HE WAS seen as a young prodigy. Maverick sailor Rob Greenhalgh, the one-time half of the Greenhalgh brothers sailing pair in skiff racing, has come of age and is sweeping the board.
Southampton based Rob, together with brother Peter and Dan Johnston swept the board at the 18ft Skiff Europeans last week in Carnac.
Holding off twice world champion in the class, Howie Hamlin from California, who robbed the Brit team of glory in Sydney at the unofficial worlds - the J J Giltinan trophy in January - the young bloods punched a solid scoreline early in the regatta.
The five-day championship saw a variety of conditions as is usual off the Brittany coast.
The Greenhalgh brothers, racing RMW Marine, sailed a pretty consistent series to win the championship before dashing back to Hayling Island for a crack at the International 14 Prince Of Wales Trophy this week.
In second place was Howie Hamlin followed by three Australian boats - Omega Smeg, Yandoo and Total Recall - and Excel of Switzerland.
Hermes, helmed by Ed Browne, was the second Brit boat in sixth followed by Andy Richards, elder brother of Around Alone female skipper Emma, sailing Radii.
Back on Hampshire soil the Greenhalgh brothers were on the start line in their respective boats, Rob helming RMW with Dan Johnson as crew and Peter crewing for Zeb Elliot.
The opening day of the International 14 Europeans was cancelled on Sunday due to the strong conditions hitting 30+ knots. Going into day two RMW clocked up a win and an OCS. Tuesday saw them continue their winning streak as they took first place in the Prince of Wales Cup in Hayling Bay.
The long course in the 15 knot south-westerly breeze comprised a typical mixture of windward-leeward and triangles. The first reach was too tight to use a kite, adding a different perspective to the race compared to previous years.
Sixty-two two-man International 14 skiffs were taking part. A crowded start line and a pile up at the committee boat end resulted in a domino-type round of capsizes at the beginning. Paul Vine, 2002 PoW winner, with crewman Dave Dobrejvic seemingly got off to a good start but were deemed OCS. A majority of the fleet chose to take either a long single tack to the right side of the course or to the extreme left side, the former tactic paying.
However, Greenhalgh and Johnson took the middle ground and rounded the top mark in fifth place. "We should have led at the windward mark," commented Greenhalgh. "We crossed everyone coming in from the right. We were happy with the guys to the left of us. We went on a bit further, then we found ourselves overstanding because there was a right-hand shift."
First round the top mark was Ben Dunton and Alex Southon of Hamble, who subsequently capsized and retired. Former PoW winner Andy Partington and Ben Vernieres went left up the first beat and rounded in 20th. "It's not a race to be conservative in," commented Partington. "You've got to hit a corner and the right one."
On the first run Greenhalgh said he gybed early and by the bottom mark were up to second. "Up the second beat we got ahead of James Fawcett who was leading," continued Greenhalgh. "Then we sailed pretty safe apart from a few last lap nerves."
Over the course of the race the breeze picked up and the waves became extremely sharp, catching out even old hands. Greenhalgh and Johnson finished in first place more than a minute ahead of James Fawcett and Bruce Grant. This stands as Greenhalgh's second PoW, his first being two years ago.
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