Revett Week 5

Results > Sunday 7th December saw the penultimate weekend of the Revett winter series at Leigh & Lowton Sailing Club, Pennington Flash. After 4 weeks of light breezes the forecast of 17 knots looked good and a large fleet was expected to hit the water. At just before midday the foreshore was packed with boats and the wind was blowing a good Force 4 from the west. Boats took to the water and worked their way down to the start area at the eastern end of the Flash were the race team had set a great course which included a beat the full length of the water. It was at this point, pre-start, that the breeze picked up to 30+ knots and there was carnage as many boats capsized and one RS400 lost its mast and was forced out of racing for the day. Those crews who were stood in the water ready to go out quickly put the boats back on the launching trolleys and dragged them onto the shore while others already afloat came ashore and a lot then decided to sit out the first race. The breeze then decided to drop slightly and 37 boats who felt up to it went afloat for what was to be a very hard but rewarding days sailing

Once again it was the 10 strong Laser fleet who were first away and as the first three positions proved it was a day to be sailing with a Radial rig. During the race the wind picked up again to gusts in the 25/30 knots range and after a few capsizes and retirements in the fleet it was Oliver Davenport who took the win from Charlotte Greenhaigh in second and Glynn Purnell third.

Next away was the 10 boat Asymmetric fleet. The RS400’s shot off to the front of the fleet and series leader Paul & Mike ‘we’ve only capsized once this year’ Allen made the early running from Martin/Liam Parker and Caroline Exley/Jude Allen. All three suffered a capsize at some point during the race but Exley/Allen suffered theirs at the worse moment as they threw it in, while leading, just before the finish. This let in Bill Kenyon who took the win from Paul/Mike Allen while Exley/Allen recovered to take third.

The 10 boat handicap fleet (this included 6 junior boats) were next away and it was the lightweight RS Aero 7 of Gareth Williams that took the win. This was in part probably due to its electrifying down wind speed as it was witnessed to keep pace with an RS400 while it (the RS400) was on a three sail reach. Second in the race was the Super Nova of Mark Cuthbert (LLSC) The big rig of the series leading X1 proved to be a handful in the squalls as Alex Morrison/Steve White had to settle for third.

In the junior fleet it was a Topper one two as George Graham (Burwain SC) that took the bullet from Joe Baker while the optimist of Harvey Leigh finished third.

Fourth away were the 7 boat Solo fleet. At the front of the fleet there was quite a battle between series leader Innes Armstrong, Patrick Hamilton (both Burwain SC) and Andy Tunnicliffe (RWYC) but in the end Tunnicliffe took the win from Hamilton in second and Armstrong third.

During lunch the sailors prayed the wind would drop a little bit which it duly did but only to return, with hailstones, as they started race 2 but the breeze did drop of in strength towards the end.

In the Laser fleet Davenport took his second win of the day. Stuart Belfield (LLSC – full rig) came home in second with Glyn Purnell taking another third.

In the Asymmetries the Allen brothers chickened out. Exley/Allen kept their heads above the water and sailed well to take first place. Greg Booth (RS100) came home in second place while the Parkers had to make do with third.

Only three starters in the handicap fleet for race 2. Williams took another race win and Cuthbert in his Supernova another second. The third boat to start, the X1, retired with gear failure.

Six starters for race 2 in the junior fleet but only three finishers, all in Toppers, as the weather took its toll. Joe Baker went one better to take the win from Lorcan Knowles second and Conor Sherlock third.

In the Solos it was the same one, two as the first race while Brian Sprague (LLSC) came home in third.

It was a very busy day, windy and cold day for the race and safety teams who worked tirelessly throughout and for whos help everybody who sailed, and swam, was grateful and we thank them.

Full results of this series can be found via: https://llsc.org.uk/LLSC/Results/2014/Revett.htm

Over 600 high quality photographs were taken on the day by marine photographer Ben Urwin and these can be viewed via the link: http://www.benunwinphotography.co.uk/Client-Galleries/LLSC-Revett-2014-Week-5/

Full details of the winter race programmes, which includes IOCA North Optimist training days and winter championships, plus how to enter on-line at heavily discounted fees (for a limited time only) can be found online at: https://llsc.org.uk/2014/10/20145-winter-series-preview-not-long-till-the-guy-fawkes-pursuit-revett-series/