48 NAVY NEWS, DECEMBER 2009009
Next monthNextNext montnthh
Warming the
cockles of
the British
heart,
part 1 –
stunning
HMS Ajax
Indoor fi reworks
Windsurfers
cutaway
Hayl’ storm
YOU don’t need us to tell
you it was a windy weekend
on Hayling Island for the
Inter-Services windsurfi ng
O
NE hundred and cocompetition – the picture
fi fty-four goals
susuffi ces.
shared among
A relatively inexperienced
RRoyal Navy windsurfi ng team
110 participants
totook part in one of the most
in ten teams over 16
exexciting and demanding IS
matches neatly sums
cocompetitions for years.
up the exciting Inter-
Southwesterly winds of
FoForce 5-7 whipped the seas
Command men’s and upup off Hayling Beach and
women’s indoor hockey
inin such conditions it was
tournament at HMS
dedecided that the competition
Warming the
Collingwood.
shshould consist of slalom
rarather than the usual course
cockles of
Despite Air Command winning
raracing.
the women’s event, Scotland took
Two of the RN’s most
the British
the honours in more ways than one:
exexperienced and successful
Lt Danelle McKenna and AC Leah
sasailors of recent years,
Payne come from “somewhere up
heart,
PPaul Morris and Johnny
there” while mum LAET Charlie
Walker, were not available
Manchester showed touches of
toto compete owing to
part 2 – the
her former England class from her
opoperational commitments.
caps at U16, U18 and U21 level.
This left the fi eld open
work of the
Naval Air earned the bragging
fofor Lt ‘Fish’ Fisher, PO Gav
rights for the next 12 months
NNicholson and AB(D) Steve
School of
from Portsmouth, Plymouth
RRoberts to gain their RNSA
came third with veteran PO Vicky
cocolours. They joined RN
Donovan again top scoring, but it
Flight Deck
reregulars WO Dave Strudwick
was Scotland in fourth place who
anand Cdrs Adrian Wallis and
earned their own special bit of
GGerry Northwood.
Operations
immortality.
The fi rst two races were
Scotland secretary PO(SA)
coconducted in onshore
Steve Parfi tt was having trouble
coconditions and most sailors
fi nding enough players; discussing
wwere out initially on eight
his problems with RN hockey
to ten-metre sails and their
stalwarts LLogs Hammy
● A desperate (and illegal) lunge from PO(AET) Georgina Patterson on the ground as the Naval Air
Command captain tries to block a shot from Portsmouth Command’s Lt Danelle McKenna
largest slalom boards.
Hammond and LPT Marc
Adrian showed early form
Dowling. A team from the under-
Picture: Keith Woodland
with a third and fi fth place.
refi t HMS Campbeltown and
depleted squad – making do with Command competition. improved performance against
A third race was held as
Neptune was quickly trained up
a squad of seven – of the 12-man Scotland pipped Portsmouth for Sultan with Drake eventually
the wind veered SW and
and sent south to do battle with
fourth place leaving Portsmouth coming out victorious 5-3.
strengthened. With the
the Sassenachs.
Portsmouth team 4-2.
with the wooden spoon thanks to a It was during this match that
course requiring resetting
From humble beginnings, these
Portsmouth looked as if they
four-goal inferior goal difference. Drake front pairing of CPO
this race was abandoned
young women led by CPOMEA
would have benefitted from a pre-
Meanwhile outdoors... ‘Frankie’ Fraser and AB Mitch
and racing was declared
Wendy Frame (Dauntless) and
event practice match – not always
Eight teams met at HMS Blakemore stated to bond and
complete for the day.
coached by the RN women’s coach
possible these days.
probably Temeraire to battle it out for the find their scoring touch with
More southwesterly 5-7
– none other than the RN hockey
The Royal Marines,
predictably, outlasted Scotland – 2009 Navy Cup. Blakemore coming off after
winds were predicted for
chairman Cdre Mark Darlington
from leading 2-1 at half time in The re-invigorated format of a scoring a hat-trick.
the second day, so it was
– fought their socks off. They did
a very tough match, Royal went two-day mixed tournament saw The final pool match was a
decided to run Sunday’s
not win a single match but they
a long way ahead with 5 goals in the number of entrants double
tough battle with Seahawk
races from the beach with
improved at every outing and a three-lap fi gure of eight
fi ghting spirit was very much in
ten minutes with Scotland only from last year, confirming the hard
seesawing back and forth before
course.
evidence.
managing to get to 2-7 by the decision taken to change from the
finally ending in a 2 – 2 draw.
Most sailors were initially
As someone said, those ladies
end. long-standing single-sex knockout
Other results from the pool
out on eight to nine-metre
from Scotland enjoyed every
The following day Plymouth’s competition format.
meant that Drake and Seahawk,
sails but as the wind
second of their three defeats; and
youngsters beat Scotland 6-5, This year saw strong entries
both undefeated, made the semi-
strengthened during the fi nal
as someone else said, you don’t
overnight leaders Naval Air and from Drake, BRNC, Sultan,
finals.
four races, most competitors
get too many fl ag offi cers coaching
RM both unbeaten went head Collingwood, Nelson, Neptune,
There Drake faced last year’s
were breaking out six-metre
command-level hockey teams
to head with Royal probably Heron and Seahawk.
Navy Cup and tri-Service
sails and smaller slalom
Rootin’,
The men’s event was
consigning Naval Air to eventual The eight teams were divided
champions Neptune while
boards. Steve hit form with a
conspicuous by the number of top
second place with a 6-2 defeat. into two pools of four for the
Seahawk were pitted against
third and second and in the
tootin’,
quality and experienced players
Scotland and Portsmouth preliminary round robin matches.
BRNC, also undefeated.
fi nal race Gerry pulled off a
not present.
then fought out a 5-5 draw, the Drake were drawn in a hard
In the first semi, Drake took to
second-place result.
Astutin’ –
The fact that so many stalwarts
relatively high standard of this pool against Sultan, Nelson and
the field in confident mood. Both
Throughout the team
were committed at the sharp end
match belied the fact that both Seahawk. All of the early matches
teams displayed a high standard
did well with some really
of Naval Service enabled debuts
looked like they would end up were hard-fought affairs but also
of play, with Drake pushing hard
life aboard a
determined performances
to be made by more than 25
being wooden-spoon contenders. demonstrated the difficulties that
from the first whistle. Their early
in some of the most testing
newcomers.
The airmen walloped Plymouth all teams had in getting players
onslaught drew first blood with a
(and fun) conditions.
21st-Century
Naval Air narrowly overcame
with the highest aggregate score of together due to operational
well taken goal from open play.
In the fi nal anlysis the
Portsmouth in the opening men’s
the tournament, 13-7. commitments.
The West Country side
Army demonstrated that
submarine
match and the experienced Royals Traditionally Pompey and Royal All the teams took time to gel
continued to press and their
they have real strength in
saw off a not-quite-yet-in-gear have fought out the final match: with some never having played
determination looked to have
depth and were clear leaders
Plymouth, still recovering from 6-6 in 2008, 5-6 in 2007. This together before and in some cases
borne fruit when they were
ahead of the Navy and RAF.
their drive from the West Country. time Royal ragged, bagged and only having met each other the
awarded a penalty flick, but this
In the Royal Navy
Naval Air then overcame a travel- dispatched Portsmouth 11-2. previous day.
was not to be; the team’s hearts
championships, Adrian
weary Scotland. The green berets and Naval Air Drake started their assault with
sank when the flick sailed just past
Wallis put in a consistently-
Performance of the first day Command now go forward – if a dogged 1-1 draw with Nelson.
the keeper’s right hand post.
marina Continued on page 47
was the consigning by Plymouth’s possible – to the tri-Service Inter- That was followed by a much- marina Continued on page 47
Published by Navy News, HMS Nelson, Portsmouth and printed by St Ives (Roche) plc.
Sport.indd 3 19/11/09 16:30:32
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