Chris Goodfellow and his wife, Jackie, just missed out on a top-three placing at the Squib National Championships at Abersoch, North Wales.

The Goodfellows, from Royal Corinthian Yacht Club, and sailing Trophoblast, finished overall fifth and were the leading local boat of nine Burnham-based entries.

Robert Coyle, in Patrick, was 16th, and Christian Brewer, sailing What's The Story, was 21st.

The championship was won by Nigel Harris, from South Caenarfon Yacht Club, sailing Banshee. His clubmate, Richard Robinson, in Grayling, was second.

Lloyd Crisp, from Royal Norfolk and Suffolk Yacht Club, Lowestoft, sailing Fagin, broke the Welsh domination by taking third place.

The Goodfellows, who have won Burnham Week and the Squib Gold Cup, for the past two years, were competing against 97 other Squibs from all over Britain in what is one of the hottest fleets in the country.

Their best result was first place on the third day. They also had a ninth, 11th and 12th.

Peter Marchant, from Burnham Sailing Club, a former winner of both the nationals and the inland nationals, missed the event because of injury.

Marchant collected his new boat, Tears for Fears, which replaces the highly successful Blood, Sweat and Tears, last winter, but his 2000 race plans were scuppered in March when he snapped the Achilles tendon in his right ankle while playing badminton.

He was eight weeks in plaster and is still on crutches, but hopes to be fit for the Squib inland championships on Rutland Water in October.

Mike Harrison and his IMpala, Jiminy Cricket, maintained their overall lead in the SailEAST series when he won Class 2 and finished equal first overall at the Medway Regatta last weekend.

Jiminy Cricket only missed out on first place outright to local boat I Say, Ding Dong, owned by former Royal Burnham Yacht Club member Robbie Stewart, on countback.

Many of the leading yachts did not compete at Medway because they are concentrating on this month's Ford Cork Week.

Maldon Yacht Club's annual Millennium Trophy may be restructured for next season, depending on the success of the weekend's triangular event, which could finish up with Maldon winning the spoils by default.

Before the race it appeared that of the three clubs involved, Maldon would be the only one able to raise a team.

Osea Sailing Club have disbanded and Blackwater Sailing, who normally win the event, had asked if the event could be switched to another date because many of their regular race-goers were away at open meetings.

Maldon said last week that still did not yet know whether Blackwater would be sending a team for the event.

Results

RORC East Coast Race (Burnham to Ostend) - Class 1: 1 Carronade (P Clements & H Spero, WMYC), 2 Fiona VII (D Geaves, RTYC), 3 Sensor (D Chatterton and J Warren, WMYC). Class 2: 1 Scarlet Jester (R Gosling, RBYC), 2 Shoot the Bar (C Mills, CYC), 3 Gironde (P Wood, RHYC). Class 3: 1 North Eagle II (M Peters, WMYC), 2 Sherpa (R Kirkby, RBYC). Overall: 1 Carronade.

EAORA Race Week - overall: 1 Sensor, 2 Beatnik (E Orris), 3 Scarlet Jester.

Burnham SC Wednesday Evening series - Sportsboats: Baby Beluga (J Lewis).

Class 1: Twist & Shout (P and N Elmore). Class 2: Cheetah of Burnham (H Croker). Class 3: Scirocco (S Tribe).

RCYC/RBYC Saturday Etchells: Her Outdoors (R Melville). Squibs: Trophoblast (C and J Goodfellow). RBODs: Red Jacket (T and C Herring). Sunday Etchells: Her Outdoors. Dragons: Hat Trickl (M Holmes and A Allen).

Crouch YC Summer series, Race 3: Holographic (L Baker).

Sail EAST Medway Regatta - Overall: Jiminy Cricket (M Harrison, Crouch YC).

Maldon YC Saturday Scratch series, Race 7: 1 A and J Denniss (420), I Wright (Laser), 3 S Perkins (Laser). Sunday Points series, Race 5: 1 A and J Hoy (Snipe), 2 I & K Varney (Snipe), 2 R Rowbotham and S Ski (Snipe).

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.