Carmela Cup 2005-Supported by Berkeley Marine and Pindar 8/01/04 National Keelboat Teamracing Championship
As competitors gathered on the Hatherleigh, the Pindar support trawler, sailing for the day looked unlikely. The boats were dragging on the moorings and many of the competitors had already decided that they’d had enough time on the water with the rib ride from the carpark.
The Race Committee were unwilling to make a decision as to what time racing would either start or be abandoned, so sailors took matters into their own hands and headed for the Guinness Tent, looking good in sailing kit.
Sailors returned for Happy Hour at the Hatherleigh, at about four to find that they hadnt missed anything and so got the evening entertainment underway. A lot of cheap drinks from Pindar was followed by beer and a burger in Wetherspoons, then on to the RS Party near Canary Warf. I’d like to give more details but I can’t find anyone who has a clear memory of going in. But I’m fairly sure that the BUSA team won the onshore contest, setting themselves up well for the sailing.
Sunday was a new day with a new format for the hangovers to deal with. Shifty conditions ranging from 12-18knots. Three leagues of four teams, with the winners of each league going through to a gold league, making 30 races the aim.
The course was also slightly confusing, a starboard triangle, with a passing mark down the run to stop boats sailing through the start line.
The leagues were won by the Island Sailing Club, the Royal Thames and BUSA.
The Island’s victories were fairly comfortable, but the Royal Thames ran into trouble against the Irish Team. Simon Shaw was just crossing the start line as the other boats rounded the windward mark. Some aggressive sailing by Dom Johnson pinned an Irishman against the wall on the reach, allowing Si to get back in the mix. A penalty for the Irish down the run allowed Thames to cement their winning combination.
BUSA also had a few close races with the Royal Lyminton unlucky not to be awarded redress and Nick Cherry hitting an umpire rib head on and shattering the fibrglass bulkhead.
The first race of the gold league saw BUSA race the Thames. Cornah was in first, with Cherry squeezing past Si Shaw into 3rd. Cornah slowed and hooked Dom to windward, sailing him high and allowing Nick to sail through. However Dom rolled Andy on the reach and going down the run BUSA were 1,3.
At mark 3, Shaw was in 2nd and tried to trap Cornah outside him, however CHerry had compressed well, forcing him wide. Cornah feinted away from the mark before throwing the rudder to the opposite lock. It looked like Shaw was about to lose the back half of his boat and both crews braced for impact but somehow Cornah got between him and the mark and BUSA won the race 1,2.
Thames then beat the Island Sailing Club, leaving a last race showdown between the Island and BUSA. Round the final mark BUSA were 1,3. Cherry tacked to port, but failed to duck Graeme Sutherland and had to crash tack. After a quick 360 he was still third and Cornah covered the Island boat in 2nd preventing him from converting his teammate through.
This meant that the BUSA team of Andy Cornah, Ed Males, Jon Waite, Orwin Murray and Nick Cherry, James Roche, David Royse, Connor Myant, finished the day unbeaten and so won the Carmela Cup.
2nd The Royal Thames
3rd The Island Sailing Club
A big thank you to all the people who helped to make this event a success, the Race Management Team, the Umpires, the Royal Thames, Pindar and Berkeley Marine whose First Class 8s the event ran in.