Tipsy Week 3 – So far 138 boats have crossed the start line! Gallery now online.
Results >> The most popular dinghy winter series in the UK, the ‘Crewsaver’ sponsored Tipsy Icicle series at Leigh & Lowton sailing club continued on the 19th January with another fantastic turnout for races 5 & 6 in the series.
Sunday dawned bright but cold day and the competitors arrived at the club to find the Flash was like a mill pond. The race team took the sensible, and popular, decision to signal an hour postponement which allowed for an early lunch and just before the postponement was due to come down a slight 4 knot breeze, with one 7 knot gust towards the end of the first race, began to fill in from the south.
74 boats went afloat for what was going to be back to back racing and of those we welcomed 25 boats onto the water for the first time in the series.
As usual the first fleet away was the 20 strong Laser fleet which included 8 new entries from last week. Series leaders Jack Hopkins and Neil Skellam were absent this so it allowed those lagging behind a chance to catch up. After a general recall the fleet got away and it was Howard Green (LLSC) who showed the young ones the way to do it as he sailed off into an unassailable lead to take first place. Second home was Greg Marshall (West Lancs), third Isaac Marsh (Scammonden Water SC) and fourth Glynn Purnell (LLSC)
Second away was the 29 boat handicap fleet which included 11 Solos (the results of which are taken separately from the handicap finish) The main fleet had 5 new entries and it was one of these boats, a GP14 sailed by Greg Thomas/Sarah Allen (Southport SC) that took the bullet on corrected time from the X1 of Alex Morrison/Steve White (LLSC) Third and fourth places went to the series leaders Richard Catchpole (RS300 – LLSC) and Andy Flitcroft (Supernova – Bolton SC) In the Solo fleet, which had 2 new entries, it was series leader Patrick Hamilton (Burwain SC) who took a convincing win from Steve Ferrington (West Kirby SC) in second, Malcom Waddington (LLSC) third and Brian Sprague (LLSC) in fourth.
Next away were the 16 boat Asymmetric fleet with 5 new entries who this weekend, due to the wind direction, had to sail ‘around the cans’ As the race went on the wind became fickle and it made for plenty of place changes amongst the fleet but in the end the winner on corrected time was the RS400 of Martin Parker and his guest crew Paul Heath (LLSC) Second was the new entry of Chris Pickles/Matt Sharman (RS400 – Delph SC) third the RS Feva XL of Harvey Martin/Bobby Hewitt (LLSC) and fourth the RS400 of Hamish Gledhill/Simon Dowse (West Riding SC).
Last away was the 9 boat junior fleet of which 4 were new entries. Last weekend a few of the leaders were missing due to training but they returned and the racing was as close as ever. In the first race it was the optimist of Drew Gibbons (Redesmere SC) who took the win from the new comer Kia Wolgram (Optimist – Llyn Brenig SC) Third and fourth went to the Toppers of Sam Platt (Bolton SC) and Matt Leckie (LLSC)
At the start of the second race the wind had dropped to around 2 knots but the fleets started and in the Laser fleet Howard Green showed that his result in the first race was no fluke as he shot off into a large lead which he never lost. Isaac Marsh managed to narrow the gap with the leader but due to the dying breeze the race was shortened for all fleets so Marsh settled with second. Greg Marshall finished third and Graham McWhirter (UKLA) fourth.
In the handicap fleet the light conditions suited the Enterprise of the reigning Enterprise national champions Mark Lunn/Steve Blackburn (LLSC) as they took the win on corrected time. Second was Andy Flitcroft, third Mark Dingsdale (Phantom – LLSC) and fourth was the X1 of Alex Morrison/Steve White.
In the Solo fleet Hamilton took a large lead and took first place to cement his lead of the series. Steve Ferrington eventually followed Hamilton across the line to finish second. Brian Sprague went one better to finish third and new comer Chris Tooley (South Windermere SC) rounded off the top four.
It was due to the dying breeze and near calm conditions that by the end of the first beat most of the asymmetric fleet had caught up with and were mingling with the middle of the handicap fleet which made for interesting sailing as 20+ boats tried to drift around the windward mark and sail the short down wind leg all at the same time. Clear breeze (if there was some to be found) was the main aim and those that managed to find the odd zephyr drifted away from the mess behind. At the end of the day it was the RS400 of series leaders Paul Allen and guest crew Mrs Allen (LLSC) who took the win on corrected time. Second was the RS200 of Louise McKeand/Cathy Partington (LLSC) Recording their second third of the day was Harvey Martin/Bobby Hewitt and fourth went to the RS400 of Chris Pickles/Matt Sharman.
The junior fleet had a new winner as, fresh from his brilliant second place overall in the previous days Brass Monkey event at Yorkshire Dales, Oliver Blackburn (Topper – LLSC) took the bullet on corrected time. Sam Platt came home in second, Matt Leckie third and Kia Wolgram fourth.
So far in the ‘Crewsaver’ Tipsy Icicle series we have had 138 boats on the water and crossing the start line. It is the largest dinghy winter series in the country and runs until the 16th March so there is still time to qualify. It’s a midday start and full details on how to enter are on the club website and this can be done via webcollect or on the day at the reception desk.
Come and join us this coming Sunday for races 7 & 8 in the ‘Crewsaver’ Tipsy Icicle series.
We look forward to seeing you.
LLSC website: https://llsc.org.uk
Full results can be found on: https://llsc.org.uk/LLSC/
Photo link: www/llsc.org.uk/1/?p=8066
https://llsc.org.uk/LLSC/Results/2014Tipsy.htm
