boats at the back of the fleet were going to be lapped by the leaders. But, either by divine intervention, or good race management, the last boat rounded the windward mark just 10 seconds before Tim Reid crossed the finish line to clinch the race and the championship. Game set and match to Tim!