Despite a poor first beat at the Fireball nationals at Exmouth, newcomers to the class Chips Howarth and James Grant won the first race by a conformable margin.

Those who tacked off on the shift on the start line and headed for the right-hand side of the beat found themselves a long way ahead of those who had plugged into the left. One of the boats that made it furthest right was Vince Horey and Jon Mildred who came into the first mark with a comfortable lead from Dave Wade and Richard Wagstaff with Andy Pierce and Jon Bale in third.

By the bottom of the first triangle Horey and Wade had maintained their first and second spots with Pete Harper and Vyv Townend pulling themselves up to third. However, the biggest gainers of the two reaches had been Howarth and Grant who had pulled themselves up to fourth from a position in the early teens at the first mark.

Howarth continued to close the distance on the two leading boats and by the top of the next beat had closed the gap to be right on Wade’s transom, and by the bottom of the run he had taken the lead.

Harper then took third spot from Wade up the next beat and at the finish the order was Howarth, Horey Harper and Wade.

Pre-championship favourites, the newly crowned European and world champions Stevie Morrison and Liam Murray, were one of the boats who found themselves trapped on the left-hand side of the first beat and despite a good first triangle could only pull themselves back up to sixth.

Results (Race 1)

1st Chips Howarth and James Grant

2nd Vince Horey and Jon Mildred

3rd Pete Harper and Vyv Townend

4th Dave Wade and Richard Wagstaff

5th Andy Smith and James Meldrum

6th Stevie Morrison and Liam Murray

Fireball nationals (day two)

Race two

The wind had decreased slightly for day two and it was decided that gate starts would be used. The fleet got away first time and it was the boats that hit hard right that where leading towards the windward mark. As the wind shifted 15 degrees on starboard the boats that went more towards the middle of the course where able to tack under these boats and it was Vince Horey who led again at the windward mark with Chips Howarth just behind. Andy Smith lay in third place.

Horey pulled away done the first reach, but managed to get his spinnaker sheet over the boom at the gybe mark and thus had to take the pole off to resolve this. Howarth took his chance and now lead the race.

On the next beat Horey had sorted his boat out and passed Howarth to retake the lead, these two and once again had pulled away from the fleet and it was a boat race. On the final run Howarth managed to slip pass Horey and the two boats rounded the leeward mark together, after a tacking match up the last beat Howarth managed to keep a cover on Horey and went to win from Horey With Andy Smith third.

Results (race two)

1st Chips Howarth and James Grant

2nd Vince Horey and Jon Mildred

3rd Andy Smith and James Mildrum

4th Pete Harper and Vyv Townend

Race three

Steve Morrison was 10th in race two and thus was pathfinder allowing him to go hard right and lead from start to finish. Dave Wade also tacked onto port early and was Morrison’s only threat in the race Steve Goacher sailed a steady race to finish third, With Lee Sydnham fourth, Pete Harper fifth and Vince Horey getting sixth and the last bonus points.

Going into day three Howarth has slight lead over Horey with Pete Harper third. Andy Smith is sailing well and is still in contention and Steve Morrison is starting to find some of the form that won him the world championship two weeks ago.

Results (race three)

1st Steve Morrison, Liam Murray

2nd Dave Wade, Richard Wagstaff

3rd Steve Goacher, Tim Egland

4th Lee Sydnham, Jon Rees

5th Pete Harper, Vyv Townend

6th Vince Horey, Jon Mildred