2002 Western Areas at Chew Valley Lake SC 31st August & 1st September

There was an excellent turnout of 59 Mirrors for the Western Area Championship held at Chew Valley Lake SC over the weekend 31st August & 1st September. Conditions were warm and sunny with a generally light, patchy and shifty breeze marking the blue water of the lake surface. The lush greens of the unspoilt Mendip hills formed a breathtaking backdrop to complete a picture postcard scene.

Being both a National Squad and South West Zone Squad qualifier as well as a Tasmania 2003 Worlds travel grants qualifier, the event attracted boats from as far away as Sunderland, Windermere, Penzance and Brightlingsea. The team at Chew Valley really know how to put on a good event and the race management was superb and ashore the boat parking and launching was easy and the clubhouse provided great spectating and good lunches and Saturday evening meal for both competitors and supporters. Although there was no camping on site, the local fruit farm was ideal, with a lovely secluded field with the tents and campervans all around the edge and the kids playing football in the middle and only £2 per pitch per night.

Daniel & James Ellis led race 1 for the first lap, but they were eventually overhauled by Guy and Joe Wilkins in the light shifty conditions with Stuart Bithell and Holly Scott lying 3rd when the course was shortened after 2 laps plus a beat. Race 2 was subject to a general recall, but the fleet got away on the 1st black flag start. Vince and Thomas Horey, just back from the Fireball Nationals, dominated the race with Craig and Mitchell Bond 2nd and Tim and Jenny Gray 3rd. Elena Bremer and Tom Kirkbright from Hollingsworth Lake SC initally led race 3, but were caught by the chasing pack at the gybe mark. Stuart Bithell went on to win with Tim Gray 2nd and Guy Wilkins lying 3rd when the race was shortened at the gybe mark on the 3rd lap.

On Saturday evening, a tree swing, being used by Stuart Bithell, who was leading overall, broke. Stuart was rushed off to casualty where it was found he had sustained two broken toes, bruising and a cut to the head. He appeared on Sunday morning with a crutch, his foot in plaster and stitches in his head wound (but alas, no parrot !). Sailing was out of the question so Holly Scott gamely took over, helming in race 4 with a stand in crew, but was some way off the pace.

Stuart was leading both the event and the Tasmania Grant selection and needed at least one good result from the Sunday to stay in the frame. Despite his leg in full plaster with broken toes and stitches in the gash to his head, Stuart was gently lifted into his boat for the final race and with superb crewing from Holly Scott who did all the moving, they came in third to give them second overall and 1st in the Tasmania Grant rankings.

It was lovely to see so many new faces and Rob Grieg-Gran, one of the SW Zone Coaches, was out on the water on the Sunday talent spotting for both the SW Squad and the National Squad. See the Squad pages for the rankings. Kate MacGregor, 12, won the prize for youngest helm and prizes were awarded for the first twelve boats. A new permanent MCA Junior Trophy, the Trelawney Tankard, kindly donated by Martin Egan, was presented to top juniors Daniel & James Ellis from Plym YC.

Editors note: I have taken the liberty of combining Errol Edwards report on Yachts & Yachting with Jan Grieg-Gran's website report to create this article.

Boat No.	Helm & Crew		Club	Race 1	Race 2	Race 3	Race 4	Race 5	Discard	Points	Position
39508 - Norbert	Guy & Joe Wilkins		Chipstead SC	1	8	3	4	1	8	9	1
70172 - ‘Av It	Stuart Bithell & Holly Scott		Hollingworth Lake SC	3	5	1	51	3	51	12	2
70101	Tim & Jenny Gray		Staunton Harold SC	13	3	2	3	8	13	16	3
70163 - Sven	Vincent & Thomas Horey		King George SC	DNS	1	7	7	4	7	19	4
70132 - We Take Plastic	Daniel & James Ellis		Plym YC	2	7	21	6	7	21	22	5
69907 - Crianza	Jonathan McGovern & Nicola Brook		Hollingworth Lake SC	22	4	8	1	12	22	25	6
70091 - Trident-UK	Josh & Judi Gebhard		Derwent Reservoir SC	7	10	4	14	5	14	26	7
70154 - Passing Wind	Craig & Mitchell Bond		Brightlingsea SC	4	2	12	11	10	12	27	8
69164 - Be Realistic	Niki & Christian Birrell		Winsford Flash SC	12	6	20	9	2	20	29	9
69943 - Phourtle	Ben Crompton & James Budd		Budworth SC	43	14	6	16	6	43	42	10
70182 - Agamemnon	Rosie Chapman & Josh Prichard		Mount's Bay SC	6	12	9	22	23	23	49	11
70186	Peter Gray  & Helen Williamson		Staunton Harold SC	16	13	33	10	13	33	52	12
69683 - George	Katie & Anna Mackenzie		Royal Windermere YC	17	11	22	17	11	22	56	13
70009 - Nik-Nak	Darren Roach & Ed Grieg Gran		Royal Plymouth Corinthian YC	10	15	14	18	20	20	57	14
70159 - Trident-UK	Andrew Conn & Jake Gebhard		Derwent Reservoir SC	14	16	18	13	16	18	59	15
23997 - Jessamine	Lewis Crawford & Kyle Ruffell		Penzance SC	26	9	24	12	15	26	60	16
69726 - Blew	Ned McNulty & Tom Hodkinson		Hill Head SC	9	17	16	27	21	27	63	17
70153 - No Patience III	Gareth Hughes & Cameron Sharp		Hollingworth Lake SC	21	41	29	2	18	41	70	18
69667 - Bold Forester	Martin Egan & Sarah Burge		Poole YC	27	23	17	8	22	27	70	19
69648 - Kaffufle	Matt & Carly Burge		Poole YC	8	19	31	15	60	60	73	20
69905 - Nauti Nick	Nick Watson & Josh Laine		Royal Plymouth Corinthian YC	11	37	5	45	25	45	78	21
70008 - CHaRISma	Chris Doe & Alison Macgregor		Poole YC	36	18	34	19	9	36	80	22
69972 - Plastic Poo Number 2	Becky Partridge & Emily Mackenzie		Budworth SC	34	24	23	20	14	34	81	23
70002 - Magic	Robert Struckett & George Yeoman		Itchenor SC	18	27	13	26	36	36	84	24
70003 - Encore Une Fois	Tom Robinson & Shaun Mason		Warsash SC	24	20	15	39	26	39	85	25
69731 - Blizzard	Tom Crompton& Will Edwards		Budworth SC	20	22	19	29	37	37	90	26
69891 - TBB	Gareth Evans & James Silcock		Warsash SC	15	46	25	25	29	46	94	27
70133 - Whitewash	Daniel Jacobs & James Beer		Starcross YC	48	31	11	21	33	48	96	28
70055 - Female of the Species	Kate Macgregor & Lucy Macgregor		Poole YC	5	48	39	34	19	48	97	29
70151 - Fairground Attraction	Oliver Turner & Charlotte Jones		Starcross YC	45	35	48	5	17	48	102	30
69724 - Baptism Of Fire	Natalie Roach & Carla Sheldon		Royal Plymouth Corinthian YC	23	25	37	31	24	37	103	31
69906 - Boudicea	Edward Redfearn & Steven Mann		Brightlingsea SC	31	21	28	28	30	31	107	32
60005	Anna Row & Lindsey Cook		Penzance SC	28	30	40	24	31	40	113	33
70024 - Nervania	Nerissa Booth & Silvania Booth		Poole YC	29	28	27	30	DSQ	60	54	34
69417 - Sharp Practice	Elena Bremer & Tom Kirkbright		Hollingworth Lake SC	38	32	10	47	39	47	119	35
70166 - One Step at a Time	Ben Arscott & Andrew Hickman		Royal Western YC	25	33	41	36	34	41	128	36
69439 - B-Czar	Megan Baker & Will Mcgrath		Starcross YC	42	26	36	40	27	42	129	37
1016 - Yogi	Andrew Shaw & Jillian Darling		Itchenor SC	41	29	30	43	32	43	132	38
69957 - Rock It	Laura Hall & Natalie Attfield		Plym YC	50	44	26	48	28	50	146	39
70141 - The Business	Juliet & Richard Long		Plym YC	47	39	32	38	40	47	149	40
69969 - Atomic Eel	Selena & Sophie Knight		Itchenor SC	35	34	45	37	44	45	150	41
64909	Lee Narkeous & Michael Stillman		Draycote Water SC	39	40	49	23	DSQ	60	91	42
47566	Eloise & Kayleigh Hansen		Covenham SC	37	42	43	41	35	43	155	43
69182	Patrick & Emma Houlihan		Royal Windermere YC	53	38	42	35	41	53	156	44
70125 - It’s a Girl Thing	Victoria & Hannah Cobb		Poole YC	32	36	44	52	45	52	157	45
70167 - Tactic	Ewan Marshall & Daniel Dickens		Plym YC	33	49	38	44	43	49	158	46
67979 - Firebolt	Alice Darling & Jess Wigmore		Itchenor SC	19	47	50	56	50	56	166	47
70155 - Tickle Crab	Nick Ward & Tom Wright		Hollowell SC	30	43	51	46	49	51	168	48
54331 - Kinda Magic	Jonathan Rickard & Jonathan Hall		Plym YC	55	52	46	33	38	55	169	49
44814 - No Excuses	Jenny & Andy Macgregor		Poole YC	40	45	53	32	60	60	170	50
67808	Paddy Adams & Andrew Rose		Chew Valley Lake SC	46	53	35	57	51	57	185	51
69671 - Elemonentry	Sally Gentry & Anneka Stephens		Brightlingsea SC	51	51	52	42	47	52	191	52
67993	Peter Hooper & Luke Michale		Saltash SC	49	54	56	49	42	56	194	53
69334 - Défonce-toi!	Lewis Turner & Cary Turner		Starcross YC	44	OCS	47	50	53	60	134	54
54539 - Starlight?	Charlotte & Sophie Brett		Looe SC	52	50	54	53	46	54	201	55
26550	Brian & George Kitching		Frampton On Seven SC	54	56	58	54	48	58	212	56
68999	Benjamin & Joshua Williams		Plym YC	57	55	55	58	52	58	219	57
29871	Mark Dinwoodie & Jenny/oliver		Chew Valley Lake SC	56	57	57	55	60	60	225	58
99	Rebecca Brown & Hannah Williams		Plym YC	58	58	59	RTD	RTD	60	235	59

Class Association Prizes

Trophy:	Year:	For:	Presented?	Presented To:	Should have been presented to:	Held now by / In the care of:
Western Area Trophy	2002	1st Overall	Yes	Guy & Joe Wilkins	.	Guy Wilkins
Trelawney Tankard	2002	1st Juniors	Yes	Daniel & James Ellis	.	Daniel Ellis