33 Mirrors are contesting the UK Mirror National Championships at Pembrokeshire YC. On day 3, all three scheduled races were held in a bright & sunny force 3-4 with a chop caused by the wind against the strengthing ebb tide for races 7 & 8. Courses were triangle, sausage triangle on all races.
Race 6 got away under a black flag after a couple postponements in the final minute of the start sequence. Chris and Katie Jenkins made a fantastic port tack start by the pin and crossed the fleet. At the windward mark Rebecca Stephens & Niamh O'Neill were leading with Nigel Thomas & Ollie Leary 2nd and Nigel Wakefield & Emma Levison 3rd. Unfortuately one of the reporter's children capsized at the first windward mark requiring maltesers & sympathy to be administered, so I don't have any more mark rounding positions. At the finish it was Reg Grayson & George Stainforth first ahead of Rory Odell & Lewis Bowen second with Chris & Katy Jenkins third.
There was a long delay before race 7 got underway due to a shifting wind. By this stage the tide was ebbing more strongly and the chop was building. Eventually the race got away cleanly under a black flag. At At the windward mark Chris & Katie Jenkins were leading with Reg Grayson & George Stainforth 2nd and Rory Odell & Lewis Bowen 3rd. On the second round the wind dropped a bit. This time it was Reg & George, Chris & Katie and Rory & Lewis all rounding the mark together. There were some more place changes on the final round, but Reg & George held on to win ahead of Tom Cosier & Nick Pugh second with Chris & Katie 3rd.
For race 8 the wind had dropped to a steady 12-14 knots and this meant less chop. Once again the race got away cleanly under a black flag. Oliver & Hannah Wilson made the best start on a very bias line and were rewarded by rounding the windward mark 6th behind Nigel Wakefield & Emma Levison first, Arran Holman & Lucy Offord second and Andy & Katie Smith third. Also going well were Harriet & Helena Watkins age 10 & 8 respectively- one of the youngest teams competing. At the windward mark on the sausage it was Arran & Lucy leading ahead of Andy & Katie with Tom Cosier & Nick Pugh 3rd. By the finish it was Andy & Katien first ahead of Tom & Nick with Arran & Lucy 3rd. Harriet & Helena capsized on the final mark gybing their spinnaker, but did well to recover the boat and finish the race.
Overall leading positions after seven races
| Sail number | Helm | Crew | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | R8 | Nett | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 70513 | Gill Race Team | Andy Smith | Katie Smith | (16) | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 13 | 5 | 1 | 28 |
| 2nd | 70756 | Little Britches | Reg Grayson | George Stainforth | 6 | 10 | 5 | 4 | (11) | 1 | 1 | 4 | 31 |
| 3rd | 70668 | Wildcat | Angus Hemmings | Fraser Hemmings | 3 | (23) | 4 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 11 | 9 | 38 |
| 4th | 70655 | Margot | Rory Odell | Lewis Bowen | 5 | 12 | 7 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 4 | (14) | 40 |
