Competitors at the penultimate day of the K6 national championship in Falmouth enjoyed perfect sailing conditions on Saturday. In in 12 knots of breeze and glorious sunshine the fleet completed two windward/leeward races, followed by a round the cans race back into Carrick Roads to a finish close off Falmouth. Three races with three different winners.

Christian Sutherland and Simon Cake blasted into an early lead in the opening race, never to be seen again, while behind them things were tight with the overall result shaping up and those in the running keeping a close eye on each other.

Rob and Will Evans delivered the goods in the second race in fine style, solidifying their consistent series but Martin Wadhams, Amanda Davies and Claire Upton-Brown collected two seconds putting more and more pressure on the others if they were to be beaten overall.

Miles Mence and Glynn Locke squeezed around the first mark into the lead in the round the cans race and read the course and wind perfectly to extend all the way in very tricky conditions. Gusts, shifts and a few flat patches put a premium on ‘heads out’ sailing. Wadhams got rolled at the start, tacked out right, the wind went left and was in all kinds of trouble at the top mark. Downwind gains were blown apart by a prang and a 720 at the leeward mark, but the team dug deep and pulled back to third by the finish, just behind Jonathan Calascione and Piers Tucker in second who have also found good consistency within the top seven. Bill Masterman and Dan Mountifield started the day in second overall and looked to be consolidating nicely until scoring a rocky tenth in the final race of the day.

Going into the final day Wadhams was safe in the lead but the Evans brothers and Masterman / Mountifield were tied in second with three more boats very close them behind on points. The show down for the second to sixth looked set. Sadly, the weather Gods didn’t agree. Dense fog across Carrick Roads made racing impossible until the deadline had been passed.

Overall results

1st 102 Martin Wadhams, Amanda Davies and Claire Upton-Brown – Lymington Town SC

2nd 144 Rob and Will Evans – Seaview YC

3rd 132 Bill Masterman and Dan Mountifield – Hayling Island SC

4th 110 Christian Sutherland & Simon Cake – Royal Lymington YC

5th 127 Jonathan Calascione and Piers Tucker – Queen Mary SC

6th 104 Miles Mence and Glynne Locke – Royal Solent YC