With a total of 71 boats registered, the points series for the Firefly Class National Championship began on Sunday with two races for the City of Plymouth Trophy and the much coveted Sussex Silver Firefly, a scale model (in silver) of a Firefly dinghy.

The racing took place in the afternoon in a shifty north-easterly Force 2-3 breeze. Gate starts were used to get the Fleet away in both races. In race 1 ‘Pogie’ sailed by Jono Pank and Sally Wilson (The Band) and ‘Ma’Hon’ sailed by Shaun Barber and Lucy Armstrong (The Band) got away from the rest of the fleet to have a private battle for first, with Pank and Wilson eventually prevailing.

In race two, Mason Woodworth from Rhode Island in the States crewed by Sarah Allan sailing for the host club took the winners gun after a tense 90-minute race in which the lead changed hands many times.

In terms of overall points, Pank and Wilson, the 2001 champions, have established a small lead over the rest of the field after collecting a first and third. Behind competition was incredibly close with four previous Firefly National Champions present and a multitude of champions from other classes and disciplines also competing.

Results

Race 1 – City of Plymouth Trophy

1st 1954 Pogie, Jono Pank, Sally Wilson,The Band

2nd 3741 Ma’Hon Shaun Barber, Lucy Armstrong, The Band

3rd 2803 Grendel, Ed Smith, Lucy Holmes, Rickmansworth

4th 3708 Atomic, Ian Williams, Karina Matthews, The Band

5th 3690 Waynetta, Ian Sanderson, Linda Eadie, Royal Lymington

Race 2 – Sussex Silver Firefly 1st 3616 Top Dolly, Mason Woodworth, Sarah Allan, Hamble River

2nd 3119 Horror, Roger Morris, Sally Cuthbert, Spinnaker

3rd 1954 Pogie, Jono Pank, Sally Wilson, The Band

4th 3037 Grasshopper, Rob Sherrington, Mark Bailey, Spinnaker

5th 2502 Cyclone, Peter Langdon, Dawn Langdon, Restronguet

Overall (after 2 races)

1st F1954 , Pogie, 1, 3, 4pts, Jono Pank, Sally Wilson, The Band

2nd F3119 , Horror,7,2, 9pts, Roger Morris, Sally Cuthbert, Spinnaker

3rd F3690, Waynetta, 5, 8, 13pts, Ian Sanderson, Linda Eadie, Royal Lymington

4th F3708 , Atomic, 4, 10, 14pts, Ian Williams, Karina Matthews, The Band

5th F2502, Cyclone, 12, 5, Peter Langdon, Dawn Langdon, Restronguet