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RESULTS, NEWS AND ANY OLD GOSSIP FROM BATT SAILS


Cowes Week 2008

 

Another memorable Cowes Week saw Batt Sails consistently at the top of the leader boards.

 

The Swallow, Solent Sunbeam, Squib and Victory classes were all won with Batt sails.

Our congratulations and thanks to SKUA, DANNY, PANI MUNTA and ZINNIA for this great result.

In the XOD class a close series was won by Lone Star with Batt Sails a solid 3rd, 4th and 6th.

Taking the week's results without discard, Batt Sails had 1st, 2nd, 3rd with Quest, Kyperini and Calypso respectively. This telling result speaks volumes for the all-round ability of the Batt Sails' XOD rig.

 

FLYING FIFTEEN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

Barry and Sue Parkin ran in a close second in an eventful series on Hayling Bay. Going into the last day's racing they were the only boat that could topple Greg Wells from top spot. In the event they won the race but Wells did enough to win the series. A thoroughly deserving champion .

The Parkins use the Batt Sails AP mainsail, flat Code 1 jib and the new 2008M spinnaker. After the series Barry Parkin commented " We have really good speed at all time and I think the new kite is just great. I was pleased we could hold our own in the stronger stuff".

SQUIB NATIONALS 2008 : CROSSFIRE'S TITLE!

NATIONAL SQUIB UK CHAMPIONSHIPS LOWESTOFT

 

DAVE BEST and PETE RICHARDS mastered difficult conditons and a star-studded entry list to take the 2008 National Squib Champions title in Squib 797, " Crossfire"..

They put together a series so consistent that they won without winning a race. The winning score was 2,2,2,3,4 and their discarded result a 6th.

In the 'silver medal' slot were Owen Delaney anad Mark Duffield in Firebird, also using a complete suit of Batt sails.

To complete the picture, multiple champions Chris and Mark Hogan were third in Ric'Shea (136), fending off Gerard Dyson and Tony Saltonstall who had another excellent regatta in Alchemy to take 4th spot in the rankings.

. Defending champions Mike and Penny Fewick were sixth in, rounding off a very solid performance for Batt Sails.

The Squib Class goes from strength to strength and Batt Sails continue to dominate the results.

 

 

 

 

"Crosssfire" on one of the lighter days. Lowestoft dished out a wide variety of conditions during Squib week.

 

 

OK INLANDS FALL TO BATT SAILS!

Tony Thresher took the OK Dinghy inlands from a 30 boat fleet at the weekend. Four races were possible over the weekend and so all races had to count. Thresher's 2, 1, 2, 4 was consistently good enough to see off all challengers.

He was setting the new crosscut dacron BATT sail on his black-top Needlespar 3m mast. After the racing he reported "2053 was a flyer in Saturday's conditions. Looking forward to testing her in some breeze. Your all purpose, fit all masts sail worked a treat."

TIDEWAY VICTORY

Roger Puttock, from Bosham, is the new Tideway Champion. Sailing in the competitive singlehanded division he sailed away from the fleet at the recent championship event at his home club.

He writes "Just to let you know the sails you made for me for Tideway 150 (dark blue set) are fabulous. They set perfectly and have no doubt given 'Pickle' great boat speed."

 

 

>>>>FAMILY CORNER <<<<

 

ones brother in action

 

 

YOU CAN CATCH UP WITH HIS WORLD BY CLICKING HERE|

FILIAL UPDATE ....

It's a very poorly-kept secret. Mike Batt is my brother. Or am I his?

We both know he can't make sails and he says I can't sing, so we get along just fine. Thanks for asking.

So.... if you want to buy your loved one a symphony or a nice little aria for Christmas you'd better hurry, I bet there's a queue.

 

He has been kept very busy for the last few years managing the affairs of Katie Melua..... if you know what I mean. She's a very nice, completely unassuming lady.

When you know that what it really means is discovering her, writing a lot of her music, producing all of her music, releasing it all independently and managing the tours and publicity, you will realise what 'busy' means.

Katie's second album "Piece by Piece" was a stunning piece of work Don't just ask me, ask the millions who have bought it so far. If it isn't already in your CD collection, shame on you!

The latest is called '"Pictures" and it is already toppiing the charts all over Europe. How do they do it?

Right now Katie is doing the rounds promoting the album and Mike is somewhere in New York wheeling deals and plotting the next sell-out tour. In his spare time he likes to play in the tour band. What a lad!

It's all a long, long way from the Wombles.

Dick Batt 22/10/2007

"TWO BULLETS" for BATT SAILS

International 14 Worlds. Long Beach, California

Friday 15th September.
Posting a fine pair of consecutive race wins Archie Massey and George Nurton have bounced back up the leader board after their first race disappointment was followed by a couple of average races. Kris Bundy is currently fourth overall, Archie Massey sixth and Katie Nurtoin is eighth. Katie lost a race with an ankle injury but includes a second, fourth and third in her score. All-in-all Batt sails are having a great regatta.
 

Monday 11th September
Archie Massey and George Nurton extend their lead on the pack in the first round of the World Championships, raced off Long Beach

They crossed the finishing line to numbing silence having been judged OCS in the minute before the start.

George's sister Katie can be seen astern with the all-grey spinnaker, holding a solid 3rd place.

 

Promoted to second place by brother George's OCS disqualification, Katie Nurton is hard on the heels of eventual race winner Howie Hamlin.

Next behind is another ex I14 World Champion, Kris Bundy, also setting Batt sails. Kris wound up third and his Seattle training buddy Kris Henderson, also running Batt Sails, was 6th.

On the water Batt Sails finished 1,3, 4, 7

 


XOD Development bears fruit

Peter Baines won Cowes Week 2006 with a nine point lead over his closest rival after the final race was cancelled for lack of wind.The Friday race was won by Adrian Summers in Selix II, also using a complete suit of the latest Batt sails.

Peter took delivery of his new Batt mainsail and jib in mid July, to add to the Batt spinnaker he already had. He won the first two races of Skandia Cowes Week by convincing margins.

At the recent Southern Area champs hosted by HRSC, Baines won the title with Itchenor's Alan Perry a solid second overall. In this event Peter used Batt jib and spinnaker, Alan set a Batt mainsail and Batt jib.

 

ACTION FROM BATT SAILS DURING SKANDIA COWES WEEK

THE BATT SAILS
COWES WEEK ROLL OF HONOUR:

1st SOLENT SUNBEAM 25 "QUERY"

1st VICTORY 69 "ZINNIA"

1st XOD 146"CAPRICE "

1st SWALLOW 3 "SKUA"

1st SQUIB 745 "GHOST RIDER"

1st RS ELITE 5 "ELOISE"

All these boats won their Class series for the week

A FANTASTIC JULY FOR BATT SAILS

International 14

It started with a swing with Archie Massey and George Nurton in the International 14's. Following great promise at Lake Garda they took the Prince of Wales trophy from under the noses of the hot professional favourites , and and just for good measure added the Points Week trophy to their haul. We wish them well in Los Angeles for the World Championships.

Squib

At the Squib UK Nationals the 90 boat fleet was once again mastered by Chris and Mark Hogan. Gerard Dyson was runner-up, crewed as ever by Tony Saltonstall with Dave Best and Stumpy Richards taking the Bronze. It was a difficult week on the water and a phenominal one ashore, with epic hosting by the Royal Victoria Yacht Club gang. The net result was a happy fleet and worthy winners. Every boat in the top five used Batt sails exclusively, except for one spinnaker in 4th. Eight out of the top ten matches last year's convincing Batt tally.

Flying Fifteen

BARRY PARKIN AND MARK DARLING LEAD
DURING THE FLYING FIFTEEN EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS

Championships rarely run this close. Barry Parkin and Mark Darling led the Flying Fifteen Europeans scoresheet for Batt Sails all week and into the last day. They were using a complete set of the latest Batt designs and were clearly never lacking speed in any conditions. On the last reach of the last race Steve Goacher snatched the race from Mike Hart to lead overall, and then Parkin pulled back the single place he needed to keep the crown. A fast spinnaker hoist would have blocked out a challenge from two leeward boats, but they had better position on the tide and sneaked by, giving Goacher the title and putting Parkin back to third overall behind Hart. A great finale to an amazing week's racing, with Batt Sails re-established as a winning choice in this highly competitive fleet.

Solent Sunbeams

Slightly more sedate was the "Dainty Dish". This is the delivery race which gets the Solent Sunbeam fleet to Cowes ahead of Cowes Week. Blustery Easterlies were promised but once the fleet had cleared Chichester Harbour and settled into the long run up the Solent the breeze obligingly changed to a pleasant 10-12 knots. Roger Wickens took' Danny' on a Northerly route through the submarine barrier off Portsmouth, with the bulk of the fleet electing to take the main channel through the forts. Better tides and an improving wind angle made the win for Danny very convincing and the other two to take the same track also did well, with Argosy 2nd and Dainty 4th. Alan Stannah showed great promise on the Island shore, only to be outdone by Tim Hill in Query and a few others who got better tide as they approached the Cowes finishing line. The winning margin for Roger Wickens and crew Dick Batt and Pam Phelan, was almost half a mile.
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HOW DID YOU GET HOOKED ON SAILING?

FOR ME IT WAS THE THREE 'ARTHUR RANSOME' BOOKS GIVEN TO ME BY MY GRANDMOTHER WHEN I WAS 9. "SWALLOWS & AMAZONS", "WINTER HOLIDAY" AND "COOT CLUB".

I SEARCHED AND SEARCHED THE LOCAL BOOKSHOPS AND EVENTUALLY HAD THE COMPLETE SET. HOW MANY OTHERS SHARE THIS SOURCE OF INSPIRATION, WHICH FOR ME ONLY CAME TO LIFE WHEN I BEGAN SAILING AT HAMBLE AGED 14, (BUT I HAD FIRST STEPPED ABOARD A SAILING BOAT, AT HORNING, BY THE FERRY INN.)

WHY AM I TELLING YOU THIS??............................BECAUSE I HAD A CALL FROM A MIRROR OWNER LOOKING TO BUY NEW SAILS. HE IS ABOUT TO START HIS YOUNG SON SAILING, CREWING FOR DAD. THEY LIVE AT THE SOUTH END OF CONISTON WATER, WHICH ANYONE WILL TELL YOU IS "SWALLOWS AND AMAZONS" COUNTRY. THE ISLAND THEY SAIL ROUND IS 'WILD CAT ISLAND'. LUCKY DAD. LUCKY LAD. APPARENTLY HE'S ALREADY READ THE BOOK AND HE DOESN'T NEED THE TEESHIRT OR VIDEO....HE'S GOT THE REAL THING !!

Dick Batt
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News from Batt Control---------

Projects currently in the design house include the new rig for the international 14, Mirror 10 racing sails,including the new Bermudan rig, plus the next phases of Flying Fifteen and X.O.D development.

Other classes which received a design review and update over the winter include the Albacore, National 18, GP14 and the Dublin Bay IDRA 14. . Some classes, e.g. the Swallow and Squib, have been reviewed and no changes to the successful core design made this year, although the detailing on these sail has been kept up to date with the current style. Our policy is not to change for changes' sake.

and in other classes..........

RS ELITE & VICTORY. We have signed off the rig development for RS Elite keelboat and, following a short development programme with the Victory Class, had a successsful 2005 Cowes Week to be proud of with every boat in the top eight using the new sails. By Cowes week this year the Victory fleet will be almost comletely Batt-equipped.

BRITISH MOTH Tim Davison commissioned a new British Moth sail last year, and the work came good at the Nationals at Pitsford reservoir where he won six of the seven available race trophies.!

SOLENT SUNBEAM. This classic day keelboat goes from strength to strength,with mustard-keen racing in and around Chichester Harbour ( and an equally keen sister fleet in Falmouth), plus an annual pilgrimage to Cowes for a month in midsummer. A great and gracious class.

One rising star is Tim Hill in V25 'Query'. A long-time Sunbeam stalwart, Tim took on board a new suit of Batt sails as part of a major refit. In a difficult week of racing in last year's Cowes week he eventually ran out second to John Davis in 'Fleury. 'Fleury' also uses a 'Batt' spinnaker and a number of other top boats have re-equipped with Batt this year. Watch this space.

(Space-watchers note .......Tim & crew won Cowes week this year. Well done the red team! )

MERLIN ROCKET Phil King andLinton Jenkins' fine victory at the 2005 nationals in Hayling bay rounded off a season of resurgence for Batt Sails in the Merlin Class. They used the standard 'AKX' mainsail and Dacron jib, both of which underwent detail revision at the start of the year and have been unchanged since then. They commented in particular on a downwind advantage over their previous kit in marginal conditions, which is not to deny their imperious upwind speed, most evident in the three races they won. The RCB spinnaker has progressed to version three, with slightly more emphasis in its shoulders for broad legs, but retaining the fairest vertical balance of shape which makes it a fantastic reaching sail. It is right up to Class maximum area.

 

 

Dick Batt

 

CHICHESTER SNOWFLAKE

Merlin Rockets again showed the way in this keenly fought frostbite series, which attracts top sailors from all over the South of England. In extremes of weather the versatile Merlins have proved their all-round pedigree . William Warren proved uncatchable at the head of the leader board with Dave Dobrijevic safe in second overall for the series.

Why are we telling you this?

Because they both choose Batt sails to give their Merlins that little bit of extra winning magic .

WILLIAM WARREN IS THE

2006 SNOWFLAKE WINNER

IN HIS MERLIN ROCKET

 

 

SQUIB INLAND CHAMPIONSHIPS WHITEWASH FOR BATT SAILS. EVERY BOAT IN THE TOP EIGHT USED BATT MAINSAIL AND JIB. FIVE OF THESE HAD COMPLETE SUITS OF BATT SAILS. THIS FOLLOWS A SIMILAR HAUL AT THE UK NATIONALS EARLIER IN THE YEAR AND THE BEST CLUB, REGATTA AND AREA CHAMPIONSHIPS RESULTS EVER. THERE HAS NEVER BEEN MORE DRAMATIC PROOF OF OUR SUPREMACY IN THIS POPULAR CLASS!

SOME 2005 CHAMPIONSHIP SUCCESSES

• MERLIN ROCKET ( Ist, 5th, 6th, 10th)

• SQUIB ( 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th)

• BRITISH MOTH (1st overall)

• INT. 14 Worlds (3rd.) US Nationals (1st)

• VICTORY (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th)

• SOLENT SUNBEAM (1st (Spi), 2nd)

• Norfolk Punt Nationals (1st)

 

 

SCOOBY DOES THE BUSINESS! Simon Forbes and his Dragonfly 800 'Scooby 111' feature regularly in the MOCRA multihull fleet and have now added a Multihull 'A' Class win in the 2005 ROUND THE ISLAND RACE to their trophy cabinet. A long-time Batt Sails afficionado, Forbes married excellent speed to astute tactics, taking the trophy on corrected time by three minutes from the larger 'Martine' and 'Hilary's Dream'.

 

INTERNATIONAL 14 WORLDS

 

TAKAPUNA, NREW ZEALAND.

BRONZE MEDAL PLACING FOR BATT SAILS AT THE

INTERNATIONAL 14 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

BATT SAILS.............. OUT IN FRONT OF THE WORLD'S MOST DEMANDING CLASSES

 

 

 

Batt Sails Win Again !!

"NGALAWA" HEADS THE MOCRA FLEET AGAIN.

RSYC SERIES ALREADY WON WITH TWO RACES STILL TO GO.

Jim Stewart and Lucy Kennedy drive their Dragonfly 920 trimaran to victory in the RSSC Winter series.

John Bell and Graham Williamson win the CYC' Snowflake' series in their Merlin Rocket.

 

=======================================================.
BATT SAIL-CARE IS NOW WITHIN WEEKLY REACH OF THOUSANDS MOREOWNERS.

CONTACT US DIRECT OR VIA A GROWING NUMBER OF SERVICE PARTNERS INCLUDING LDC RACING SAILBOATS, THE DATCHET DINGHY STORE, THE EMSWORTH CHANDLERY, ALADDINS CAVE AND DB BOAT BITS OF LUTON.

REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE FOR ANY YACHT, DINGHY, BOARD AND MULTIHULL SAILS
CHECK HERE FOR DETAILS

 

=======================================================

 

 

THE FLAGS ON THE OLYMPIC SAILS

Trials of the flag decals to identify the nations at Athens Olympics were started at Batt Sails. The first test sail, GBR 3 belonged to Laser Gold Medalist and triple Finn World Champion, Ben Ainsley. These flags are just over twice the size of the flags used for Sydney 2000 , and the flags for the Star and Tornado mainsails are simply massive. Every spinnaker and gennaker also carried a big, big flag logo.

This great initiative made the Olympic regatta a brilliant spectacle for the spectators from every nation.

 

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Barry and Sue Parkin won the Flying Fifteen World Championships.........with a little help from Batt sails.

Very well done the pair of you. (The first time we made Barry sails for a Flying Fifteen he won the UK Nationals and the New Zealand Nationals but dipped to runner-up in the Worlds, so this victory is particularly sweet to us.)

Barry and Sue were the only boat racing with the new design genoa we developed since the start of this season. Now there's a cue for copies of this fast headsail.

Our other current heroes are SQUIB sailors CHRIS & MARK HOGAN for their outstandiing performance in the 2005 Nationals. National Squib champions for the fifth year in succession.

 

'BLACKBIRD' WAS CHAMPION NORFOLK PUNT - 2003

CHRIS PILLING'S 'BLACKBIRD' SAILED A GREAT SERIES IN VARIED CONDITIONS TO TAKE THE NORFOLK PUNT NATIONALS BY A GOOD MARGIN FROM A STRONG FLEET.

MEET BLACKBIRD. Natioanal Champion Punt

SHE IS A NORFOLK PUNT.THESE AMAZING CRAFT INHABIT BARTON BROAD.

WE MADE HER FIRST SUIT OF SAILS WHEN SHE WAS FIRST LAUNCHED,ABOUT TWELVE YEARS AGO. SHE HAS BEEN CHAMPION PUNT SEVERAL TIMES WITH THOSE SAILS.

NEW OWNER CHRIS PILLING (THE CHEEKY CHAPPY PEERING AT THE CAMERA) CHOSE TO RE-RIG LAST YEAR WITH A PROCTOR CARBON MAST AND THE LATEST BATT SAILS TO REPLACE THE LONG-SERVING ORIGINALS.

THIS HAS REALLY RAISED HIS GAME, WITH BLACKBIRD SPENDING THE 2002 SEASON REGULARLY IN THE PACK AT THE FRONT OF THE FLEET AND NOW TAKING THE 2003 CHAMPIONSHIPS WITH APPARENT EASE.

TOPICAL NOTE 1: WE MADE OUR FIRST NORFOLK PUNT SAIL 21 YEARS AGO...... A GREEN AND WHITE STAR-CUT SPINNAKER FOR TOM CLARENCE-SMITH.....AND ITS STILL GOING STRONG (WE HAD IT BACK IN THE LOFT FOR MODS THIS SUMMER)

TOPICAL NOTE 2: BLACKBIRD'S ORIGNAL OWNER RICHARD SADLER IS A BOSHAM MAN BY BIRTH, SO BLACKBIRD HAS REGULARLY GRACED THE BOSHAM REGATTA FLEET HERE ON CHICHESTER HARBOUR....................A LONG, LONG WAY FROM HER NATURAL HABITAT AMONG THE REED -BEDS OF THE NORFOLK BROAD.

t

 

 

A SHETLAND MAID

:

Crusader is shown off the isle of Whalsay on her way to another win in an amazing five year career in the hands of owner/skipper Laurence Irvine and crew.

Not many of you will guess that she is a Shetland Model Boat, or 'Maid'. These fascinating boats race only in the Shetlands, to rules honed over more than a century. Three man crew, no spinnaker, wooden keel, no centreboard, double- ended. They vary a bit in size, a lot in shape. They race on a handicap system that sees the boats rated into starting groups for persuit racing. First past the post wins.

 

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Winning with Batt sails?, drop us a line and let us know. Photos welcome!

Look what I found in the attic!!

 



THIS IS WHAT CAN ONLY BE DESCRIBED AS AN 'ARCHIVE SHOT' OF ME STEPPING OUT ATTHE CONTENDER WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS. AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND, 1979!
SAILED ON THE HAURAKI GULF FROM TAKAPUNA BEACH (THEN MY HOME CLUB) AND JUST A SHORT SAIL FROM THE AMERICAS CUP COURSES.

..........AND THIS SHOT OF A START HAS ME LEFT OF FRAME WITH A YOUNG, SLIGHTLY NERVOUS-LOOKING GRANT DALTON (REMEMBER HIM?) ON MY LEE BOW.

Dick Batt

Technical note: yes, they did have colour photography in those days, even in New Zealand, but these photographs were taken for the local paper.

 

 


If you like BattChat, drop us a line and let us know.

 

THE 'BATT' SAIL LOFT. THRIVING IN BOSHAM !!

IF YOU DIDN'T ALREADY KNOW IT, THIS IS OUR BRILLIANT SAIL LOFT.

AFTER 21 HUGELY SUCCESSFUL YEARS BASED IN THE THAMES VALLEY WE ARE NOW SETTLED IN BOSHAM, OUR SIGHTS FIRMLY SET ON THE SPECIFIC SAILMAKING NEEDS OF RACING AND CRUISING SAILORS ON THIS STRETCH OF THE SOUTH COAST (AS WELL AS ALL EXISTING CUSTOMERS IN THE UK AND BEYOND).

>

This is a corner of the sail loft on Wednesday night. A half-finished Dragon genoa shares centre stage with a new mainsail for Solent Sunbeam "Query". Trapeze harnesses being preparedin the foreground.


BATT SAILS' ADDRESS:

10, BROADBRIDGE, DELLING LANE,
BOSHAM, PO18 8NF
PHONE 01243 575505
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Boys will be boys............

While most of the fleet faced a long sail home every day during the Etchells Worlds we were fortunate to have the luxury of a tow from Ted Fort, behind his powerful "Fiddlers Fancy".

Someone always got the short straw of having to steer, so today here I am.

While the others relaxed with a beer and a sandwich, just how fast can an Etchells go if you pull it hard across the wake, water-ski style?

Answer: You have to pull bloody hard, and it goes bloody fast!!

 

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"Simply messing about in boats........."
This shot was taken on the Thames within a mile of where Graham wrote 'The Wind in the Willows'. It shows Pat Hobbs on early sea trials in his new creation, a rowing/sailing river skiff. Sail by Batt, of course.

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