Practice Race, Sunday 29th August
| 1 | 48780 | Dave Sherwin | Leigh-on-Sea S.C |
| 2 | 17342 | Graham Ellis | Gresford S.C. |
| 3 | 29263 | Peter Robinson | Ripon S.C. |
| 4 | 47473 | Harry Prangnell | Fishers Green S.C. |
| 5 | 48010 | Mark Rushall | Draycote Water S.C. |
| 6 | 46732 | Dave Derby | Broadstairs S.C. |
Dave Sherwin led throughout the race, from Colin Gardiner of Forfar S.C., who was disqualified when he forgot his safety tag. Graham Ellis made a poor start, but came up from the twenties to finish in second place. There was a tremendous tussle throughout between Harry Prangnell and Mark Rushall. The World Champion, Roy Partridge, retired early in the race following a port and starboard incident. Welcome “far-flung” (but paid up!) Association Members were Frank Havik and Monique Janssen of Monnickendam, the Club who acted as hosts for the World Championships, and Grant Nicholls. who arrived at Newquay via Holland from Melbourne, Australia, and borrowed the Flag Ship.
Many competitors overstood the windward mark because of the tides, which also caused several unpremeditated gybes on the downwind leg of the Olympic course. The wind freshened slightly throughout the race, but was never more than a force 2. Waves were a little confused, especially at the start of the beat. Good anticipation of the veering winds on the part of the Race Officer meant that the beat, which was biased at first, was true on the last windward leg to the finishing line.
All competitors expressed great pleasure at being once again entertained by the quiet efficiency of Newquay Sailing Club, under Commodore, John Turver.
1st Points Race, Monday 30th August
| 1 | 50131 | Chris Maxfield | Weaver S.C. |
| 2 | 29263 | Peter Robinson | Ripon S.C |
| 3 | 48010 | Mark Rushall | Draycote Water S.C. |
| 4 | 42919 | Chris Owen | Northwich S.C. |
| 5 | 7241 | Stuart Bottoms | Errwood S.C. |
| 6 | 43030 | Kim Leatt | Broadstairs S.C. |
The wind increased from a force 2-3 to a force 5, gusting 6, with confused seas. The northerly winds veered westerly, giving a tremendous lift on the first beat, and allowing the use of spinnakers, before it went back to the north. The Club reckoned there was a twenty-foot ground swell.
Many competitors returned from the finishing line under jib only, and of 135 starters, the sea and the wind claimed 50, leaving 85 to finish. One boat had to be lifted in pieces aboard the Committee boat; a metal mast developed a right-angle, and there was considerable breakage. The veering wind on the first beat caused great congestion on the gybe mark.
The first three to finish maintained their positions at each windward mark throughout the race, but there was a tremendous changing of position down the fleet, where 24 Cornish boats, and a total of 51 different Clubs were battling with the elements.
The World Champion, Roy Partridge, led for the greater part of the race, capsized before the last gybe mark, managed to right himself, and finished 48th. His comments afterwards were “Wet suits? I don’t take a wet-suit because you never capsize a Mirror”.
2nd Points Race, Tuesday 31st August
| 1 | 15000 | Roy Partridge | I.P.C. (Iver) Y.C. |
| 2 | 48010 | Mark Rushall | Draycote Water S.C. |
| 3 | 47473 | Harry Prangnell | Fishers Green S.C. |
| 4 | 46732 | Dave Derby | Broadstairs S.C. |
| 5 | 17349 | Richard Smallwood | Stokes Bay S.C. |
| 6 | 17342 | Graham Ellis | Gresford S.C. |
The second race was postponed because of surf in the mouth of the harbour, which would have made launching totally impossible. However, half-an-hour later, 123 Mirrors set off under brilliant sunshine, with a force 4 wind, and a difficult, lumpy sea. Although Roy Partridge led for most of the way, defending Champion, Mark Rushall, was breathing down his neck. Only ten seconds behind at the third windward mark, Mark Rushall lost to the reigning World Champion by twenty seconds at the finishing line. The last beat was a superb tacking duel between the World Champion and the defending Champion, with the more experienced man just maintaining his control. A newcomer to the top ranks is Lt. Cmdr. Smallwood of Stokes Bay.
Overall positions at this point, taking both races into consideration, were Mark Rushall (Draycote Water) first, Peter Robinson (Ripon) second, Chris Maxfield (Weaver) third.
3rd Points Race, Wednesday 1st September
| 1 | 15000 | Roy Partridge | I.P.C. (Iver) Y.C. |
| 2 | 47473 | Harry Prangnell | Fishers Green S.C. |
| 3 | 17342 | Graham Ellis | Gresford S.C. |
| 4 | 6950 | Derek Beere | I.P.C. (Iver) Y.C. |
| 5 | 48780 | Dave Sherwin | Leigh-on-Sea S.C. |
| 6 | 46732 | Dave Derby | Broadstairs S.C. |
Disregarding any discards, at this stage in the week the overall winner on points was Harry Prangnell, last year’s Western Area Champion who unfortunately failed to qualify, despite predictions, for the World Team to go to Holland. Harry is now back on form, and sailing very consistently in the top five at the National Championships.
A fleet of 136 set out in a lumpy sea, with force 1-2, which freshened to a fairly steady force 3 during the race. Shifting wind on the start line favoured a late start through the gate, and some starters were grievously left. The sea claimed fewer casualties, as 130 of the boats finished. There were a considerable number of protests, and, as the single-handed race also took place on the same day, it was difficult to get the overall positions accurately until all the protests had been heard. It is enough to say that at the top, but not necessarily in this order, were Harry Prangnell, Chris Maxfield, Peter Robinson, Trevor Smith, Graham Ellis, Mark Rushall, Roy Partridge, Chris Owen and Chris Sidey. A welcome return to the top ranks is Derek Beere of I.P.C. (Iver) Y.C., a past National Champion and European runner-up in 1973.
Cohn Gardiner, who actually finished third in this race, qualifies for the sob story of the week. Disqualified from the practice race, when he finished second but had forgotten his safety tag, he was disqualified from the third points race, having finished third, because the position of his thwart contravened the design. Like the sportsman that he is, Cohn worked hard to put his boat into Class, and accepted very graciously the Committee’s decision.
The Committee carried out their intention to measure the top three boats from each race.
4th Points Race, Thursday 2nd September
| 1 | 46732 | Dave Derby | Broadstairs S.C. |
| 2 | 17342 | Graham Ellis | Gresford S.C. |
| 3 | 17349 | Richard Smallwood | Stokes Bay S.C. |
| 4 | 48010 | Mark Rushall | Draycote Water S.C. |
| 5 | 29263 | Peter Robinson | Ripon S.C. |
| 6 | 15000 | Roy Partridge | I.P.C. (Iver) Y.C. |
The Race Committee postponed the start for an hour and a half, due to surf at the mouth of the harbour. The wind, force 3-4, dropped throughout the race, which was quite a short one owing to the need to get the dinghies back through the harbour entrance before they ran any risk of being caught in the surf and swept ashore in pieces. With bright sunshine and white horses, the fleet looked its usual picture, but the sea was much choppier than the wind conditions appeared to warrant.
With a complete change in the leadership, and three new boats requiring measurement under the Committee’s decision to measure the first three of every race, it was interesting to note that 17342 and 17349, both seven-year-old boats, proved that a new boat is not essential to victory.
Roy Partridge’s consistent position in the top of the fleet proves conclusively that mature years are no handicap! At the end of each race there is a positive gleam in the eye of all the over-thirties, when they assess Roy’s position in the race and realise that their day is by no means done.
With protests making it impossible to assess the overall positions at this stage, and with the Championship still wide open, possible winners could be Harry Prangnell, Roy Partridge, Dave Derby, Mark Rushall or Graham Ellis, in other words, the fleet which represented the United Kingdom in Holland, with Harry Prangnell managing to keep ahead of World Runner-up, Chris Owen.
Graham Ellis won the single-handed race, and newcomer to the Committee, Deborah Evelyn. showed the girls that, even among such illustrious competition, third place was attainable.
5th Points Race, Friday 3rd September
| 1 | 47473 | Harry Prangnell | Fishers Green S.C. |
| 2 | 17342 | Graham Ellis | Gresford S.C. |
| 3 | 29263 | Peter Robinson | Ripon S.C. |
| 4 | 6950 | Derek Beere | l.P.C. (Iver) Y.C. |
| 5 | 15000 | Roy Partridge | I.P.C. (Iver) Y.C. |
| 6 | 17349 | Richard Smallwood | Stokes Bay S.C. |
Boats were away to the start of the final race with a wind force 2, variable. Everything depended upon the outcome of this race, and the top ten helmsmen were fighting it out. Roy Partridge did not have a good start, but, with the winds steadying and increasing, he improved his position, particularly on the last beat, and managed to finish fifth. This meant the final results were about the keenest we have ever experienced, with World Champion, Roy Partridge, leading from Harry Prangnell by a quarter of a point, with Harry holding off Graham Ellis by the same margin.
A couple of photos of the fleet launching, kindly provided by Newquay Sailing Club
This was once more a more successful Nationals. Ernie Radcliffe, as Race Officer, deserved the thanks of the entire fleet, and other members and officers of Newquay Sailing Club gave up at least a week of their holiday to tend to our every need. We have been to Newquay now three times for a National Championship. It is among the venues that cause least headaches to the Association, and, as in the case of our report on the Rally, we can only close with the words “When can we come back?”.
Results
| Position | Boat | Sailors | Club | R1 | R2 | R3 | Points |
| 1 | 60015 - Funderbird (sailing as 15000) | Roy & Graeme Partridge | I.P.C. (Iver) Y.C. | (48) | 1 | 1 | |
| 2 | 47473 - Topaz | Harry & John Prangnell | Fishers Green S.C. | 3 | 2 | ||
| 3 | 17342 | Graham Ellis | Gresford S.C. | 6 | 3 | ||
| 4 | 48010 - Goldrush | Mark Rushall | Draycote Water S.C. | 3 | 2 | ||
| 5 | 46732 | David Derby | Broadstairs S.C. | 4 | 6 | ||
| 6 | 29263 | Peter Robinson | Ripon S.C. | 2 | |||
| 7 | 50131 | Chris Maxfield | Weaver S.C. | 1 | |||
| 8 | 14177 | Trevor Smith | l.P.C. (Iver) Y.C. | ||||
| 9 | 17349 | Richard Smallwood | Stokes Bay S.C. | 5 | |||
| 10 | 34912 | Colin Gardiner | Forfar S.C. | ||||
| 11 | 51000 | Chris Sidey | l.P.C. (lver) Y.C. | ||||
| 12 | 43030 | Kym Leatt | Broadstairs S.C. | 6 | |||
| 13 | 42919 | Chris Owen | Northwich S.C. | 4 | |||
| 14 | 36950 | Christopher Cleaves | Newquay S.C. | ||||
| 15 | 34502 | Jonathan Austin | Cransley S.C. | ||||
| 16 | 47585 | Deborah Evelyn | Tynemouth S.C. | ||||
| 17 | 39935 | Nigel Grogan | Newquay S.C. | ||||
| 18 | 46620 | George Mellar | Aldridge S.C. | ||||
| 19 | 39000 Flag Ship (sailing as 2852) | Grant Nicholls | Melbourne, Australia | ||||
| 20 | 16275 | D. W. Bristow | Thorpe Bay S.C. | ||||
| 21 | 39292 | Lew Owen | Northwich S.C. | ||||
| 22 | 29946 | Richard Major | West Riding S.C | ||||
| 23 | 50205 | Stuart Hastings | Maidstone S.C. | ||||
| 24 | 1510 | Bill Childs | Draycote Water S.C. | ||||
| 25 | 18951 | Edward Dunhill | Worthing Y.C. | ||||
| 26 | 15497 | M. E. Cope | South Caernarvonshire Y.C. | ||||
| 27 | 43234 | Carolyn Eales | Draycote Water S.C. | ||||
| 28 | 44438 | Gordon Foley | Stokes Bay S.C. | ||||
| 29 | 38263 | Tony Shute | Exe S.C. | ||||
| 30 | 6238 | Martin Dare | Restronguet S.C. | ||||
| 31 | 21193 | Clive Eplett | Fowey Gallants S.C. | ||||
| 32 | 25850 | Terry Cherrill | Kingsmead S.C. | ||||
| 33 | 35603 | M. N. Marsden | Blackpool & Fleetwood Y.C. | ||||
| 34 | 51507 | Frank Havik | Monnickendam, Holland | ||||
| 35 | 42417 | Philip Davis | Mumbles Y.C. | ||||
| 36 | 32445 | Ian Cherrill | Kingsmead S.C. | ||||
| 37 | 42152 | Frank H. Cole | Melton Mowbray S.C. | ||||
| 38 | 6566 | Julia Tucker | Porthpean S.C. | ||||
| 39 | 19518 | Walter Maxfield | Weaver S.C. | ||||
| 40 | 6950 | Derek Beere | I.P.C. (Iver) Y.C. | 4 | |||
| 41 | 7241 | Stewart Bottoms | Errwood S.C. | 5 | |||
| 42 | 35794 | Alan Bambrough | Bexley S.C. | ||||
| 43 | 49256 | Noel Fay | Bough Beech S.C. | ||||
| 44 | 26343 | Philip Bowers | Huddersfield S.C. | ||||
| 45 | 41960 | N. Curry | Burnham-on-Sea S.C. | ||||
| 46 | 39508 | Mark Wilkins | Seasalter S.C. | ||||
| 47 | 14252 | Tony Moore | Fowey Gallants S.C. | ||||
| 48 | 41871 | Angus Broadhurst | Royal Tay Y.C. | ||||
| 49 | 47361 | Paul Radgick | Exe S.C. | ||||
| 50 | 22151 | Huw Stephens | Barry Y.C. | ||||
| 51 | 6315 | S. W. Child | Weston S.C. | ||||
| 52 | 13963 | M. Stevenson | Mounts Bay S.C. | ||||
| 53 | 48780 - Rosie | Dave Sherwin | Leigh-on-Sea S.C. | 5 | |||
| 54 | 22396 | Hugh Jones | CransleyS.C. | ||||
| 55 | 28209 | John K. Gooch | Seasalter S.C. | ||||
| 56 | 1118 | C. Spencer-Smith | Porthpean S.C. | ||||
| 57 | 28170 | Robin Harris | Bexhill S.C. | ||||
| 58 | 7467 | Pam Gough | B.S.C. Margam S.C. | ||||
| 59 | 1067 | C. B. McKinnon | Emsworth S.C. | ||||
| 60 | 39057 | Julian Bridges | Mumbles Y.C. | ||||
| 61 | 39852 | Miss Peddlesden | Bexhill S.C. | ||||
| 62 | 53136 | Monique Janssen | Monnickendam, Holland | ||||
| 63 | 27567 | James Allan | Royal Tay Y.C. | ||||
| 64 | 43025 | Chris Woodard | Deben Y.C. | ||||
| 65 | 41907 | K. C. Price | I.P.C. (Iver) Y.C. | ||||
| 66 | 7406 | R. V. Read | Felpham S.C. | ||||
| 67 | 19182 | Nigel Price | I.P.C. (Iver) Y.C. | ||||
| 68 | 53435 | A. Sawyer | Northwich S.C. | ||||
| 69 | 20342 | Timothy Polglase | Forwey Gallants S.C. | ||||
| 70 | 36930 | Trevor Roberts | Pegasus S.C. | ||||
| 71 | 28137 | John Hope | Redoubt S.C. | ||||
| 72 | 23270 | Peter Agnew | Mounts Bay S. C. | ||||
| 73 | 47565 | Peter Vincent | Exe S.C. | ||||
| 74 | 27753 | G. M. Pullen | I.P.C. (Iver) Y.C. | ||||
| 75 | 24000 | I. B. Farr | Mayflower S.C. | ||||
| 76 | 31878 | Mark Hassall | Newquay S.C. (Wales) | ||||
| 77 | 29105 | Neil Cameron | Fowey Gallants S.C. | ||||
| 78 | 48000 | Mike Chilcott | Chew Valley Lake S.C. | ||||
| 79 | 1682 | A. Seaton | Bexhill S.C. | ||||
| 79 | 35701 | Alex Pearce | Kingsmead S.C. | ||||
| 81 | 41245 | Graham Bottoms | Errwood S.C. | ||||
| 82 | 26355 | Diane Baty | Dalgey Bay S.C. | ||||
| 83 | 38960 | Trevor Baker | Arun Y.C. | ||||
| 84 | 24926 | Thomas Legrice | Mounts Bay S.C. | ||||
| 85 | 49665 | Harry Taylor | Worthing Y.C. | ||||
| 86 | 33577 | M. Emerson | Middle Nene CC. | ||||
| 87 | 37870 | A. T. Dennis | North Lincs S.C. | ||||
| 88 | 25691 | Graham Nicholls | Pegasus S.C. | ||||
| 89 | 27394 | Ken Carter | King George S.C. | ||||
| 90 | 49688 | George Matthews | Frampton on Severn S.C. | ||||
| 91 | 43223 | Ken Gosling | Sidmouth S.C. | ||||
| 92 | 43008 | D. S. Smith | West Riding S.C. | ||||
| 93 | 35567 | A. E. Tinker | West Riding S.C. | ||||
| 94 | 13976 | David Crookston | Mumbles S.C. | ||||
| 95 | 35375 | P. McDonald | South Yorkshire S.C. | ||||
| 96 | 28174 | David Hall | Chew Valley Lake S.C. | ||||
| 97 | 10988 | H. C. Ellison | Newquay S.C. | ||||
| 98 | 28025 | David Blyth | Wilsonian S.C. | ||||
| 99 | 47010 | Mark Thomas | Sidmouth S.C. | ||||
| 100 | 30833 | Nick Barnes | Newquay S.C. | ||||
| 101 | 28751 | W. A. Wood | Oxford S.C. | ||||
| 101 | 12003 | William Hastings | Maidstone S.C. | ||||
| 103 | 48779 | Terry Castle | Draycote Water S.C. | ||||
| 104 | 24855 | Keith Clark | West Riding S.C. | ||||
| 105 | 28587 | Joe Hearn | Torpoint Mosquito S.C. | ||||
| 106 | 32038 | William Owen | Restronguet S.C. | ||||
| 107 | 50803 | Brian Watts | Oxford S.C. | ||||
| 108 | 9018 | R. J. Croft | Bexhill S.C. | ||||
| 109 | 4658 | C. W. J. Haughton | Thorpe Bay Y.C. | ||||
| 110 | 28576 | John Kervin | Southport S.C. | ||||
| 111 | 46837 | P. K. Woolf | Penzance S.C. | ||||
| 112 | 33042 | K. C. Major | West Riding S.C. | ||||
| 113 | 38658 | P. W. Auger | Southampton S.C. | ||||
| 114 | 50950 | D. W. Rood | Errwood S.C. | ||||
| 115 | 39596 | Julian Vickery | I.P.C. (lver) Y.C. | ||||
| 116 | 12364 | Norman Frier | Bexley S.C. | ||||
| 117 | 40420 | J. Barker | Errwood S.C. | ||||
| 118 | 28833 | M. R. Ecob | Melton Mowbray S.C. | ||||
| 118 | 15196 | Nigel S. Parriss | Restronguet S.C. | ||||
| 120 | 28255 | Charles Reynolds | Mounts Bay S.C. | ||||
| 121 | 37989 | W. F. Smith | Lyme Regis S.C. | ||||
| 122 | 20028 | Mrs J. Stenson | Stokes Bay S.C. | ||||
| 123 | 48211 | N. Ravenscroft | Deben Y.C. | ||||
| 124 | 35341 | Nigel Fowell | Dudley Y.C. | ||||
| 125 | 35381 | Jane Snell | Barry Y.C. | ||||
| 126 | 42837 | Paul Beacon | Porthpean S.C. | ||||
| 127 | 14444 | Marc Cooper | Torpoint Mosquito S.C. | ||||
| 128 | 11119 | Venetia Bradford | Torpoint Mosquito S.C. | ||||
| 129 | 25001 | Ginger Moore | Dalgety Bay S.C. | ||||
| 130 | 46445 | John Earp | Draycote Water S.C. | ||||
| 131 | 11111 | Sidney Morriss | l.P.C. (Iver) IC. | ||||
| 132 | 46272 | Miss F. A. Ravenscroft | Deben Y.C. | ||||
| 133 | 38214 | Alan Folland | Newquay S.C. | ||||
| 134 | 477 | J. E. Noden | Northwich S.C. | ||||
| 135 | 33394 | W. R. Scarfe | Blackpool & Fleetwood Y.C. | ||||
| 136 | 48824 | Linda Weighill | Torpoint Mosquito S.C. | ||||
| 137 | 15287 | Albert Ashcroft | Sandwell Valley S.C. | ||||
| 138 | 37609 | W. Brian Roberts | Looe S.C. | ||||
| 139 | 41898 | C. V. Courtenay-Stamp | Exmouth S.C. | ||||
| 139 | 52325 | S. J. Rood | Errwood S.C. |
SPECIAL AWARDS
| Best Lady Helm | 47585 | Mrs. Deborah Evelyn | Tynemouth S.C. |
| Best Welsh Helm | 17342 | Graham Ellis | Gresford S.C. |
| Best under 19 Helm | 48010 | Mark Rushall | Draycote Water S.C. |
| Best Local Junior | 36950 | C. Cleaves | Newquay S.C. |
| Endeavour | 28576 | J. Kervin | Southport S.C. |
| Furthest Travelled | 2852 | Grant Nicholls | Melbourne, Australia |
| Single-handed | 17342 | Graham Ellis | Gresford S.C. |
Editors Note: Some of this article is from Reflections No. 26 October 1976, pages 10, 11, 13, 14 & 15. It has been captured by OCR, so typos & errors are possible.
