The first of this season’s championship long series racing took place on Saturday with the Handicap Fleet contesting two races for the Barf Plate; the GP14’s the Spring Cup and the Mirrors the Red Sails Trophy. The wind was fairly strong with sudden gusts which led to a number of capsizes.
The RS Vareo was the dominant boat in the Handicap Class, with Scumper winning both races and Toggle taking interim second overall despite being headed by the Laser Radial of Joe Watkins and the Supernova of Jim Christie in Race 1. It was in that race that the Club’s Sailing Secretary Roy Blackburn spoiled a potentially good position by capsizing his Vareo (old habits die hard?). After drying his sails he packed the boat away to allow him additional time to enter results to the Club’s new computer with its updated programme.
The GP14’s first race was won by Tim Knowles/ Martin Statter but the helm briefly fell out of the boat in the second as he tried to contend with a particularly vicious gust. This allowed Mike Fairlamb crewed, on this occasion by Emma Williams through to take the win and a lead in the series. Dave Nicholson with daughter Sarah Wilkinson crewing retired from both races while Nigel Lewis /Chris Brooks failed to make the starts when their main halyard snapped.
Andy Smith sailing one of the Club’s training boats won both races in the Mirror Fleet from Mik Chappell.
Sunday’s handicap races were held in further squally conditions and accompanied by a hail storm. There were separate starts for Asymmetric and conventional boats. In the season long Asymmetric Cup series husband and wife team Phil and Naomi Smith took two wins in their RS200 despite a capsize. Joan and Jack Hardie also capsized their RS200 during race 2 and retired. Mark Somerville posted two second places and Mike Cowan a fifth and a third to place him a current third in the series.
In the MJM Trophy races for conventional boats, Sam Hall took two wins in his Laser. Joe Watkins was second in Race 1 but then capsized several times and posted a retirement. This left the Flying Fifteen of Mike Moore crewed by Lezli Ann Pearson as interim second overall they having taken third and second places in the two races.