48 NAVY NEWS, NOVEMBER 2007
NNext monthext month
Hawaii 235
– Monmouth
visits the
50th State
Name
that ’toon
– an artist’s
A dash
unique take
of Chile
on life on
Virgin on greatness
THE Navy’s greatest sporting
Illustrious
event was resurrected for a
one-off clash as a Chilean
sailors went head-to-head
with a Portsmouth crew in a
fi eld gun showdown.
Crew from Chilean ship
Almirante Cochrane – the
NAVAL windsurfers seized
former HMS Norfolk which
is currently in Portsmouth
back the Inter-Services
Harbour – took on a team
trophy over a Hampshire from the Portsmouth Flotilla
weekend – thanks in part
at HMS Excellent... which
to practising around the
proved a challenge as both
sides were novices at this
Virgin Islands. gruelling sport.
The rather less exotic waters Fortunately, there were
of Hayling Island were the venue two fi eld gun veterans on
for the two-day contest, write hand to whip the teams into
Cdr Adrian Wallis and WO1 Dave shape. WO1 Ian Binks from
Bye bye,
Strudwick. HMS Temeraire coached
The championships opened with the Brits, while the Chileans
a disappointingly gentle breeze, (pictured above in red
Basra – 845
insuffi cient for offi cial racing so dashing side-by-side with the
a short ‘fun race’ was held in the Pompey team) were spurred
NAS bid
glorious sunshine to make sure
on by WO1 Don Shaw (Fleet
that at least everyone got wet.
HQ).
farewell to
Sqn Ldr Simon Kent struck the
“The Almirante Cochrane
fi rst blow for the RAF by crossing
crew really rose to the
the desert
the line fi rst closely followed by
challenge and tackled the
CPO Johnny Walker.
event with passion and a
Was this to be a portent of
smile on their faces. I am
things to come?
sure they will never forget
No. Sunday dawned bright and,
this challenge,” said Don.
importantly, windy with gusts of
After four days of training,
over 20kts at times and a large sea
the two sides hit the track,
swell running.
cheered by a sizeable crowd
This permitted two races to be
from Fleet Headquarters
held before lunch and two after
plus the remainder of the
with plenty of high-speed action
Chilean ship’s company.
for the spectators.
Two runs were held, with
● HIHO silver shining... CPO ‘Johnny’ Walker races against a local during the Highland Spring HIHO race
The RN team set their stall
honours shared between
in the Virgin Islands Picture: Sandie Allen
out in the fi rst race, claiming fi ve
the two nations – although
Falklands
of the fi rst seven places – a trend
overall the Brits were
Capt Allan Cross (Army) third. The idea for the team’s two miles away as the highest
that was maintained throughout
considerably faster (nearly
echoes
The competition also serves as involvement came in 2005 when point is a palm tree, or a 27-mile
the day.
40 seconds).
the venue for the RN individual the RNSA Rear Commodore downwind race where only half
Despite the best efforts of
“This meant a lot to my
championships, with Paul Morris (Windsurfing), Cdr Northwood the fleet finish?
– unseen
the other two services the RN
guys, especially as they
and Johnny Walker claiming the was in the area as CO of HMS The week started off with
Team took the team trophy by a
were able to recover after
top prizes. Liverpool; he was invited to enter getting the team’s boards rigged,
losing the first run,” said
pictures of
considerable points margin.
There was a close fi ght for one of the races and the ship was checked and adorned with the
Capt Julio Leiva, Cochrane’s
The last time the RN team won
third place between WO1 Dave used as the start boat. RNSA and Sail Navy stickers on
Commanding Officer.
the run-up
the title was in 2004 and this year’s
Strudwick, Cdr Adrian Wallis and That led to the event organiser every sail.
The aim of the event
performance was undoubtedly Cdr Gerry Northwood. In the end inviting the Navy out to race. Two Light winds on the first two
– similar to the junior leaders
to war
enhanced by new race equipment, Dave won out from Adrian by a years later, an 11-strong team flew days of the event looked to have
competition held in May
recently bought with help from the single point with Gerry not far off to the Caribbean – among the scuppered competition, until the
– was to encourage fi rst-
Sports Lottery, Nuffi eld Trust and the pace. luckiest RN windsurfers ever as marshall on the second day had
timers to take part in future
the RNSA. As a warm-up for the Inter- they enjoyed some of the most different ideas and set the teams
fi eld gun races as well as
On the individual front, Lt Paul Services, the team competed for spectacular races imaginable. off on a long course, starting off
bolstering morale and team
Morris was exceptional, winning the first time in the Highland Where else do you get the with an upwind leg inside a reef
spirit.
all four races to take the Inter- Spring HIHO windsurfing event chance to race for 13 miles in then going a mile or so out to sea
Picture: LA(Phot) Luis Holden,
Services individual title whilst – six days of racing around the a straight line to an island you and back before downwind to the FRPU Whale Island
CPO Walker fi nished second and British Virgin Islands. can’t even see until you’re about marina Continued on page 46
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Published by Navy News, HMS Nelson, Portsmouth and printed by St Ives (Andover) plc.
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