Unicorn Nationals

Stone Sailing Club

31 July to 4 August 2006

A fleet of nine Unicorns met for their Nationals as part of the superb Stone SC Regatta on the Blackwater River. Conditions at the start of the week were very testing with squalls and gusts regularly reaching 30knts, two sailing days were lost mid week as the wind was just too strong. However, the week ended on a high with four races in perfect F4~5 conditions and a nail biting finish to the Championship.

Race 1 - Monday 31 July, F4~5 gusting F7

The fleet sailed a complex course, criss-crossing the river 6 times a lap. Bob Dorks and Gary Piper led the fleet closely followed by John Wade and Richard Taylor. Piper had taken the lead, only to loose it as he searched for the next mark. This happened several times in the first lap, but each time Piper mastered the conditions to sail back to the front. As conditions worsened at the end of the second lap, Dorks retired as had most of the fleet. This left Piper, Wade and Taylor to battle on to the end and they finished in that order. However, it emerged that all the leading boats had rounded the top mark in the wrong direction and a protest led to all the finishers being disqualified.

Race 2, postponed

Race 3 - Tuesday 1 August, F4~5, squalls of F7

Half the fleet made a good start, the remainder missing the gun by several minutes. Piper led the way in the strong winds followed by Dorks, Taylor and Toft. At the leeward mark, Piper was well ahead and he continued to stretch out a massive lead in the extremely testing conditions. Toft had gained second place, but had major problems tacking as the squall hit letting Dorks and Taylor through. Taylor sailed a very determined race and was holding 2^nd place when his halyard failed a few hundred metres from the finish line. Dorks, who said he had to stop and ‘take a breather’, took second place ahead of Toft.

Race 4, 5 & 6 postponed

Race 7 - Friday 4 August,  F5

With the wind set in the north, the course was mainly a series of high speed reaches. Taylor was first to the windward mark but Piper sailed through the fleet to take the lead which he continued to build through to the finish. Dorks, Toft, Taylor and Wade were fighting over 2^nd place but Wade got hung up on the 3^rd mark and Toft retired with a broken rudder. Dorks took the 2^nd place with Taylor in 3^rd.

Race 2 - Friday 4 August,  F5

Wade was determined to make amends for his error in the previous race on a course which suited him but Toft took the early lead followed by Dorks, Wade and Taylor. Wade powered passed Dorks on the fast reach on the second lap and then set about catching Toft. As the pair closed on the leeward mark Toft nearly came off the wire and did well to rescue the situation but it allowed Wade to close in and then sail through on the beam reach up the course. The pair battled it out lap after lap, Toft getting ahead on the broad reach down the course with Wade regaining the lead on the beam reach back up the course. On the final lap Toft was ahead at the leeward mark but Wade managed to regain the lead by the line to take his first national race win.

Race 8 - Friday 4 August,  F4

Conditions had eased a little in the afternoon, an ideal F4 coming in from the north. Piper, Dorks, Toft and Wade pulled away from the pack as they battled for honours. It remained very close throughout the race but Piper gained and held a slender lead over Dorks and Toft.

Race 4 - Friday 4 August,  F4

The championship was all down to the final race. If Dorks could finish ahead of Piper he would take the top prize. Wade got a flying start but over stood the 2^nd mark to loose the lead to Dorks, Piper and Toft. Piper was relentless in his drive to take the vital lead ahead of Dorks. Neither of them would give an inch but in the end, it was Piper who took his 4^th win out of his 4 finishes.

It had been a very difficult week with the initial two races being held in extreme condidtions which caused a significant number of retirements. This was followed by two days of postponements but the week closed with a fabulous day of four races held in perfect F4~5 winds. Gary Piper once again showed he was the master of all conditions with virtually a clean sweep of wins but it couldn’t have been a closer finish to the championship. Piper and Dorks were tied on equal points but Piper took the National Championship title by virtue of his four wins.

We would like to say a particular thank you to all the folk in Stone SC who laid on such an excellent event, we had some great races in spite of the weather and we all enjoyed the brilliant apres sailing events. This Regatta is highly recommended to anyone who wants a week away combining sailing and social events (and great entertainment for children as well). See you there next year.

John Wade

1092 Silent Wings

Name	Number	Race 1	Race 2	Race 3	Race 4	Race 5	Race 6	Race 7	Race 8	Points	Position
Gary Piper	1098	Disq	DNF	1	1			1	1	12	1
Bob Dorks	1073	Disq	4	2	2			2	2	12	2
Peter Toft	1074	DNF	2	3	3			DNF	3	18	3
Richard Taylor	1088	Disq	3	DNF	5			3	5	24	4
John Wade	1092	Disq	1	DNF	4			DNF	4	26	5
Julius Mach	1086	DNF	8	4	7			5	8	31	6
Paul Conway	1021	DNC	6	DNF	DNF			4	7	36	7
Iain Rogers	1084	DNC	5	DNF	6			DNF	6	36	8
David Taylor	1067	DNC	7	DNC	8			6	9	41	9

Discards highlighted in red

Gary Piper, National Champion for 2006, Stokes Bay SC

Bob Dorks, tied on points for 1st place, Stone SC

Peter Toft, 3rd place, Stone SC

Photos by John O’Brien goto www.firstfocusphoto.com to order