Jamie Hamilton And Team Madcap Win Channel Islands Championship

The weekend of 15th -17th May saw St Peter Port, Guernsey in the UK's Channel Islands, play host to the 2009 Channel Island Championship.

As boats arrived and set up for the regatta the sky was blue and the scene picturesque.  The fleet were invited by the host club to join their evening club race, however this was cancelled as the wind reduced to nothing.  However by the start of the regatta a strong and blustery wind arrived.  Day One saw postponement until lunch, then a seminar on racing rules led by our race officer as conditions had still not improved sufficiently to enable racing

Day Two started with a flurry of activity as boats launched in the ‘bright and breezy' conditions and a race area was rapidly and efficiently established in the relatively sheltered water just north of the harbour entrance by the race team (led by Bob Milner, the same race officer who managed the Nationals last year in equally challenging conditions).

Six races were run with impressive efficiency before the tide turned and conditions deteriorated when the fleet returned to harbour, tired and exhilarated.

The event dinner, held in the newly refurbished club room, was a very friendly, noisy, delicious affair and an opportunity to describe and discus action on the race course and enjoys photographs taken on the water by Sam Field.

Day Three. The fleet prepared to race and the race team ventured out, with White Rabbit acting as a ‘canary' to test conditions while the fleet was held in harbour. The wind was still strong and blustery and the sea state meant that racing was not possible, so after a delay to see if things settled racing hope for further racing was abandoned.

Even though only 1 day of racing was possible all teams had many tales to tell, Of catching gusts and achieving ‘warp speed', of out manoeuvring other boats on the start line - The Dog's... managing to port tack the entire fleet only to throw the advantage away by sailing up the wrong side of the beat. Wrapped spinnakers at the leeward mark (uncomfortably close to rocks) added to the dramas.

Local team ‘Madcap'  helmed by Jamie Hamilton lodged a very consistent performance of 1^st and 2^nd places (discarding a 3^rd) to win the regatta.  Second place overall was taken by The Dog's.... (from Jersey) helmed by Allen Brown.  Third were team ‘Crazy Feet' the Crazeology team racing in Wicked Feet.

All competitors enjoyed close exciting and exhilarating racing by a very efficient race team, in challenging conditions, supported by a very friendly hospitable club.

Many thanks to everyone who made this possible.

Photo Gallery courtesy of Sam Field - see www.samfieldphotography.com for additional shots.

FULL RESULTS