Ian Sharps and Alex Warren took their first Craftinsure Silver Tiller win together when they claimed the Brightlingsea SC event over the weekend of the 18 and 19 May 2019.
Tim Saxton and Tom Pygall’s consistency gave them second and third went to Tim Fells and Frances Gifford.
In race 1, the little heard of pairing of Nick Craig and Tobytastic Lewis won the first beat, and sailed away. Sophie Mackley and James Ward were the first to consistently demonstrate that the left was the place to be and with an extra knot of tide under them dominated the upwind legs.
Fells and Gifford did something wise and got through to second, ultimately followed home by Pete Ballantine and Rob Allen.
By race two there was really a lot of ebb tide taking the fleet up to the windward mark. Even more than a lot on the left, so winning the pin and tacking last seemed to win the race.
Sharps and Warren having watched race one, had worked this out and sailed off into a resounding victory, followed by Saxton and Pygall who had been at the pin for all six of the starts so far. Matt Biggs and Annabel Steward rounded out the race two podium.
The racing carried on like this for the rest of the afternoon, with Chrisses Gould and Kilsby winning race three and Sharps and Warren race four.
Day 2 and the sky was now less blue which made the East Coast more East Coast-like but sadly lacking in the sea breeze that we had enjoyed so much the day before.
Race officer, Phil Rust, seemed to have seen days like this before and had an air of pessimism about him. It turned out to be a good day for an early prize-giving followed by stand up paddle-boarding in light rain.
The silver fleet was won by local legends, Piers Lambert and Tim Bees and Geoff and Helen Kimber continued their bronze fleet domination.
Pete Ballantine won a trailer wheel for travelling to Essex from Salcombe and was heard to remark upon how much more stunningly beautiful the East Coast is.
The Craftinsure Silver Tiller circuit continues on 2 June to Ranelagh SC, the finest venue known to the international sailing fraternity. The trophy first presented in 1946 will be fought for on the iconic River Thames.
Fran Gifford
