Squib Nationals at Lowestoft

Take a week from 21 to 27 June. Add force 4-6 winds. Mix in constant sunshine. Stir well with the right sized waves and a tide to make things interesting. Finally, sprinkle with a lady race officer who really knows her onions and you have a recipe for unalloyed delight - hiking hard upwind, speedboating downwind, sparkling silver spray and glowing golden sails.

A mere 7 days after 45 Squibs contested the 40^th Anniversary Regatta at the Royal Corinthian in Burnham, 61 Squibs entered The Working Manager 40^th Anniversary National Squib Championship at the Royal Norfolk & Suffolk YC.

As well as the absolutely ideal sailing, the fleet was royally entertained in the clubhouse; in local members’ houses for the traditional At Home evening; at the Waveney & Oulton Broad YC sailing the gaff rigged Waveney and Broads One Designs; at the hilarious “Mid Fleet Club” and by a wonderful concert with the Sheringham Shantymen. In addition to all this, the fleet scrubbed up well for a superbly managed prize giving dinner to end the week. To make things perfect, a different crew took home the silverware each day. 

Royal Tay Quaich	Ghost Rider 758	Mike & Penny Fenwick	Weymouth
Founders Trophy	Ric O’Shea 136	Chris & Mark Hogan	Port Dinorwic / South Caernarvon
Abersoch Trophy	Alchemy 800	Gerard Dyson & Tony Saltonstall	Royal Yorkshire
Royal Corinthian Challenge Plate	Artemis II	Mark Wincer & Pete Hallinan	Felixstowe Ferry
Seahorse Trophy	Firebird 50	Owen Delaney & Mark Duffield	Royal Norfolk & Suffolk
Waldringfield Trophy	Cariad Bach 132	Alan Johnson & David Garlick	South Caernarvon

With tricky tides and wind shifts and in a very hot fleet, all except one of the top ten boats posted a discard of 12 or worse and it was consistency rather than race winning that gave overall victory and the John Player Trophy to David Best and Pete Richards sailing Crossfire 797 from South Caernarvonshire YC. Runner up was Owen Delaney with Mark Duffield in his last regatta before retirement from competitive racing, and third were the six times National Champions, father and son Chris & Mark Hogan.

In addition to the title sponsor, The Working Manager, the much appreciated day sponsors were Norfolk Marine, Norfolk & Suffolk Insurance, SLP, Peter Colby, Instone, Ocean Team 2000, Holt, Tim & Hazel Barrett, White Marine Services, Hyde Sails, Aldreds, Batt Sails and Lonton & Gray.

25 Squibs at the East Coast Championships, 45 Squibs at the 40^th Anniversary Regatta, 61 entrants at the Nationals, 40 entered for Cowes Week, an expectation of over 50 at the Inlands (with minimum overlap between events) and with the South Coasts and four major Irish Championships yet to come, where does this vibrant fleet go next?

Well, there will be 100 Squibs at Weymouth for the Nationals in 2009 and rumours are rife of invitations to events in Hamburg and the Ijsselmeer in Holland where there are embryo Squib Fleets and of a class start at the Royal Cannes Sailing Regatta, September 2009.  Not bad for a boat celebrating its 40th birthday is it?