Mid-Winter Championships
By Secretary. Filed in News |
Flying Fifteen Mid-Winter Championships.
The inaugural Flying Fifteen Mid Winter Championships were held at Datchet Water Sailing Club over the weekend of January 31st and February 1st. The preceding weather forecast suggested a cold and blustery weekend. The boats of those who had competed in the recent World Championships were still in transit. These two factors combined to reduce the anticipated turnout but 11 visitors joined 7 from the home fleet for some very good sailing.
A force 5 wind with stronger gusts greeted the sailors on Saturday. The first race saw Simon Kneller and Dave Lucas from Grafham battling with Ian Cadwallader and Dave Sweet from Chew Valley and Charles Apthorp and Rob Gutteridge from Hayling Island and they finished in that order.
In the second race, in strengthening breeze, Cadwallader and Sweet were over the line giving Kneller and Lucas a second victory with Alan Bax and Neil Barford second and Apthorp and Gutteridge third. Peter and Sue Bannister from Hayling were fourth having been well down the fleet at the windward mark: they were the only boat to gybe and go left on a favourable breeze down that side and picked up 5 places.
Ian Cadwallader and Dave Sweet made no mistake in the third race: they won a pin-end start and tacked across the fleet on the first shift to take a lead they retained throughout for a comfortable win. Kneller and Lucas took second place to hold the overnight lead.
Sunday saw a stronger breeze with gusts up to 35 mph and colder air and frozen sheets taking a little time to function. Only 8 boats took to the water, some giving up because of the cold. Charles Apthorp and Rob Gutteridge took an early lead and led the fleet home by a comfortable margin, Cadwallader and Sweet were down the fleet on the first round but came back to duel with Kneller and Lucas who eventually took second place. The final race was abandoned because of the cold just as the snow arrived.
Simon Kneller and Dave Lucas became the first Mid-winter Champions with Ian Cadwallader and Dave Sweet second and Alan Bax and Neil Barford (substituted by Gill Browning on the Sunday) third.
Datchet Water Sailing Club gave a very warm welcome to the fleet and put on an excellent event. In particular, Race Officer Peter Short and the rescue crews were excellent in conditions best suited to polar bears.
Final Results Report by Phil Tinsley