Squib South Coast Championships 2009 - Dartmouth
The fleet of 39 Squibs at the South Coast Championships over the weekend of 12/13th September were treated to a superb weekend of close quarter racing in wonderful conditions as well as a huge welcome by hosts the Royal Dart Yacht Club.
Four Weymouth boats, Aldebaran, Ghost Rider, Hussy and Posh Totty, made the trip.
Conditions at the club on the Saturday morning felt quite benign but a trip for yours truly in a rib to check conditions were suitable revealed a North Easterly Force 5 and a large, steep swell coming in from Lyme Bay. Clearly I was not going to say anything that would prevent us from sailing 
The race team set a small triangle/sausage course and after a brief wait, racing got under way. With wind against tide, the beats were short and the reaches long; ideal we thought. 
Everyone had tales to tell about great surfs down very steep waves. Adam Bowers would have been proud of the gains made by judging laylines correctly. Ghost Rider managed to win the first race by reading the SIs and heading for the finish at the right moment. With 45 minute races, the fleet remained compact, despite the fleet containing 5 former national champions and 6 of the top 10 at this year’s Nationals. To cap a great day on the water, Squib class Chairman, Dave Wines, fell out of his boat in the last race. Unfortunately he snapped his tiller off the rudder on his way.
The fleet retired for the evening to the comfort of the Royal Dart and an excellent Championship Supper prepared by their club chef.
The sailing on Sunday was a calmer repeat of Saturday and as with the first day, many of the fleet proved themselves capable of rounding the first windward mark at the front but by the end of the race, a familiar order would establish. Alan Johnson from South Caernarvonshire Yacht Club with guest crew Mark Thompson consistently showed themselves to be the class of the fleet winning four of the six races and Gerard Dyson in Alchemy wining the other race.
The Royal Dart Yacht Club showed themselves to be superb hosts. They had clearly gone to great lengths to make the event the success it was. With them hosting the Squib Championships in 2012, they are in a great position to break the championship attendance record set in Weymouth this year. Let’s hope they do.
Mike Fenwick
Many thanks to Mike Wynne-Powell for these fantastic photos
