🏆 Dan Jarman - 2021 Unicorn National Champion
The influence of the current climate resulted in a smaller than usual fleet of Unicorns to attend Stone Week for their National Championship held during the first week of August. However, a welcome bonus saw the Unicorns being invited to join the 34 strong fast handicap division, as well as racing for their own class trophy.
The week started warm with light to moderate Easterly breezes which set the scene for the usual favourites Gary Piper, Will Stefanou and Dan Jarman to be closely fighting it out in challenging tidal conditions. By the end of Wednesday each had mix of firsts, seconds and thirds making the leaders very close on Unicorn points, with Iain Rogers and local sailor David Taylor following close behind after six races completed.
Stone Week's legendary social scene continued in full swing, albeit outdoors or within the spacious marquee to provide distancing. The programme included hilarious game nights and a multitude of different live music acts headed by Stone Sailing Clubs' very own Dart Sprint 15 sailor and guitarist Keith 'Skip' Atkins to keep the party rolling.
The following two days forecast an upturn in the veering wind and produced very gusty conditions up to force 6 on Thursday, with force 7 rain squalls snarling across the course on Friday. Jarman welcomed the challenges and forged ahead with a string of bullets completing the full ten race series to secure both the Unicorn Mazzotti Trophy and the Stone Week Open Multihull Trophy.
Results
1st Dan Jarman, GBR 1088, 9pts
2nd Gary Piper, GBR 1094, 16pts
3rd Will Stefanou, GBR 1098, 19pts
4th David Taylor, GBR 1067, 37pts
5th Iain Rogers, GBR 1092, 42pts