By Richard Whitehouse
Saturday started cold (close to freezing), cloudless and windless. The first race, due to start at 12:30 was postponed until 2:30pm, when a rather fickle south westerly developed. Only two of the planned four races were completed on day one of the event. Unusually for a Byte event, race one started with a general recall. On the restart Matt Banbrook took a flying lead by a considerable margin initially but got stuck in a hole on the run. The current national champion, Emma Pearson, closed on him, followed by Rick Whitehouse who had pulled up through the fleet from (his usual) poor start. A three-way battle for the lead ensued, with Rick eventually successful, Emma second and Matt third. Unfortunately for Matt, a pre-existing injury prevented his participation in the rest of the event.
With Matt indisposed, Emma took a flying start in race two, only for Rick to again pull through the fleet and end up first. Ricks technique of starting poorly but sailing in clear air and tacking on shifts that eluded all the other competitors paid dividends.
Sunday racing started early, just after 10am, to get three races in before club sailing started in the afternoon. Race three saw Rick make his poorest start of the event, unrecoverable despite his best efforts, whilst local sailor, Charlotte Hitchmough, led from start to finish, closely followed by Emma, then Zoe Bazen. Race four saw Emma and Rick alternate first and second place for two laps, with Rick rounding the last mark first and inexplicably being overtaken to leeward by Emma. The fifth and final race then became a decider between Rick and Emma, with another local, Huw Nunn having his best race and finishing third. Rick stayed ahead of Emma up the final beat to clinch the race and the event.
Special prizes for Alex Horsman who started in a classic rig but changed to a borrowed CII, Toby Banbrook for first CI, Zoe Bazen for first youth, Matthew Bonner for first junior and Victoria Theaker for best newcomer.
Thanks go to John Banbrook and Bowmoor SC for hosting the event.
Photographs by David Fewings.
| Rank | Class | Sail No | Club | Helm | Rating | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | Total | Nett |
| 1st | BYTE CII | 3693 | Combs SC | Rick Whitehouse | 1147 | 1.0 | 1.0 | (5.0) | 2.0 | 1.0 | 10.0 | 5.0 |
| 2nd | BYTE CII | 3078 | Weston SC | Emma Pearson | 1147 | (2.0) | 2.0 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 9.0 | 7.0 |
| 3rd | BYTE CII | 3616 | Bowmoor SC | Charlotte Hitchmough | 1147 | 6.0 | 3.0 | 1.0 | (8.0) | 7.0 | 25.0 | 17.0 |
| 4th | BYTE CII | 3588 | Bowmoor SC | Zoe Bazen | 1147 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 3.0 | 6.0 | (8.0) | 26.0 | 18.0 |
| 5th | BYTE CII | 3606 | Bowmoor SC | Huw Nunn | 1147 | 5.0 | 6.0 | (7.0) | 5.0 | 3.0 | 26.0 | 19.0 |
| 6th | BYTE CII | 3577 | Netley SC | Rachel Mackinder | 1147 | (9.0) | 7.0 | 8.0 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 31.0 | 22.0 |
| 7th | BYTE CII | 3613 | Bowmoor SC | Lucy Haydon | 1147 | 8.0 | (9.0) | 4.0 | 4.0 | 6.0 | 31.0 | 22.0 |
| 8th | BYTE CII | 3608 | Netley SC | Stu Moore | 1147 | 7.0 | 4.0 | (9.0) | 7.0 | 5.0 | 32.0 | 23.0 |
| 9th | BYTE CII | 2957 | Bowmoor | Teresa Doran | 1147 | (11.0) | 10.0 | 6.0 | 9.0 | 11.0 | 47.0 | 36.0 |
| 10th | BYTE CII | 3132 | Bowmoor SC | Callum Combe | 1147 | (20.0) | 15.0 | 11.0 | 12.0 | 10.0 | 68.0 | 48.0 |
| 11th | BYTE CII | 428 | Combs SC | Victoria Theaker | 1147 | 12.0 | (16.0) | 14.0 | 11.0 | 12.0 | 65.0 | 49.0 |
| 12th | BYTE CII | 3565 | Weston SC | Clare Mach | 1147 | 13.0 | 13.0 | 12.0 | 13.0 | (17.0) | 68.0 | 51.0 |
| 13th | Byte CII | 2950 | Parkstone YC | Kirsten Glen | 1147 | (23.0 DNC) | 23.0 DNC | 10.0 | 10.0 | 9.0 | 75.0 | 52.0 |
| 14th | BYTE CI | 3684 | Bowmoor SC | Toby Banbrook | 1147 | 15.0 | 11.0 | 13.0 | (16.0) | 14.0 | 69.0 | 53.0 |
| 15th | BYTE CII | 3130 | Bowmoor SC | Jamie Fewings | 1147 | 10.0 | 14.0 | (17.0) | 17.0 | 13.0 | 71.0 | 54.0 |
| 16th | BYTE CII | 493 | Netley SC | Julius Mach | 1147 | 17.0 | 8.0 | 16.0 | 18.0 | (19.0) | 78.0 | 59.0 |
| 17th | BYTE CII | 2943 | Bowmoor SC | Isaac Pylee | 1147 | 14.0 | (17.0) | 15.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 | 76.0 | 59.0 |
| 18th | BYTE CII | 1640 | Bowmoor SC | Rhys Walker | 1147 | 19.0 | (23.0 DNS) | 19.0 | 14.0 | 16.0 | 91.0 | 68.0 |
| 19th | BYTE CII | 3584 | Bowmoor SC | Matthew Banbrook | 1147 | 3.0 | (23.0 DNS) | 23.0 DNC | 23.0 DNC | 23.0 DNC | 95.0 | 72.0 |
| 20th | BYTE CII | 1241 | Himley Hall | Matthew Bonner | 1147 | 18.0 | 18.0 | 18.0 | (19.0) | 18.0 | 91.0 | 72.0 |
| 21st | BYTE CII | 3583 | Bowmoor SC | Flavia Tritto | 1147 | 16.0 | 12.0 | (23.0 DNC) | 23.0 DNC | 23.0 DNC | 97.0 | 74.0 |
| 22nd | BYTE Classic | 1625 | West Riding SC | Alex Horsman | 1147 | (21.0) | 19.0 | 20.0 | 20.0 | 20.0 | 100.0 | 79.0 |