Albacore National Inland Championships
14th & 15th Oct 2006

Despite the recent success of the FRP Albacores the older wooden boats dominated in the Albacore 2006 National Inland Championships held at Winsford Flash SC.
Twelve visitors travelled from all over the country to join the seven club boats for the two-day event with the best four of five races to count. With the wind blowing straight down the lake but variable in strength it made for some tight racing throughout the fleet.
In Race 1 after a number of recalls the black flag was out though it didn’t stop Matt Potter and Mark Fowler (Notts County) from taking an early lead with Judy and Paul Armstrong (Scaling Dam) in hot pursuit followed by Crawford Reid with Isobelle Martin (Strathclyde).
Race 2 went exactly the same way and then it was off for the evening meal and the challenge of trying to drink the bar dry (as the fleet had done in 2004!)
A few hangovers then for Race 3 on the Sunday morning but again it was the 1,2,3 of Potter, Armstrong and Reid followed in fourth by Jean and Derek Simmons (South Cerney).
The pattern was finally broken in Race 4 with Armstrong winning from Potter with Mike Banner and Pippa Mitchell (Winsford Flash) in third. This meant that Potter and Fowler were winners with a race to spare so they sat out Race 5 allowing the Armstrong’s to secure their second bullet (and win the Winsford Open for the Sunday races) from Paul Lennie and Pam Gott (Winsford Flash) with the Simmons in third.
Thanks to Speed Sails for providing the main prizes and these, along with trophies and wine, were presented by Winsford Mayor, Pam Booker.

Results

Pictures

the winners