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Here is the press release for day one of the Internationals at Largs:

CHEERS- BENROMACH AlBACORE INTERNATIONALS ARE
WELL UNDER WAY





52 Albacores came to the start line at Largs for the first
day’s racing of the Benromach Albacore Internationals. The fleet
enjoyed a short practice race, then the first Championship race in exciting
winds of 15 to 18 knots.





There were several capsizes during a short practice race, sailed
on a single triangle, on the race area to the North of Great Cumbrae. NW
winds brought sizeable waves to get the Championship off to an exciting
start. Winners of the Practice race were Jerry Rook and James Wallace, from
Allan Measor and Richard Piercey in second.





After some relaying of the course, the first Championship race
was under way, this time sailed on an old Olympic triangle. But this time
there was an all new top three. Will Gulliver and Steve Graham led to the
windward mark from Chris Turner and Simon Maguire. Gulliver maintained his
lead to the finish, while the current holder of the Internationals title,
Barney Harris and David Byron from the USA, managed to overtake Turner to
take second for a good start to their Championship defence. Harris and Byron
managed to fix a broken kicking strap during the race, and still take second.






Gulliver declared himself “very very pleased” after
his win. He confessed to last sailing at Largs way back in 1985 at the RYA
Youth Nationals. That year he won both of two practice races, then promptly
had a week to forget. Today he hadn’t forgotten his lesson, and
although leading the practice race, he decided to peel off rather than risk a
week’s bad luck. A win in the first Championship race was his reward.





After a good day’s racing, competitors, who are mainly
from the UK, USA and Canada, enjoyed a whisky tasting evening courtesy of
Championship sponsor Benromach.





Result, Race 1



1.

Will Gulliver
& Steve Graham, Northampton SC



2.

Barney Harris
& David Byron, Potomac River Sailing Assn, USA



3.

Chris Turner
& Simon Maguire, Tynemouth SC



4.

Judy &
Paul Armstrong, Scaling Dam SC



5.

Neville
Herbert & Mark Booth, Ipswich Haven YC

There can't be many dinghy classes where a boat more than 30 years old comes in the top 5th of the fleet - well done to Rob & Peter in 1781 with two 3rds and a 4th. Its shows you don't need a new boat to do really well

Happy birthday Steve, I was 39 at the Crammond Worlds!!!

You know what they say, You are only as old as the woman you feel!!!!!!!

A full list of trophy winners and results can now be accessed here - albacore.org.uk/ints2009/trophies.html

Brilliant daily write ups on Yachts and Yachting online, well done Alan Henderson.

It was good to know from afar what was going on at the champs and excellent publicity for the Alb class.

Thanks

Steve in Bahrain.

PS. Only 39 C today!!

BENROMACH ALBACORE INTERNATIONALS DAY 6 AT LARGS
HAT TRICK FOR HARRIS


The stage was set for the final day’s battle for this Championship
today, Friday 24 July. On Monday, GBR’s Will Gulliver and Steve Graham
took the Albacore Nationals title by just a point, and since then the
lead in the Internationals Championship has see sawed between Gulliver
and the 2007 International Champions Barney Harris and David Byron of
the USA.

Harris went into today’s racing with a precious one point lead on
Gulliver. Race Officer Chris Nichol decided that today’s final two
races in the Championship should be held in the North race area, where
in today’s Westerlies the winds would come in true. Force 3 winds meant
that other sailors came into contention at the front. Chris Turner and
Simon Maguire drew inspiration from their win the previous day, to take
both races in good style, as they settled into the class. Also coming
on to a strong run of form as the week progressed were Jerry Rook and
James Wallace, who took a second place then a fourth to secure fourth
overall behind Turner and Maguire in third.
In a good natured Championship, there was no outbreak of match racing
between the two leaders, with Harris and Byron and Gulliver/ Graham
merely keeping a close eye on each other’s position. In the first race,
Harris and Byron always kept ahead of Gulliver/ Graham, and managed to
climb to third place, while Gulliver/ Graham’s chances suffered when
they dropped to thirteenth, their worst score of the week. The result
opened up clear water between the two for the first time in the week.
In the second race, Harris/ Byron again kept safely ahead of Gulliver/
Graham to clinch the 2009 Internationals title. For Harris and Byron,
this was their third Internationals title, having won an Internationals
title in Canada in 2003, the USA in 2007, and now in Scotland in
2009. The pair have sailed together since 1995, and scored highly
consistent positions all week.

The Albacore class finished the Championship in very good heart, with
orders for six new boats announced at the Championship as the class
looks forward with confidence.


Benromach Albacore Internationals, final positions
1. Barney Harris & David Byron, Potomac River Sailing Assn, USA.
24pts. 2. Will Gulliver & Steve Graham, Northampton SC. 33pts. 3. Chris Turner & Simon Maguire, Tynemouth SC. 46pts. 4. Jerry Rook & James Wallace, Lyme Regis SC. 49pts 5. Judy & Paul Armstrong, Scaling Dam SC. 60pts.

BENROMACH ALBACORE INTERNATIONALS DAY 4 AT LARGS
LADY’S DAY THEN BLOWN AWAY


The dreaded Easterlies came to Largs on the fourth day of the
Benromach Albacore Internationals. Unpredictable, gusty, and often far
stronger than they should be, the Easterlies had competitors and
organisers on edge. First they blew before the first start, then they
went away, and the first race was sailed in mainly light breezes.

Judy and Paul Armstrong quickly established themselves in the lead,
and held it through the ups and downs of the breeze. Second were
Canadians Warner and Andrew Monteiro, with Robert Lyne and Peter Grey
in third. It was a race in which some new faces took the chance to
shine at the front, while the two series leaders both scored their
lowest results so far. If the Largs Easterly had so far shown a gentle
side, it soon showed its darker side in the second race. Winds rose to
the highest seen so far in a windy series, to 25 knots plus.

The Race Officer promptly shortened and sent the fleet ashore without
the third race planned for that day. Only half the fleet finished this
race. The oldest sailor in the fleet, John Herbert, aged 81, showed his
seamanship by finishing the race under jib only, overtaking a nearby
competitor struggling under full sail.

At the front of the fleet, the two leaders returned to form with Will
Gulliver and Steve Graham winning from the USA’s Barney Harris and
David Byron. Jerry Rook and James Wallace took third to move into fifth
place overall.

It had been a day of variety, including two races in both the lightest
and heaviest winds seen in the week, and leading lady Judy Armstrong
became the first sailor other than the leading duo to take a race win.
The result consolidated her fourth place overall in the standings.

Tomorrow Wednesday will be a lay day, or day off. Racing resumes on
Thursday, and the Championship concludes on Friday.


Benromach Albacore Internationals, current standings

1. Will Gulliver & Steve Graham, Northampton SC. 10pts. 2. Barney Harris & David Byron, Potomac River Sailing Assn, USA.
11pts. 3. Chris Turner & Simon Maguire, Tynemouth SC. 25pts. 4. Judy & Paul Armstrong, Scaling Dam SC. 31pts.
5. Jerry Rook & James Wallace, Lyme Regis SC. 34pts.
BENROMACH ALBACORE INTERNATIONALS DAY 5 AT LARGS
BATTLING BARNEY BOUNCES BACK


Racing resumed at Largs today after competitors spent yesterday
relaxing and seeing some of Scotland on the lay day.

Medium winds from the South were the order of the day, making a change
from the generally fresh winds so far, and allowing some different
faces to show near the front of the fleet.

Jerry Rook and James Wallace started off a good day for them by
winning the first race. John and Janet Woffinden had their best finish
of the week, taking second place, while series leaders Will Gulliver
and Steve Graham took third.

In the second race, the duo leading the series again were forced to
take a back seat, when Chris Turner and Simon Maguire displayed their
command of the gentle art of corner banging, taking only six tacks in
the whole race to win, with Canadians Allan Measor and Richard Piercey
taking their best result with a second place.
Judy and Paul Armstrong took third.

While the two boats leading the series, Will Gulliver and Barney
Harris had been battling somewhere near the front in the first two
races, they finally broke through to the front two places. First place
went to Barney Harris crewed by David Byron, and this win helped them
overtake Gulliver and Graham, to take a single point lead into the last
day, where this cliffhanger Championship will be decided over the two
remaining races. The race for third place is shaping up to be equally
close, with Jerry Rook moving up to third today by just a point.


Benromach Albacore Internationals, current standings

1. Barney Harris & David Byron, Potomac River Sailing Assn, USA.
19pts. 2. Will Gulliver & Steve Graham, Northampton SC. 20pts. 3. Jerry Rook & James Wallace, Lyme Regis SC. 43pts 4. Chris Turner & Simon Maguire, Tynemouth SC. 44pts. 5. Judy & Paul Armstrong, Scaling Dam SC. 47pts.
admin2009-07-23 18:02:54

End of Nationals posting: BENROMACH ALBACORE INTERNATIONALS DAY 3 AT LARGS
GULLIVER’S TRAVELS TO THE TOP


On the third day of the Benromach Albacore Internationals, the UK National title was at stake.
Series
leaders Barney Harris and David Byron, from the USA, were eligible for
the title, and lay just a single point ahead of best Brits, Will
Gulliver and Steve Graham, as we went into the final day’s Nationals
racing.

Three races would decide who went home with the title.
Forecast for the day was brisk. The two protagonists fought out their
battle at the front, the pair drawing clear of the rest of the fleet in
all three races. First blood went to Barney Harris and David Byron, who
drew a little further ahead in the race for the series by winning the
first race, from Gulliver, with Robert Lyne/ Peter Grey taking an
excellent third in the oldest boat in the fleet.

But in the
second race, Gulliver’s reply was swift. He relished the fresher breeze
to take a comfortable win from Harris, with Chris Turner/ Simon Maguire
in third. The two leading boats remained locked together, with all to
hang on the result of the last race.

Winds were fresh at the
start, and Gulliver was travelling fast in these conditions. He
established a good lead early on, and stretched to take the race, with
Barney Harris in second, and Turner third. The win took Gulliver onto
equal points with Harris, and Gulliver’s four wins gave him the title
on the tie break. Behind him, Barney’s hopes of a Nationals title had
turned to Rubble.

For Gulliver, it was his first time at the
Albacore Nationals. He thanked Pinnell & Bax sailmaker Steve Graham
for stepping in as his crew at the last minute after his usual crew was
unavailable. Steve was delighted to take his first Nationals title,
while Will added this title to a previous win in Phantoms.

Ovington’s
Chris Turner and Simon Maguire took third with consistent results,
while Judy and Paul Armstrong in fourth overall took the Swansea Bay
Trophy for best husband and wife. They were one of many family pairings
among this friendly class.

All points in these Nationals races
now carry forward into the International Championship series, which is
set to be equally hard fought. The Internationals concludes on Friday.

Day 2 press release:


BENROMACH ALBACORE INTERNATIONALS DAY 2 AT LARGS
BARNSTORMIN’ BARNEY BREAKS THROUGH
Three races in winds rising from light and patchy to strong by Race 3,
gave the 52 Albacores another exciting and entertaining day’s racing.
Organisers at Largs SC moved the race area into the Largs Channel in
anticipation of rising winds, and their foresight was rewarded with
three good races. The first race started in 10mph winds, but these
dropped way on the final triangle.

Winds were up to 15mph by the start of the second race, and they kept
on rising to give a third race in strong winds throughout.

But reigning Champions Barney Harris and David Byron, from the USA,
coped equally well with all conditions. After a third place in the
lightest race, they then took the next two races in good style to break
through into the lead for this Championship. Closest challengers were
heavy weather sailors Will Gulliver and Steve Graham, while Chris
Turner and Simon Maguire moved up into third overall with a second and
third place in the two windier races.

It was a new race area for the fleet, and the winds blowing and
shifting over the Island of Cumbrae posed plenty of challenges to the
sailors. Harris admitted to being sometimes “befuddled” by the shifts,
and was impressed by his nearest challenger Gulliver’s ability to
“click into” the shifts. Even so Harris and Byron, who have sailed
together since 1995, kept ahead and stayed consistent. Behind the
leaders, many used the shifts well to make impressive recoveries from
poor positions early on. Judy Armstrong crewed by husband Paul is top
lady in fifth.
After the discard, Gulliver is just a point behind Harris, setting up
an exciting climax to the National Championship, which finishes
tomorrow, Monday. All races within the week will count towards the
Internationals Championship, concluding on Friday.
Results overall after four races, one discard 1. Barney Harris & David Byron, Potomac River Sailing Assn, USA. 4pts. 2. Will Gulliver & Steve Graham, Northampton SC. 5pts. 3. Chris Turner & Simon Maguire, Tynemouth SC. 8pts. 4. Nigel Potter & Mark Fowler, Notts County SC, 14pts. 5. Judy & Paul Armstrong, Scaling Dam SC. 14pts.

Full results on www.scottishsailinginstitute.com . Pictures on www.fotoboat.com .

Photos from the event are posted at albacore.org.uk/Ints2009/photos.html

For the full set of results visit the SSSI web site at www.scottishsailinginstitute.com/ssi_results.asp?eventID=80
These will be updated at the end of each day's racing.
admin2009-07-19 16:54:44

Forgot to say - dont try it with 30 year-old sails though!