Regatta Weekend
Leigh & Lowton Sailing Club hosted their annual regatta over the weekend of the 11/12th July with three races (two to count) each day and incorporating a Miracle open meeting and the IOCA North West Championship with the overall results for these classes being based the two days racing.
Saturday morning dawned bright and breezy with a gusty Force 3 to 4 south westerly breeze as 51 boats took to the water for the four separate fleet starts. First away was the 16 strong Laser fleet which saw the return of Andy Green (LLSC) back in a Laser for the first time in almost a year and proving he still had the X factor by winning the first race from John Wingeatt (LLSC) with Oliver Davenport (Redesmere SC) third. It was these three that dominated the top three positions during the day with Green scoring a 1,1,3 Wingeatt 3, 8, 1 and Davenport consistent with 2,2,2 as Chester Candish (LLSC) spoiled the trios dominance in the second race by finishing third.
The 20 boat handicap fleet (inc. Miracles the results of which were taken separately) were next away and the first race was won by Graham Bristow (LLSC) in his Solo, Sian/Simon Talbot (LLSC) in their RS Vision second and Kim Cant (LLSC) in her Solo third. After sitting out the first race Mark Cuthbert (LLSC) started race two in his Supernova and found the conditions to his liking as he then proceeded to sa il off into the distance to take the win from Bristow in second and the Talbots third. Race three saw the same top two as race three while the Talbots slipped to fourth as Cant scored another third. In the end Cuthbert won the day with two bullets, Bristow was second and the Talbots as well sailed third.
In the Miracles Eamon/Thomas Cuthbert (LLSC) took the win from Dave/Michelle Raines (LLSC) while the ‘dream team’ of Gareth Staple-Jones/Ross Southwell (LLSC) came home in third. The Cuthberts were DNC in the second race and the Raines took the win from Dave Butler/Ross Fleming (Welton SC) with Dave Herbstritt/Josie Airns (Shotwick SC) finished third. In the last race of the day Butler/Fleming seemed to have put the disappointment of an OCS in race 1 behind them as they improved on their second race result to finish first. The Raines finished second and Cuthbert third.
The Asymmetric fleet of one RS400, two RS200s and a 29R were given a windward/leeward course to sail and finding a space on the start line was no problem at all. The RS400 of Louise McKeand/Paul Heath (LLSC) led the boats home but had to settle for third overall as the RS200 of newlyweds Gareth/Jen Williams (LLSC), sporting their brand new main sail (good idea to ask for RS vouchers as a wedding present Gareth), was never far behind and took the win. Third was the RS200 of Lucy/Tim Yeates (LLSC) and fourth the 29R of Matt Leckie/Izzi Bristow (LLSC) The overall finishing order in that race was repeated for races two and three and in the final results for the day.
In the Junior fleet Maddy Bristow (LLSC), in her RS Tera Sport, showed continuing signs of improvement as she took the win in race one. Second home was Olivia Cuthbert (LLSC) and Conor Sherlock (LLSC) in his Laser Radial third. In a lesson to all to read the course and correct rounding of the marks (and remember them) all bar one boat was disqualified in the second race and the winner, and current LLSC memory champion, was Lauren Wilkinson (LLSC – Topper) Lesson learnt and normal service was resumed in the final race of the day as all sailed the correct course and this time Cuthbert took the win with Sherlock second and Bristow third. At the end of the day Cuthbert was first overall, Bristow second and Sherlock third.
Finally the Optimist open event which had 4 entries. This was dominated by Archie Leckie (LLSC) who scored two firsts and, like everybody else (did they follow the juniors?) a DSQ in race two. Harvey Leigh (LLSC) scored 2, DSQ, 2, Drew Gibbons (Redesmere SC) 3, DSQ, 4 and Lewis Coop (LLSC) 4, DSQ, 3.
The second day of the Leigh & Lowton Sailing Club regatta weekend dawned bright and sunny, unlike some of the competitors who took things to excess at the Hawaiian themed social evening which turned into a drinking competition. This led to a few crew and/or boat changes but the sunshine and wind coxed a few more boats onto the water as we were now up to 57.
The sailors were treated to ideal Leigh & Lowton conditions with a stiff westerly Force 4 gusting 5 blowing straight down the Flash allowed the race team, led by Peter & Judith Baldwin, to use the full length of the water for the beats and they duly obliged. The ‘A’ flag was flown and the Asymmetrics and Lasers were given windward/leeward courses while the remaining fleets made do with sailing around the cans but still had the mega long beat to contend with.
In the Laser fleet Oliver Davenport proved he was not as hung over as the rest of the fleet as, by the end of the second race, he scored two bullets. Yesterdays hero (Later to turn Zero) Andy Green could only manage a 2,3 with John Wingate third with a 4,2. So, onto race 3 and only two people noticed that the rounding of the windward mark had now changed to starboard. At the top end of the fleet Andy Green led them around it to port and away they sailed while Mike Baldwin (LLSC) and Glyn Purnell (LLSC) rounded it correctly and later finished in that order while everybody else was disqualified. This left the overall positions as before with Davenport winning, Green second and Wingate third.
There were changes in the handicap fleet as Paul Heath (LLSC), having been sacked from crewing the RS400 he was in the previous day because he was rubbish, reverted back to his Solo. It was nip and tuck at the front of the fleet between the previous days winner Cuthbert in his Supernova, Brian Sprague (LLSC) in his Solo and Steve White in the Solution but in the end Heath managed to sneak in a win with White second and Sprague third. Race 2 saw White do a horizon job and took a deserved win with Cuthbert second and Heath third. The last race of the day saw a bit more wind across the course and Heath took the race and fleet win with White second (and second overall) and Cuthbert third (and third overall)
Close fought racing and plenty of positional changing in the Miracles but Eamon and Thomas Cuthbert came good with a score line of 1,3,1 to take the overall win. They were pushed hard by Butler/Fleming scoring 2,1,3 to finish second overall and Dave/Michelle Raines third with a 3,2,2
An increase to 8 boats in the ‘RS’ only Asymmetric fleet and today Grahame Bristow swopped the Solo for an RS500 and he and daughter Izzie blasted around the course to take two bullets and a DNF so securing them first overall in the fleet. Behind them there was a battle between the RS200s of Mr & Mrs Williams, Michelle Tunnicliffe/Kaye Tickle and Louise McKeand/Cathy Partington with close racing throughout and all at one point taking the lead in each race. In race 1 the Williams took second to Tunnicliffe/Tickle and McKeand/Partington fourth. The Williams machine also took a second in race 2 with Stuart Halman/Anna Walsh (LLSC) in their RS400 third. The last race of the day saw the Williams take a bullet, McKeand/Partington score a second and Halman/Walsh another third. Overall on the day it was the Williams in second and McKeand/Partington third.
The Junior fleet was again extremely competitive but the overall winner on the day was once again Olivia Cuthbert in her Laser 4.7 scoring a 1,3,1. Conor Sherlock in his Laser Radial went one better than the day as he scored 2,1,3 to finish second and Maddie Bristow, today in an RS Feva XL crewed by Lelia Peckham, finished third overall scoring 3,4,2.
In the Optimist IOCA event it was normal service resumed for Archie Leckie as he scored three bullets to take the two day event. Harvey Leigh and Drew Gibbons traded blows throughout with Leigh getting the better of Gibbons in the first race of the day to finish second but the positions were reversed in the following two races but Leigh held on for second overall, Gibbons third and Lewis Coop fourth.
A lengthy and generous prize giving followed and the John Barnes memorial plate, awarded to the boat with the lowest overall points counting all six races sailed, was presented to Gareth and Jen Williams for a brilliantly consistent series.
Full results can be found at www.llsc.org.uk/1/LLSC/Results/index.htm