Team Styles and Piggott win last regatta of the season
21st January 2009
Weston sailing club was the venue for the last catamaran open
meeting of the season in the UK, this weekend. The weather was
fresh, but rather rain dominated. Hugh Styles and Adam
Piggott won the weekend event with a race to spare, finishing off a
season with highlights which include 5th at the World championships
Spain and 2nd at the Dutch F18 Nationals.
Saturday greeted the sailors with plenty of rain and wind. The
fleet of mixed handicap cats, from the little Dragoon through the
F18 to the Tornado. Racing was tricky in a gusty offshore wind. Fat
Face team of Hugh and Adam sailing their Nacra Infusion started
well. They lead off the port end of the starting line, never really
challenged and went onto convincingly win the first race, from
Grant Piggott racing another Nacra Infusion.
Race 2 saw more wind and slightly trickier conditions with the
wind swinging and coming more offshore. The start was far tighter
with the fleet having gained more confidence after their first race
practice. Simon Northrop and Luke Yates started well getting the
jump on the fleet. However they were no match for the boat speed of
the Fat Face team. Who tacked early onto Port and lead the
fleet out of the left side of the first beat, and were then never
headed through to the finish. Tom Phipps sailed a solid second with
Gummer 3rd.
Race 3 windier and even more rain this time. The fleet was
diminishing in size as breakages occurred. The Fat Face team were
on top form by this stage relishing the windy conditions. Windy
enough that Hugh was being the ballast trapezing downwind, as their
Nacra Infusion screamed downwind in flat water and Force 6 gusts.
The team confirmed their third win of the day and the overall lead.
With Grant Piggott in second and the Spitfire of Chris and Georgina
Sproat in third over night.
Sunday dawned with lighter winds and a rain free sky. The start
was heavily port end biased and Styles and Piggott were challenged
hard for the favoured end by Stuart Gummer in the new Loday White
designed F18. The Fat Face boys got the upper hand and leapt off
the line, powering away up the first beat. The fight was then on
for second and third, with Tom Phipps tussling the whole race with
Gummer for second and just clinching it at the finish.
Race 5, was a lighter and tighter fight all round the course.
Tom Phipps had the bit between his teeth and pushed at Team
Fat Face, but couldn’t quite match the Nacra’s boat speed,
finishing second on the water, but DSQ for a premature start. This
was also the 5th race win for Team Styles and Piggott and this
clinched their overall victory with a race to spare.
Race 6 was then a fight for the rest of the podium, with all to
play for between Grant Piggott and John Worthington, also sailing a
Nacra Infusion. Grant sailed a great race, solid off the line and
in the top 3 at the first mark the team gained downwind and
extended away from Phipps and Cook (who finished the race second)
on the next few laps to win the race and secure 2nd and Worthington
3rd overall.
Many thanks to Weston for putting on a great event, especially
for the Saturday night fireworks. Thanks to Fat Face for such great
support throughout the year. To Towergate Mardon for keeping Team
Styles and Piggott insured and legal, Gill for the fantastic
drysuit which kept the team toasty all weekend and Marlow ropes for
the lightest and best cordage you culd want for your boat.
All the best for the rest of 2008, Happy Xmas and here’s to a
fantastic 2009.