Datchet Open
By admin. Filed in Race reports |
Welcome warmer weather and a fresh force four from the west greeted 20 Flying Fifteens who entered the first Open Meeting of the 2009 season. Race 1 saw Greg Wells and Mark Darling showing great boat speed, winning from welcome guest helm Russell Peters with Matt Alvarado, and Justin Waples and Iain Stowe in third. After a general recall, the second start saw the same fast boats at the front, Peters/Alvarado winning from Wells/Darling with Waples/Stowe third again. With very prompt turn-arounds from top notch Race Officer Peter Short, the third race was soon underway, Wells/Darling winning after an unusually poor start, from consistent Peters/Alvarado and regular visitors Ian Linder and Kevin Sweetman in third. Overnight, Wells/Darling led by 1 point from Peters/Alvarado with Waples/Stowe in third. Top Datchet boat was new combination Tom Hall and Grayson Eacott in 8th and top silver was Mike Firth and Phil Tinsley in 13th.
Glorious sunshine greeted the sore limbed crews on Sunday morning, with the lighter winds encouraging all. However the lighter weather made no difference, the same faces at the front. Race 4 saw Waples/Stowe record a welcome win, with Wells/Darling all but sewing up the overall win in second, and Linder/Sweetman again third. The last race was sailed in an ever lightening breeze, saw the local father and son crew of David and Dominick Hume cleverly read the conditions, taking an early lead, before being overtaken by Wells/Darling who walked away to a big win, from the improving Sam Mettam and Martin Grady, with the Humes holding on for third.
This left Wells/Darling the clear winners with 5 points, from Waples/Stowe in second with 11 and Peters/Alvarado in third with 14. Hall/Eacott hung on to top Datchet boat spot finishing 6th winning the Verve de Verney trophy, and Firth/Tinsley top silver in 11th winning the Tryer Trophy. At the prizegiving, Greg Wells was presented with the Mercedes-Benz trophy, and he thanked PRO’s Peter Short and Paul Robinson for laying on such splendid racing.
Datchet’s Open was the first of a new Southern Travellers Series, based on the currently successful Midland TNT series, where the previous years top 15 crews are excluded from the series results, acting as an encouragement for “ordinary” club sailors to try some Open meetings without being swamped by the “pros”. The next STS event is the next Open at Bewl in 2 weeks time, followed by Llangorse in early May.