Osprey National Championships at Porthpean Sailing Club - Runners and Riders
by David Downs 31 Aug 2022 09:19 NZST
3-6 September 2022
2014 Osprey nationals action © Mike Rice /
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When entries closed for the 2022 Osprey Class National Championships to be held at Porthpean Sailing Club on the 3rd to 6th September 45 entries had been received. It looks to be a very competitive fleet, with some established teams as well as several new pairings and whoever emerges as Champion will have had their work cut out.
Amongst the favoured runners and riders here are some potential champions.
Matt Burge & Vyv Townend
The current National Champions and winners in 2014 when the fleet last visited Porthpean, this team looks like the bookies favourite. It is not clear how much practice they have had in the Osprey since winning the Championships last year at Tenby, but they are always very consistent performers.
Terry Curtis & Peter Greig
This well-established team have two Osprey Championships in the bag and are serial winners of the Osprey Wilkinson Sword traveller's trophy. However, for various reasons they have been missing from several open meetings this year. Having practised over the August Bank Holiday weekend at Burnham they should be ready and will be difficult to beat.
Peter Gray & Geoff Edwards
Sailing the Osprey Class Association boat, which has an excellent racing record, Peter and Geoff showed the fleet a clean pair of heels in the very windy Hayling Island Open Meeting earlier in the year. They have not done as much Osprey sailing as they had hoped but if they can replicate anything like their form from Hayling they will be there or there abouts.
Martin Cooney & Peter Frith
Martin and Class Chairman Peter are sailing Peter's boat Swiftun. They have notched up Championship wins in the past and having won last time out at the Weymouth Regatta they may just be hitting form at the right time.
Piers Strong & Phil Angrave
Another Poole boat Piers and Phil are likely to give a good account of themselves and having finished third at the Southern Area Championships are showing good form.
Kevin Francis & Simon Hawkes
This is a new pairing for this year, but both have been at the front of the fleet before. They are currently leading the Wilkinson Sword standings with a string of second place finishes. Is this the event where they will go one better?
Colin Stephens & George Odling
Sailing George's venerable and beautiful boat Infidel, a boat that has more Championship wins under its belt than any other, this team look like a very strong pairing. George and Infidel were runners up at Tenby in 2021 while Colin and George finished third at the Mounts Bay open meeting this year.
Caroline Croft & Mike Greig
Although only formed for this event, this team has a very strong pedigree. Caroline has been going very fast in her Merlin this year and is also the current Osprey lady champion. Mike won the Osprey Championships in 2019, the last time they were held in Cornwall. The boat Thomas Too knows its way around Porthpean having been champion boat in 2014.
Blithfield Sailing Club
Blithfield are putting in a very strong challenge for the team trophy. They are also expected to figure at the front of the fleet with Richard and Mark Hartley sailing the prototype Mark 6 in which they won the Inland Championships earlier in the year. Chris Gould and Nick Broomhall are another strong team together with a new pairing of Matt Biggs and Andy Couch. Matt is a top Merlin Rocket sailor and Andy a top Phantom sailor. We look forward to seeing how they go in Jon Gibbon's Osprey.