This year’s International Paints Poole Regatta in England was blessed with great breeze and awesome race committee work, making it fun and exhausting for all. The regatta is a huge bi-annual event held over the three days of the late May Bank Holiday Weekend. This was the U.K. National Championship for the J/70s. Defending National Champion and European Champion Ruairidh Scott, having now teamed up with Ian Atkins to own and sail Boats.com, took the first two bullets. Ian Southworth helming Simon Ling’s Team RAFBF Spitfire won races 3 and 4, with Boats.com taking two seconds and thus the overnight lead. Team RAFBF Spitfire appeared to find the lighter conditions in the afternoon very much to their liking. On Race day 2, the wind had increased to 15-22. Boats.com showed the benefit of their experience and the hard work that they have put in during training to score an outstanding four firsts. Team RAFBF Spitfire took four straight seconds, the lead pair now opened up a points gap on the rest of the fleet. Charlie Esse’s Baby J completed the podium for the day with a flush of thirds. The final day was, as forecast an ‘off the land’ 8 knots, making Poole bay nice and calm. For the J/70 title, Boats.com only needed to punch in one good result from the two final races (with a second as discard they were in a strong position). Their only possible challenger was Team RAFBF Spitfire who looked solid for a top two result. First to the top mark in race nine, was Joseph’s Coat helmed by Marie-Claude Heys, who had predominately worked the right hand side of the course. Boats.com assumed their normal position at the head of the fleet just before the end of the run. Team RAFBF Spitfire was a little further back in the pack. On the next upwind leg, Boats.com placed a general cover on the bulk of the fleet whilst Team RAFBF Spitfire headed hard left and found a nice shift that propelled them into a big lead at the final windward mark. Boats.com reeled them in on the final run closing them down but not passing. That second place was enough for Boats.com to take the title, so they sailed in, to beat the queue for the crane leaving Team RAFBF Spitfire to pick up a fourth bullet in race ten, followed by Dave Atkinson sailing Jawbreaker in second and then Just 4 Play in third. Boats.com were the deserved winners, with Spitfire a very solid second and Ian Wilson’s Wilson Covers being helmed by Geoff Carveth knocking Baby J out of third. At the final prize giving, Boats.com was awarded the Kleinwort Benson ‘Boat of the Regatta’ trophy as an accolade to their tally of twelve points from ten races. Top boat out of 180 competitors—well done Ian Atkins, Ruairidh Scott, Dan Brown and Ben Fieldand, and to their coach Q.P. Saltonstall. For more information, visithttp://pooleregatta.co.uk/.

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