Pascoe Takes Another World Title

Team Allen sailor Megan Pascoe has claimed another 2.4 World Championship title! Read about her time at the event below

Nearly 80 boats arrived in Genoa at the Yacht Club Italiano for the 2.4mR World Championships last week. Multiple world champions were within the fleet with only a handful of the top sailors absent. Registration and measurement were easy and we all left for the practice race. We had an offshore breeze and a nice 7 knots. By the time we had got halfway up the beat the wind disappeared. If this was a sign of things to come we were in for a long week.

Turning up on Tuesday we looked out to sea to big waves and big breeze. When even the tug boats were going underwater staying on dry land seemed safer. After a thoroughly entertaining day of putting the world to rights we hoped Wednesday would be better. It was and the fleet left the dock in what we thought was a nice 8 knots, or that’s what the forecast let us believe. What we really had was 16 knots and big waves. 3 races were sailed. Having not been in those conditions for a few years it was nice that I seemed to have a bit of pace. I finished the day with a 1,1,2. With a few of the top sailors already collecting letters and the chance of 2 discards being slim, it was going to be an interesting series. The usual players were at the top with Marko Dahlberg from Finland putting in a 2,2,1 showing that he is still one of the fastest in the breeze. Stellan Berlin from Sweden with a UFD and two other results in the top 4 was showing why he is a multiple world champion. Paralympians Heiko Kroger and Bjornar Erikstad were going well but both with a UFD a DNF, they were going to struggle to get to the top.

By Thursday no one believed the forecast and after a delay we went out in 12 knots with slightly fewer waves. Stellan left us all in his wake with Marko and fellow Fin Rikard Bjorstrom making the top 3. As we crossed the line we found that Stellan had a UFD making it look like it was going to be a two horse race between Marko and I. We tried a start for race 5 under a black flag but with a 90 degree wind shift and a large black cloud the race was abandoned up the first beat and we went home. It was difficult to see if we were ever going to get a series in. After the cloud passed we left the dock again and had the 5th race in a nice breeze. Heiko took the race win, I finished second and Fia Fjelddahl in third cementing her place inside the top 3. Marko made a rare result outside the top 3 setting up an exciting last day.

Friday was 16 – 20 knots with the waves as big as usual. It was going to be a big day to end it all. I was having a good race with Heiko and Antonio from Italy in a building breeze and I managed to beat Heiko up the last beat. With Marko in 4th, I had one hand on the trophy. The wind dropped enough to encourage the race committee to run another race. It was getting windier and windier as we went up the first beat. A rain cloud came in and a few of us headed to the spreader mark instead of the windward mark. Antonio went the right way and walked away with the race. With the wind on the fleet’s limit, we went home and that was the end to a very entertaining series. I was very happy to win my second world title. It was great to do it with my parents watching and so many British and Irish around. The 2.4 fleet is a great fleet to be part of with a varied group of people. The top 4 were from 4 different countries, a mix of female and male competitors, able-bodied and disabled, 3 different sailmakers and 2 different mast makers.

An Aussie asked me what the secret of the week was. Some suggest it might have been the longer keel but with most of the other boats on standard keels I’m unsure of that. With sail set up I set up with more twist to get through the waves. Depowering more to get the boat balanced so you can steer through the waves. Then it is just concentrating on the steering to keep the boat going. Finding the windward mark is always useful as is being able to see the flags! An electric pump that is reliable is a simple win but an important one that can save you from joining the submarine core. The last point is sending it downwind. Learning to steer around the waves and getting the pump in the right place.

But most importantly is having reliable kit! So a thanks must go to Allen for ensuring my boat is fully sorted.

All in all a great way to end 2019.

Photos courtesy of Yacht Club Italiano.

Sailing the Allen Academy Optimist – Patrick Bromilow

I picked up the Allen Academy optimist on my way home from the Magic Marine Easter Regatta in Braassemermeer. I was very excited and super happy to have been picked to sail the optimist this season.

As soon as we got home, I went sailing in it at my local club and it felt great. I went to a few local travellers’ events to get used to the boat before getting ready to sail in the first ranking event of the season, which was the Inland Championships at Grafham Water. I decided that I wanted a new sail for my weight, as I had been sailing with OneSails before I got the Allen boat, so was very happy to receive a OneSail Light from OneSails UK. I was excited to be going to race in a big fleet with the new sail and boat. Unfortunately, when we got there, there was no wind for the entire weekend, so no races were sailed at all! Everyone was very disappointed, especially me!

Next chance for big fleet racing was the Oppi Nationals at Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy. I was looking forward to this whole week of racing. I was a bit disappointed with my results overall for the Nationals. I made gold fleet, but I felt that I wasn’t sailing as fast as usual. It was very windy most days, and I struggled to flatten my boat in the gusts, and the boat kept stalling in the choppy conditions. This regatta left me wondering what was wrong with my sailing, and I had lots of chats with other sailors, parents and coaches about what could have been the problem.

Next up was the Irish Optimist Nationals in Howth, which I travelled to as part of the junior GBR team. I decided to take my old boat to this event, just to see if there was a difference in my boat speed. This was another very windy regatta, with a couple of days spent ashore due to the high winds. However, the days that I did sail, I felt a bit better than at the British Nationals, but I still struggled in the heavy gusts to keep my boat flat.

When we came home, after more discussions with lots of oppi parents and sailors, we decided that a new flexible rig in the Allen boat would be a good thing to try. So, I was very lucky to be able to get a BlackGold Flexi rig from Xtremity. It arrived just in time for the Late Summer Championships at Draycote Water Sailing Club, the second ranker of the season.

Another windy regatta! I felt really confident and good about going sailing on the first day, even though it was very windy with big gusts coming through. The first day I sailed really well and managed to keep my boat flat in the gusts, I could see my rig flexing as I kept on sailing. I managed to get a 3rd and a 6th on the first day, but I also got a black flag which meant my discard was gone. The second day didn’t go as well, I started with a 13th and then the race after that I capsized, then in the final race I was still thinking about my capsize so wasn’t concentrating and ended up with a 33rd. I knew that I could sail fast and do well with the new set up on the boat, so I focussed on those positives.

The final ranking event of the season was End of Seasons at Weymouth. I had left myself with a lot of hard work to do. I needed to do really well at this event so that I made one of the Winter squads. I had been in IOCA squad last winter, so I wanted to go into a higher squad for this winter.

I thought it would be a good idea to do the IOCA pre-event training the week before at Weymouth to give me a good chance of doing well for the End of Seasons. It was a super windy weekend again, but I had a great weekend of training and really got used to the new set up on the boat. I was feeling ok about the following week – apart from the 6-hour drive both ways to get there!

The first day of End of Seasons was raining like crazy, so we all rigged up in the hanger and put our rigs in the rig stands to wait for launch. I was feeling really good about my BlackGold lite spars and my OneSail light, and spent quite a bit of time setting up my rig. We launched in quite light wind, with the race area in about 3 and 12 knots of breeze. The first race I finished 11^th, which was ok, but not good enough – I needed to do better! So, I made some adjustments and set up my rig again before the next races. I got a 3^rd and then a 5^th, so it ended up as a great day on the water.

The forecast for the second day was for too much wind, so we were postponed for a bit to start with, but then we were told to get ready to launch, so we went sailing whilst the wind was about 25 knots. It must have got up to about 35 knots when we were sailing out to the race area – it was so windy! Just before the start, it dropped to about 15-26 knots. I was still feeling great about my BlackGold lite spars and OneSail light, and I could see my rig flexing in the gusts. I had also depowered by de-spriting my rig which helped a lot. We only managed 1 race before the wind really picked up and we were sent to shore. I got a 9^th in that race, which I was really happy with. I finished 8^th overall and 2^nd junior.

I was really hoping from my great EoS results, and my not so good LSC result, that I would get a squad invitation. So, I was really happy when I got the invite to join National Squad for the Winter!

I’m looking forward to a great Winter of training with my new squad, with some of my friends. The pressure is off now for a while. The next event is the Winter Championships at Datchet, which is always great fun and I’m excited to race, now that I’ve got the boat really sailing fast for me and the set up is really great!

Billy Vennis-Ozanne Catch Up

Team Allen’s Billy Vennis-Ozanne was at the Allen supported J70 Worlds, so we had a quick catch up. Check out what Billy’s been up to and what he thinks of the A2020Tii blocks

Monique Vennis-Ozanne 29er Summer

After four weeks of exams throughout May and June I finally finished school and my summer of sailing in my 29er could began. I usually sail with John Mather, but, I also had the chance to sail with my brother Billy, who is also a member of Team Allen.

Summer started off in Kiel for the 29er Eurocup as part of Kiel Week. This week is always a good one, especially as a treat from finishing school a week beforehand. We were treated even more with sunny weather and wind all week. It was a week of many general recalls, the most I’ve ever experienced, and lots of black flags. Despite this, John and myself sailed a consistent series in 10-18knots most of the time to round up Kiel Week 18th out of 118, so a good start to the summer.

Next up was the Hayling 29er GP. There was a brief postponement leaving us sailors waiting in anticipation to get out onto the classic Hayling summer water; sunny, breezy and wavy. We had a slow start with a 9th and 10th then found our pace with two 2nds. The streak of 2nds continued onto Sunday with two more 2nds followed by a 1st and 5^th. This left us happily 2^nd overall in the 55-boat fleet.

Following the Hayling island event, my brother, dad and I drove the 1100 miles to Gydnia, Poland for the 29er World Championships. We had the van fully loaded to the brim with four 29ers, a Rib and plenty of spare parts. We arrived a few days early so we could do a cheeky bit of practising as Billy and I hadn’t sailed together since April. This would also be our second event together. I also needed some time to get used to having someone 20kgs heavier than John upfront again. We had a bit of breeze throughout the practice days and qualifying, Billy was loving the Allen 50mm pro-ratchets for the kite sheets as they reduced the load of the kite for his softy’s hands!

We had what could’ve been a very good qualifying series, scoring a 3rd, 2nd, UFD, 35th, 3^rd and 2^nd. The 35^th came after a frustrating pitchpole, nevertheless I’m still super pleased to have got some great results at my first World Championships. The final series was lighter, and Billy and I struggled a bit more due to our weight. We finally finished 36th out of 175 at my first Worlds, Which I am really pleased with.

The last event for me this summer was the Europeans, held in another amazing location.  Arco, Lake Garda, Italy. Nothing beats racing with the Garda mountains as your backdrop. Our qualifying was average apart from a 2nd and 3rd when the wind eased off briefly. Silver fleet was still a high standard with two world number ones amongst us and pretty windy conditions all week. Fortunately, there were no complications or breakages due to our reliable Allen hardware. We were able to really crank the Kicker and Cunningham on to depower us and not have to worry.

After the long week, with far too many 7am starts, we ended the event placed 13th Silver and 73rd overall out of 210 boats.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my first summer of sailing the 29er and I am looking forward to the next one as the Worlds is on our home waters of Weymouth.

Thanks again to Allen for supporting me with the most reliable kit!

Jamie Harris Sailing Summer 2019

My summer started with the OK Europeans as part of Kiel week, my first major international OK event which I really enjoyed, competing against the top OK sailors was inspiring and the event ended on a high as I won the Junior (first under 23) title. With the World Championships coming to the UK in 2022 there is much hard training to be had in order to make the team and challenge the old-guard!

The next event on the calendar was 470 Junior Europeans in Vilagarcia De Arousa, Galicia Spain, crewing for Tom Collyer. An epic drive out and a week’s training on the shifty Atlantic estuary was followed by a week’s racing which threw up some surprising gain features, it was a brilliant experience and a steep learning curve.

After returning back to England my sister Bettine and I set straight off to Torquay for the RS200 National Championships. After a gruelling week of heavy winds, we managed to defend our First Junior Boat Trophy against tough competition. And we are very much looking forward to returning to the event next year.

Following my A-Level results day, I travelled to Weymouth for the 470 Nationals, two days training in roughly 20 knots, crewing for Rhys Lewis was followed by brilliant racing beneath Portland Bill, against many of the British Sailing Team. We finished 10^th and were pleased with our result in such a talented fleet and exciting conditions.

Next event is the Ok Nationals in Aberscoh before I set off to Southampton University this autumn, where I plan to study Engineering and sail the Solent as much as possible.

I would like to thank everyone who has supported my sailing this year, in particular TS5C Charity, Allen Brothers and my local sailing club Bristol Corinthian Yacht Club.

Catch Up With Team Allen’s Chris & James Taylor

Team Allen Review – GP14 Allen Nationals 2019 Abersoch

By Szymon Matyjaszczuk

After seven weeks of sunny sailing in Southern Europe we had to come back at some point. Myself and Jack Lewis (my helm) decided to try our luck at the GP14 nationals in Wales. We expected cold and windy sailing which Abersoch delivered.

Day one it was around 10-14 knots of breeze with a gate start which was a new experience for us. We had a good start at the beginning of the gate where we rounded the windward mark 3rd. As we sail onto the top reach, we lost out to a couple boats as we didn’t know how the fleet reacted on the reach. As it turned out that the fleet goes high on the reaches so that they don’t get rolled. Then we had a good downwind moving back to the top ten where we gained two more boats on the upwind where we ended up finishing 8th.

Day two the breeze was significantly stronger on day two at around 15-18 knots which meant the beat length was increased dramatically which my legs weren’t pleased about. We then finished that race in 7th which we were pleased about. Then we had a bit of a shaky start rounding the mark in the top 20, but we kept pushing for places all the way round the course till we were in a top 10 position on the last top reach where we had an overlap and had to gybe high which led us to a messy capsize where we then scored a DNC.

Day three It was too windy for any racing as it was gusting 35 knots on the racecourse. As the day was canned, we decided to pick up our 420 friends surf boards to go surfing with Sam Watson and some of the Irish Friends at Hells Mouth which was a superb way to spend our lay day.

Day four the conditions were still breezy wind still at 20 knots and it was going to be a long day on the water with 3 races. First race was tough where we finished in 24th. Then we had a line start which we preferred as it gave us more options. We executed a good pin end start then. Rounding the windward mark in the top 10 and keeping that position around the course. We lost a bit on the upwinds as we didn’t have as much weight as rest of the teams but gained them back on the downwind legs as we worked the waves hard and our light combinations benefited us down wind meaning we finished 7th. Then we had another not so good race which we struggled in finishing 21 but where happy with our full last day of racing.

Day five It was really light meaning the RO had put up a two-hour postponement. Unfortunately, the wind had filled in half an hour later. After the postponement had ended we had a line start again which we were happy about as we knew that was one of our strengths. We won the pin and port tacked the fleet working our way out to the left but only managed to make it in the top 10 at the windward mark. Sam Watson just behind us who had port tacked the fleet as well then we had gained a further 2 places on the bottom reach as we stayed on the inside and high using the tide to drift us down. Unfortunately, we went left where there appeared to be more breeze, but we had not put tide into account and had lost a lot of places on the upwind to the boats that sailed towards the cliffs on the right. Then the wind had completely died, and the racing was cancelled promptly where we got a tow in by the safety crews.

Day six the wind was reaching 35 knots again meaning the racing was canned for the last potential day of racing. We packed up my dad’s boat and awaited prize giving later that evening.

At the end of the championship we ended up in 2nd silver and 14th overall losing to my good friend from Ireland Peter Boyle who ended the competition in 7th place. Final Results: https://www.gp14.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Final-Results-GP14-UKNational-Championship-2019.html

Jack and I had enjoyed the racing so much which wouldn’t be complete without the hard work done from Venessa Deveroux and the RO and his Crew and getting an amazing quality of races completed in such difficult conditions. Also a big thank you to Allen for supporting us and the championships as it’s always good to have the best performance dinghy kit behind our backs. It was an amazing experience and will definitely do the worlds in Skerries Ireland next year where we will probably be a few pounds bigger for the boat as we both get older.

What was hard about the championships? The hardest thing about the championships was the amount of hiking we had to do as we normally sail the 420 and don’t have to use our legs to keep the boat flat. On downwind legs in breeze we didn’t have enough weight to keep the bow from nose diving.

What were the most valuable lessons you have learned from the championships? One thing that was really good was practicing our close racing tactics which we mainly use in lighter airs in the 420. Also, we had learned that as a sailor you should check for stats yourself. As we failed to do so on the light wind race where we knew there was a lot of tide but failed to put that into the focus on our race strategy as we didn’t check the tide and apparently after asking a friend who had said after racing he had measured 6 boat lengths on the pin which had led him to round the mark significantly ahead.

Youth Team Allen Sailors Finish 5th at RS Feva Worlds

Joey Taylor and Terry Hacker recently finished 5th at one of the highest attended RS Feva World Championships.

Here is a short write up from Joey about the event –

The RS Feva fleet headed for Follonica, Italy, for the biggest ever RS double-handed event with 23 different nations represented and 200 boats in probably the most competitive World Championships fleet so far for the class.  With our boat very kindly being transported on top of a Norwich School minibus, we were able to fly out and see the sights of Pisa before heading on to the venue.

We were able to get some training in before the event which helped us acclimatize to the heat, prevailing light winds and sloppy chop before the 2-day qualification series started on Monday.  With the fleet spit into 3 flights, we got off to the perfect start with a bullet in race 1, followed by a not so perfect 20^th and a good 4^th leaving us 15^th overall overnight.

We stepped up a gear for day 2 with three top 10s allowing us to discard the 20^th and leaving us 12^th overall heading into Gold fleet for the remaining 3 days of the regatta.

Day 3 dawned to the now expected heat, light winds and sloppy chop.  Unfortunately, it didn’t go great for us in the first race as we struggled to get off the line and ended up 19^th.  Things didn’t improve in the second race as, after a good start, we were yellow flagged as we crossed the fleet putting us pretty much at the back after we had done our penalty.  We recovered to 23^rd in that race and then finally got our act together with a 4^th in the last race of the day.

Day 4 was looking good for us with a 5^th and then 4^th, but unfortunately the 4^th turned out to be BFD.  This must have really focused our minds as, after several general recalls, we won the last race of the day, which included beating Simon Cooke (championship leader and a NZ ex Olympian and former 470 World Champion).  Despite the BFD, we were now up to 5^th overall with everything to play for in the last 2 races.

We woke up on the last day knowing we had a shot at the title, but also knew that we couldn’t afford another BFD or bad race.  We held our nerve in the first race and came 2^nd, putting us right in contention for the Youth World Champion title.  With everything riding on the last race we were really conscious not to be over the line but held back just too much and couldn’t find clear air up the first beat, eventually finishing 26^th.  At the time we were disappointed, but we learnt a lot from that last race and won’t make the same mistake again.

Whilst it’s very easy to dwell on what could have been, overall, we are really pleased with how we sailed in what is our least favorite types of conditions.  To be 4^th Youth team and 5^th Overall at a World Championships with 200 boats, and to have been in contention for the title with one race to go, was a real achievement for us.

The RS Feva is an amazing fleet.  We were so lucky to have the Worlds in such a great venue with great racing and time to swim and play with friends on the beach after.  For those staying on the campsite, our first experience of Foam Night was brilliant!  Thanks must go to everyone at Follonica Sailing Club and RS for putting on an amazing fun regatta, to all the parents for getting us and our boats there, and to Allen whose support has really helped us.

Ben Purrier at the Topper World Championships

It was a great start to the Topper World Championships with the sun shining and the wind blowing in Medemblik in The Netherlands. With a steady force 5, gusting force 6 the 162 sailors in the full (5.3) rigs and 47 in the 4.2 fleets set sail, with the offshore wind giving all of us a long run to the start line. Conditions were tough but I got out off the line fast claiming my first win in the first race. This was followed by a 4th and a 3rd in the next two races and I ended the first day 2^nd overall. The perfect start in the great conditions.

On the second day, the wind dropped, and we had to wait five hours for the sea breeze to fill in. Unfortunately, it didn’t give me the conditions I wanted but the race officer got the first flight away and I came in 29^th after a big shift and the second flight’s race was abandoned altogether. The race officer then reset the course, but only managed to get one race in for the second flight, so we ended the day with one race completed and I moved down to 3^rd overall.

Day 3, the last for qualifying, and we again had a postponement while waiting for the sea breeze to kick in. The conditions were very hot (35ºC) but we got three races away. The first was completed in light and shifty conditions, the second finally had a more consistent breeze meaning I pegged a 9^th place, and the third, after some hard work on the line, resulted in me getting an unhelpful UFD.

At the end of the 3 days of qualifying, I hit 15th place overall which was perfect to go straight into the Gold fleet, and two days of World Championship racing against 80 other qualifiers.

Thursday, day 4, and the hottest day of the year. The day I’d be waiting for. I started the World Championship series in Gold Fleet with 15 points. The heatwave battled against the prevailing wind causing a 1-hour delay followed by a very light wind race with the wind almost dying completely at the end. Not great conditions for racing and I placed a respectable 10th before the race officer ordered the safety fleet to tow all 209 sailors ashore as the wind died completely. Quite a sight, everyone was frustrated, but in my case, I just wanted to get back out and race.

After 4 hours ashore we relaunched, with my hope being that a late thermal wind would establish. Sailors were towed out and the second race got underway with light and fickle conditions to contend with. The first start became a general recall, and the second start saw a dozen boats black flagged, but, finally, the race was underway! An awesome feeling, but it was short-lived as the wind dies again and the race officer abandoned the second race with everyone being towed ashore again.

On Friday we hit the boat park early, and there was a feeling of immediate excitement because the wind was finally blowing. We had an early 8am briefing as the race officer brought proceedings forward to get the races in, however halfway through the launch sequence, the wind dropped, meaning the sailors (particularly the 4.2s which had launched first) were unable to make it to the start. The decision was made to send the sailors back, resulting in confusion on the slipway with sailors trying to launch as others were trying to return.

Once we restarted it was light and choppy, making it hard to get good boat speed off the congested line which resulted in lots of general recalls and back flags. Not perfect but I had a great first race with a 5th place in an 8 to 10 knot breeze. The heatwave then began to take hold with the wind starting to die, and the chop still making things challenging on the water. The result being a tough final two races after a long week of stop & start. I eventually nailed a 14th place out of 209 & using my discard landed 7th place overall.

Looking back from the comfort of the ferry on the way back from Medemblik it was a great week, with good friends. The first day was excellent, but light winds for the rest of the week it made for challenging racing, especially when you’re 15 and heavier than some of the smaller helms in the fleet. Next up is the ITCA Nationals in Largs at the start of August – a place not known for light winds, and I can’t wait to get back out on the water.

Thanks to Allen for providing me with the best kit for my Topper!

Megan Pascoe – 2.4MR Tidal Champs in WPNSA

Last weekend the 2.4s joined in with the RYA Sailability Multi Class event at the WPNSA. The event started with a pursuit race. It’s very unusual for 2.4s to be starting midway down the pursuit race but it is fun chasing rather than being chased. I managed 12th after being overhauled by the Elliot 6m’s and RS Ventures and not quite managing to catch all the Hansa’s.

By Saturday afternoon we started the class racing. We were racing as an open class which makes our fleet more competitive than just racing the disabled contingent. It was great racing in  Portland harbour and somewhere where you could race upwind for 10 minutes. What I had forgotten over too much pond sailing was how wet 2.4s were but at least the water was warm. We had 2 races in a building sea breeze. 6 of us had some close racing but with a bit more pace I managed to win both races. I especially enjoyed the last downwind playing on the waves, it makes the wet and slow upwind worth it. Sunday brought a light gradient clocking round to the southerly sea breeze. After a bit of waiting the race officer did well to get 2 good races in. Again it was nice to settle down into some boat speed off the start line and happy that I seem to be going well with another couple of bullets.

I haven’t raced multiclass much over the years but it is really fun holidaying with the rest of the disabled sailing community as we don’t get much time to hang out together. It is a small community with many I have grown up with over the years it is great to catch up with everyone. We also had a lot of Frensham Pond sailors at Portland and with all the helpers it was definitely Frensham on tour.