Burnham Week 2024 Day 8
by Petru Balau 2 Sep 21:22 NZST
24-31 August 2024
Strong winds, high swell, overcast and the inaugural edition of the Dinghy Town Cup - the Burnham Week 2024 final day sees David Evans in Hullabaloo win the Town Cup Trophy for the second year in a row.
Ten boats aligned for the start of the Dinghy Town Cup, on a course starting at the Burnham Sailing Club line, heading up the river for two laps around Cliff and Canewdon, with the 30 knots strong wind allowing the first boat to cross the finish line in just a little over one hour and seven minutes, while one of the ILCA 6/Laser Radial boats clocked a maximum speed north of 20 knots.
The winner of the Dinghy Town Cup was Duncan De Boltz, sailing on an ILCA 6/Laser Radial, followed by Matthew Picket from Up The River Yacht Club, on an ILCA 7 / Laser and Bill Taylor from Creeksea Sailing Club, sailing on a Phantom.
Due to the conditions, most of the one design fleets choosed to cancel their races, but there were 4 Squibs braving the strong winds and high swell, on a course starting from the Pile House line, east to Rubberball, then up the river to Cliff and Canewdon.
Rojo 32, helmed by Nick Bacon and crewed by Richard Tucker was the eventual winner, after onlookers described as "a shooting up the river as a rocket" performance, being followed by Burnham Week 2024 Squibs Regatta winners Ray Apthorp and Ian Simons, sailing on Nemesis 806 and Ben Hutton-Penman and Ian Brand on Easy 83, while Phillip Aspinall and David Sheppard, Guy Fawkes 72, had to retire due to spinnaker halyard problems.
Ningaloo, skippered by Mick Hill, was the only class 6 to line up for the start and after sailing a shortened course, crossed the finish line and the crew headed to the bar to prepare for the prize-giving.
Six boats lined up for the start of Commodores Cup, class 5 local handicap with spinnakers, including three 707's chartered from the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club.
Richard Taylor's Rondo hopes of adding the Commodores Cup to the list of excellent results from earlier in the week were shattered after they had to retire shortly after the start of the race, while Daryl Mylroie's Eclipse followed back to the marina after completing a downwind leg, leaving the three 707's to battle for the trophy.
Unfortunately for Alex Hill in 7105, a broken mainsail forced them to retire and as 7035, helmed by Carl Anderson and representing the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club, was in front at the time, everything seemed to be settled.
Yet, all it went down to the last downwind leg, when Jack Mills and his crew, sailing in 7059 and named Outlaw for this week, showed a better spinnaker handling in the day's weather conditions and were crowned the winners of the Commodores Cup 2024.No less than ten boats competed for the most coveted trophy of the regatta, the Town Cup, for class 1 & 2 boats.
The conditions at the mouth of the river Crouch being quite developed, five boats decided to return home early, while Arcadia of Harwich, owned by Penelope and Mark Gillett, retired with a snapped reef line and a torn jib.
Secrets, skippered by Chris Agar, led the remaining boats to take the line honours, despite a capsize during a spinnaker hoist, followed by David Evans' Hullabaloo and Bob Fawkes' Tigo IV, with Martinique, skippered by Mark Lyons, further away.
Hullabaloo, skippered by David Evans and crewed by Nick Evans, Helen McCaw, Rupert Brown, Ella Brown and Will Chetwynd-Staypylton, were close enough to win on corrected time and take home the Town Cup Trophy for the second year in a row.
Results are available at www.burnhamweek.com/results-2024