Hector Bunclark of NDYC wins the event with stunning performance on Day 1. Report by Liam Bunclarke Pictures taken by Nikki Griffiths Some 33 competitors gathered for 3 days of racing at Instow that at one stage looked as though it was going to be raced in the tail winds of a hurricane. Filled with optimism, the heavy weather sailors started getting excited. The weather forecasts changed constantly right up to and during the event. The forecast the evening before and on the morning of the first day had settled down to the disappointment of a few to a force 4 perhaps gusts of 5 later for the first day with a force 2 expected on day 2 and a very light force 1 that may not take place at all on day 3! Three of the boats competing were members of the North Devon Youth Squad sailing 2 up giving 6 competent young mono hull sailors their first taste of a national level catamaran sailing competition. One was a private boat and two were part of the new training fleet for new Dart 15 sailors at NDYC. The race officer, Mr Jon Miles, a former Dart 18 sailor and RYA Race Officer had two assistants: Fraser Manning (2 times former champion) and Simon Fleet (experienced but injured Dart sailor) as assistant race officers. They set a reverse P course on day 1 on a day where the intention was to try and maximise the sailing opportunities in case there was no racing on Monday. Mike and Viki Coulson (the Beach Masters) released the well-behaved competitors who were chomping on the bit to get out to the start just before Midday. The naughty ones had already left the beach! Race one started with an up wind beat towards the north shore and the Old Lighthouse ruins which is situated towards the mouth of the estuary. The fleet headed off cleanly on starboard and headed off to shoot in towards Appledore racing out of the tide and into the eddy before taking off the windward mark towards the North Shore. Hector Bunclark (NDYC) and Jason Clark (Marconi) were powering off towards Appledore near the Beaver on the Appledore side knowing that they and all the fleet had to tack before the rocks submerged off the forshore and keep outside the moored boats beyond which was out of bounds. Jason tacked first and Hector tacked over the top, and powered up towards the windward mark. There were several contenders to get to the top mark first Hector managed to get round the mark and took off and left everyone behind on the top reach. Liam Thom had made massive gains on Hector downwind coming round the bottom mark only a few seconds after Hector. Liam decided to go along the beach more and tacked over towards Crow Point whilst Hector again attacked towards Appledore and stayed out of more tide before heading back to the North Shore. Hector avoided the sandspit that sticks out from Crow point and went on to round the top mark with a comfortable lead. The battle for second to fourth became the big fight. Liam Thom (Shanklin) , Anthony Gray (NDYC), Jason Clarke and Jes Firth (NDYC) fought it out for these top spots however an untimely capsize dropped Jason back down who managed to climb back to a strong 7th. This left Liam Thom in 2nd, Anthony in 3rd, Jes in 4th and Angus Cook who snuck up to 5th place. Lower down the fleet, Will and Keran (two of the NDYC youth competitors) had rudder failure and had to retire whilst the other two competitors survived their first race experience. At the start of race 2, Hector shot off the line again with a similar race plan which he executed from the start. Again, the race for 2nd was taking place this time with Jason managing to stay upright and continued the fight with Anthony and Steve Sawford (Grafham) hot on his transom. Both Jason and Steve were proving how devilish they can be down wind by making serious gains on Hector on the first downwind, Jason catching up enough to put himself in a match racing position with Hec towards the bottom mark, however Hector managed to get the lay line right and tuck around Jason and round the bottom mark followed by Anthony and Steve and the top positions stayed the same to the finish. By race 3, everyone was getting a little bit too jumpy, and the slight wind shift and increase in the wind had enabled a few experienced sailors to start committing toward a port hand flyer. However, due to multiple boats accidentally being pushed across the line or being too early, the race officers had no other option than to call a general recall. on the restart. Several at the top of the fleet were grateful including Hector who was probably one of the boats over the line. On the restart Hector had a near perfect start and set off once more at the front. At the windward mark, Hector was leading with Jason Steve and Sam Heaton (NDYC) chasing him around. However, due to a gust of wind, Jason accidentally stuck his bows in for the second time of the day, right in front of heavy weather experts Mr Heaton, and Mr Sawford, who took full advantage of this mishap and sailed around him. Jes and Angus completed the top 5. Three races had by now been completed in weather of a force 4 with gusts of force 5 becoming a force 5 with a few lulls of a force 4. Although many were starting to feel achy and tired, the race officers concerned there may be no racing on Monday instigated a fourth race. The weather by now mainly force 5 didnt stop Hector and Jason charging off the line, both in formidable form with Liam, Sam, and Anthony chasing. Hector got to the top mark first again and the weather was starting to blow enough to have Sam chasing him low down on the trapeze and shouting with glee across the top of the course hurtling towards the mark at Skern. Antony and Liam were also in the mix with Liam making great strides on the downwind legs and by the end of the race overtaking Sam and Antony who were followed up by Angus and Jes to make the top 6 with Richard Chidwick (NDYC) making seventh place. Day one racing was over. Rarely have we seen such a dominant start to a Dart 15 Sport Nationals. Hector had won the first four races and in 2 of the races he was over a leg ahead. Website results go back to 1999. Only two other people in the quarter of a century are recorded as winning the first four races in the Dart 15 Sport Nationals and no one since 2007. The previous sailors to achieve this feat (both with only 3 races competed for on the first day) were Robin Leather at Gurnard in 2007 and George Carter also in Instow in 2004. That evening, everyone went to the North Devon Yacht Club for an evening of food and entertainment. Chilli was provided with a range of dips and tortilla chips by Katie Evans and the wonderful team at NDYC. Westcountry killer skittles was organised by our skittles maestro, Mr Keith Heason. 55 names went down on the board and all competing had three lives. Everyone took it in turns to throw one ball at whatever skittles were left remaining by the previous competitor whilst everyone was fed chilli with appropriate lubrication. Merryment and mayhem ensued with some great performances including from Alex Raymont in 2nd place. Hector however was playing skittles like he was sailing and proved to be on a Super Saturday and won the killer skittles with two lives remaining. Everyone had a good evening socialising and most competitors slept very well that night. Sunday dawned and the wind had turned 180° and was a light force 2 coming from the east. It was providing a nice chill to the air and competitors launched from the beach and had to trickle out downwind slowly, fighting against the tide to get to the start area. After a fabulous day one for Hector, he had to prove a consistency to stay in front of the light wind specialists especially Jason and Liam in newer boats. Eventually race 5 started, and it would be a day that Jason Clark made up for the double swim of the day before. Jason shot off on race one and led away from the gun. Jes Firth put in a great performance in a rather older boat 1615 placing a wonderful second place and pushing Anthony Gray into 3rd. Sam Heaton took 4th place keeping Hector back in 5th place. Race 6 started, and Liam Thom proved he was ready for the new day and ready to take things back into his control. Unfortunately, however, he couldnt seem to shake off the group of boats just behind him, chasing at his transom. At halfway, the fight was from 2nd to 6th with a fair amount of chopping and changing. Liam stayed in front and on the run in, Hector was 2nd closely followed by Angus, Jason, Anthony and Jes. NDYC heavy weather sailor Sam Heaton managed to stay hanging onto the top group in 7th with Yvonne Pike (Shanklin) coming through in 8th place. As usual at the end of each day, with the same course, everyone knew which way was the way to go off the line on Race 7. Jason got a lovely clean start and shot ahead with Hector and Liam fighting it out with Jason to round the top mark first. The light winds meant it was a struggle for older boats to keep up however, Angus and Liam were close on Jasons tail all the way round, fighting it out until the very last mark on this triangular course. The light wind had been bending around Appledore all day, creating interesting lifts and headers whilst also coming off of Instow. Jason managed to lead all the way with Angus, Liam and Hector tight behind until the last mark. Off the last mark and the line, Angus tacked right off the mark, Liam tacking some 130 yards after the mark and Hector going that little bit further. The extra boat speed Hector was then able to get was able to lift Hector so he could overtake both Angus and Liam and take another second place ahead of Angus in third and Liam in fourth place. Ed Tuite Dalton (Draycote) in fifth led home Sam not really living up to his heavyweight weather image and Anthony Yvonne and Steve made up the top 10. Hectors two second places and a fifth place on the second day after his first day results put Hector in control of the championship after 7 races. Technically, if three races were sailed on Monday, Jason and Liam could still beat Hector so depending if there was enough wind to race and upon how the race officers interpreted the number of races to be sailed if they could sail three races, the confirmation of the winning of the event was not confirmed with a day to spare. After a good day on the water all the competitors and visitors had a lovely two course meal and social evening provided by Dan Cornish and the team in the NDYC clubhouse. On the last day of the event, it was raining … and then it stopped and there was no wind! The water was like a mirror, reflecting Appledore pristinely to the Sailors on Instow beach. Hector undertook an impromtu coaching session for the NDYC youth sailors on the beach where several older hands were also listening in for tips. The race team decided to get the competitors out on the water, even though there was very little breeze and bobbing and drifting gently down against the tide to the race area required patience. An inverted P course was made by the Race Officer of the day Fraser Manning, and after some pause and an insignificant puff or two of wind, the competitors set off. It was clear that a port hand flyer was the best way to go. Anthony Gray made a beautiful start and went past everyone. Jes Firth also accompanying Yvonne went around the first part of the course close behind. Anthony tacked off into the tide after the third mark and Jes and Yvonne followed. This enabled Angus and Jason to head downwind out of the current before tacking to come in towards the downwind mark on port. However the wind was a fraction stronger for a time and this muddled up the pecking order at the top of the fleet and allowed Jason to take the lead. Jason proved that in the very light winds he is the force to be reckoned with and sailed away with Liam, Anthony Hector, Jes, and Yvonne following. Jason led the rest of the way to take the win. Liam crossed the line in the top five however, due to being OCS at the start was disqualified from the race Anthony was second, Jes third, Angus fourth and Steve Sawford was fifth. Hector managed sixth with Rob Forrester returning to the fleet from years in F-18s making seventh. Good to have you back Rob! The down wind mark in the race was possibly closer to the return through the line and with a number of people caught out by the tide and the light winds a certain amount of low speed chaos took place including people coming together and people wrapping themselves around the mark. They shall not be named and shamed ! The race team decided despite the light winds to try a ninth race and moved the downwind mark to give the competitors more space. Race nine got away with the same old crowd at the top of the fleet, some doing port hand flyers. Hector started in the middle of the line with Jason and Liam also starting nearby on starboard. Angus took the port hand flyer with Anthony and Jes. Jason and Liam started beautifully with a little breeze increase that had kicked in with Hector chasing behind. Angus and Anthony decided to take the port hand flyer again, having to duck a few boats as they went, but making it through the heap. Jason was increasing his lead to the windward mark with Liam followed by Angus, Hector then Antony. However, it wasnt until Angus traveller decided to separate from his main sheet at the bottom mark that Hector managed to get round Angus into 3rd place. Jason was untouchable in the very light winds with Liam confidently holding second place followed by Hector in 3rd. Anthony also managed to make the most of Angus, stepping around with James Pike, jumping up into the mix. Angus managed to claw back to 4th place leaving Antony in 5th, James Pike (Shanklin) in 6th , Steve Sawford in 7th and Derek James (Draycote) in 8th Hectors 3rd place meant that he could not have been caught by Jason even if they sailed a 10th race and the Race Officers who did a great job getting 2 races in, in light and difficult conditions called the event to a close and sent the fleet to shore. In the lighter winds of the second and third days, where lighter faster boats had the advantage, Hector competing in a Classic boat was at the front of the fleet and managed three other podium finishes to go with his four race wins on the first day to complete the win. The NDYC Youth Squad boats had a huge tussle with Harry and Ethan eventually coming out on top of Freya and Lottie who all finished on the same points. They all seemed to love the experience and have all learnt what it is like at adult level. It appears at least two additional new members of the fleet have been made as a consequence with one 15 already being organised for moving to NDYC from Marconi with the grateful assistance of Jenny Ball. As past champion Liam Thom said maybe we are seeing a changing of the guard with Jason and Hector almost the same age and now able to push to the front leaving many of the old guard behind them. Thanks to Commodore Sam Heaton and our Special guest Joe Armstrong a longstanding NDYC member and retired Catamaran sailor being some 90 years of age for presenting the prizes. Thanks are owed to former two time Champion Fraser Manning for stepping in as Senior Race Officer on Monday, Jon Miles Race Officer, Simon Fleet, John Barnet, Jon Farr and the whole NDYC team both on the water and off (esp Dan Cornish and Katie Evans) who collectively made the weekend such a success. We would also like to thank the Commodore Hotel, Instow Parish Council and Hockings Ice Cream of Appledore who all supported the event.
Results Team Trophy - NDYC (Hector Bunclark, Anthony Gray, Jes Firth) First Classic Boat: Hector Bunclark First Youth Team: Harry Powe and Ethan Walker First Over 50: Liam Thom First Over 60: Ed Tuite Dalton First Lady: Yvonne Pike Best Position in First Nationals: Freya Bird and Lottie Hill Most Improved having competed at Shanklin in 2023: Hector Bunclark Most Improved having competed at Instow in 2022: Yvonne Pike Special prize - most travelled: Charles Watson Special prize - Against all odds - competed in every race : Stephan Cornut Pro Am : Sam Heaton and Ed Tuite Dalton First Heavyweight: Sam Heaton    Results:Click for: Full Results with all Sub-Competitions
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